Hollywood sensation “Beowulf” Animator Joe Harkins

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Computer Animation grad Joe Harkins talks about his work at Sony Pictures Imageworks.

Computer Animation graduate Joe Harkins has built an impressive list of visual effects credits since starting in the visual effects industry in 2002, including such blockbuster films as 300, X-Men: The Last Stand, Hellboy, and The Matrix Revolutions. Having recently finished up his latest gig as Lead Character Technical Director on Beowulf at Sony Pictures Imageworks, Joe talked with us about his work on the film right as it was set to hit screens.The project was helmed by Robert Zemeckis, the director who behind 2004’s animated hit The Polar Express. Following up that film was no easy task, but the artists were able to push the quality and detail of the animation on Beowulf beyond expectations. Joe explained that he and the crew crafted the realistic animation by utilizing the latest in motion capture technology. “It is quite a fascinating process,” he says. “Sony’s Imagemotion has come a long way since The Polar Express, and we were able to achieve things on this project that could not have been done a few years ago. A focal point for the animators and artists were the eyes. They spent a great deal of time and effort trying to get the eyes to look alive. If you see this film and believe there is a person behind the eyes, the window into the soul, that to me is the most exciting prospect.”The Imagemotion process has breathed new life into the cassic story with the fluid movement it afforded the character models. Blending live action and animation, the images in Beowulf offer a depth that you don’t get from most animated films – and it didn’t take long into the development process before Joe knew he was working on something special. “Once I did an animation test of all of the work combined, that's when I really felt like this was something unique,” he says. “Once it was textured and lit, it looked very real. The body was extremely realistic and all of the modeling and rigging appeared to be paying off. I really like the sequence where Beowulf first meets Grendel's mother in her cave. I feel like the work we did on Beowulf's body really paid off here, and the subtle motions really help sell the performance.”After three years of work on Beowulf, Joe can’t wait for audiences to see what he and the team at Sony Pictures Imageworks have been doing. Consider yourself warned though, because you might end up fighting him for a place in line on opening day.“I love my job, and what I do, and I love seeing the movies I get to work on,” he says about the film’s release. “I really enjoy going to see them with an audience and listening to their reactions – I can't wait to hear what they think! That to me is the biggest reward. In the end, it's a very fulfilling process, even though sometimes it feels like your job is never done.”