E34 • Directing Live-Action VFX: Story Comes First • JEFF FOWLER, dir. of ‘Sonic The Hedgehog 3’ from Paramount Pictures

Past Present Feature with Marcus Mizelle

“Sonic The Hedgehog 3” director Jeff Fowler shares his filmmaking journey, focusing on his experiences with visual effects, animation, and storytelling, having been influenced at an early age by “Star Wars”, “T2”, and “Jurassic Park”.

Jeff emphasizes the importance of hard work and passion in achieving success, recounting his time at Ringling College of Art and Design and then being hired by Tim Miller at Blur Studios. He discusses the evolution of visual effects and the path that led him to direct the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise.

Jeff reflects on the challenges and innovations in creating compelling visual narratives, the importance of pre-visualization and storyboarding, and the collaborative process of working with actors and animators. He also shares insights into the production journey of Sonic 3, the impact of fan feedback, and the excitement of expanding the Sonic universe with new characters and stories.
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1. E34 • Directing Live-Action VFX: Story Comes First • JEFF FOWLER, dir. of ‘Sonic The Hedgehog 3’ from Paramount Pictures (00:00:00)

2. Past Present Feature, Hosted by Marcus Mizelle (00:00:01)

3. Introducing Filmmaker Jeff Fowler, dir. of "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" from Paramount Pictures (00:00:38)

4. Visual Effects in Storytelling + Nostalgia for Sonic (00:01:45)

5. Origin Story: "Star Wars", "Jurassic Park", "Toy Story" (00:03:08)

6. The Path to a Career in Filmmaking, Animation, and Storytelling (00:06:04)

7. Finding Passion, and a Path in Film and Animation (00:10:16)

8. The Importance of Hard Work + Studying at Ringling College of Art and Design (00:12:55)

9. Working at Blur Studios (00:15:07)

10. Sonic's Cinematic Evolution + The Evolution of Visual Effects (00:20:28)

11. Developing & Directing Sonic The Hedgehog + Jim Carrey (00:26:08)

12. The First Sonic Trailer: Fan Feedback and Design Changes (00:31:52)

13. Casting Sonic + Jim Carrey x 2 (00:34:19)

14. Directing Actors for Live-Action VFX + Bringing Sonic to Life (00:35:52)

15. Post-Production, Pre-Vis and Pacing Live-Action VFX (00:38:03)

16. The Future of Sonic and Beyond: Promoting the Film Ahead of it's Theatrical Release (Dec. 20) (00:40:44)

17. Keanu Reaves as Shadow (He's the Best) (00:42:01)

18. Parting Words of Filmmaking Wisdom (00:43:27)