The “early VFX test” leaks for the live-action ATLA series have been confirmed. They were real, but not scenes from the actual show. Here’s what this being true means for the series.
Earlier this week, some purported leaks from the upcoming live-action ATLA Netflix series made a whirlwind tour of the internet, including racking up over a million views on YouTube, before being taken down almost everywhere. (The copies of the leaks here on korranews have also been taken down at the request of the producer.)
The whole time it was unclear whether they were “real” or not– well, they were real in that they were real photos of a real production, but it was unknown if that production was actually ATLA as the leaker claimed, or simply something that looked like it.
Korranews has spoken with the producer of the test and received clarification on exactly what was being filmed, as well as how Netflix has gotten involved since the leaks to protect the series.
The leaks were real. They were actually not of a VFX test, but a virtual production test by a VFX company, and the purpose of the test was essentially an audition to do virtual production/VFX for the real series. (We’ll get to what virtual production is at the end of the post). The test was not affiliated with Netflix or the series– they made up their own scenes to film.
The costuming, casting, and plot/script were not from the actual show in any way.
Most of the controversy about these leaks has been the Sokka/Katara scene, in which she waterbends when they’re attacked by “marauders” and they’re both shocked by it, with Sokka exclaiming “you’re a waterbender!”. Katara not knowing she was a waterbender would be a huge change from the original series, in which her mother died to protect her years ago because Katara was a waterbender, a major part of her character.
These scenes are not from the live-action series and as far as we know they’re not changing Katara’s history. Again, the scene was made up by the VFX company for the test, it didn’t come from the upcoming Netflix series.
Netflix is getting stories about the leaks that misrepresent the show taken down.
This is maybe the most interesting part. Netflix has actively gotten involved to stop the misinformation, truth-stretching, and jumping to conclusions surrounding these leaks.
Even though the Netflix series wasn’t involved in the VFX test, the leaks spread far and wide and started taking on a life of their own. Most big stories about them misrepresented them as actual scenes from episode 1 of the actual show. This misinformation harms the show, so it makes sense that they’d want to put a stop to it.
It’s actually a really good thing that Netflix recognized this as harmful and took action to stop it. It means they’re taking the series seriously, and aren’t going to make fundamental mistakes/changes like the one in the fake Sokka/Katara scene that caused so much controversy.
Since the leaks are real, that means the rumors the leaker heard on set could be too.
So we can put to bed all discussion of the leaked scenes. They’re not from the show.
However, they were filmed by an actual Hollywood VFX company as their bid to do VFX for the show. For them to be doing this test at all means they’re at some level in contact with Netflix– they wouldn’t spend money on shooting this (with actors, costumes, props, CGI, and a whole made-up script) if Netflix wasn’t inviting them to.
For this, we can probably take the leaker at their word: “Netflix has reached out to multiple VFX companies to do these sorts of tests, so this was just one company’s bid.”
Assuming that that’s true, we can assume that the people there that day knew more than us. And so we turn to the rumors the leaker heard on set:
“Word on set was that Netflix was planning to film most of the show on-location in Vancouver and Hawaii.”
This seems believable, and it would be great if it’s true. Those two locations cover an extremely wide range of biomes that could be used for almost anywhere throughout the Four Nations. For all the travelling the Gaang does, it would totally make sense to film on-location in nature.
When you get to more complicated locations, that’s when sound stages, green screen, and hopefully some filming in Asia come into play.
Bryan has already described the series as a “fantasy travel show”, so we know they’re not going to skip out on all the locations.
Now is a good time to turn back to virtual production. Virtual production is when filmmakers can see rendered VFX while filming in real time and real space. So they can move around a green screen or sound stage and see on a screen or VR headset the virtual set mapped to physical space. This means they can set up camera angles, blocking, choreography, etc. like on a real set.
The leaked images actually showed this, they were mostly photos of screens showing the composited VFX on set.
We also already know that the real live-action ATLA series is using virtual reality to step into the fantasy world of the show. Since they’re doing that, it would make sense that when actually filming they’ll use virtual production for locations that require green screen or a sound stage, or even to see things like bending, spirits, and creatures in real time while filming. (We know one of the fake scenes included Katara waterbending, so it’s possible Netflix asked for the VFX companies’ virtual production bids to include bending.)
So this is another point for the series planning to use virtual reality/production to film.
And now to the other on-set rumor:
“Somebody also said Netflix wants this Avatar series “to be their own Game of Thrones.””
Let’s hope this means in terms of budget!
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