Looking back: 1995’s Outbreak

Posted by Ian Failes ON March 24, 2015

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This March marks 20 years since the release of Wolfgang Petersen’s Outbreak, the story of a deadly Ebola-like virus surfacing in Zaire. The film opens with a firebombing of a camp where the virus is found – a sequence realized by visual effects house Boss Film Studios with miniature effects and a mix of digital effects and compositing. Visual effects supervisor Jim Rygiel, who oversaw what became known as the daisy cutter bomb sequence or mother of all bombs (MOAB) shots, pulled out the imagery below from his archives for fxguide.

But first, check out the opening attack on the camp in this clip:

1/4 scale miniature.
1/4 scale miniature.
1/4 scale miniature shot at Boss.
1/4 scale miniature shot at Boss.
The live action actor was shot against greenscreen...
The live action actor was shot against greenscreen…
...and then shredded with CG techniques.
…and then shredded with CG techniques.
AB smoke and fullers earth gave the bomb a pre-blast look when hit with air mortars.
AB smoke and fullers earth gave the bomb a pre-blast look when hit with air mortars.
Miniature tower.
Miniature tower.
Helicopter sequences was shot on a helicopter buck against greenscreen at Warner Bros.
Helicopter sequences was shot on a helicopter buck against greenscreen at Warner Bros.

 

 

  • David Marte says:
    March 26, 2015 at 8:14 am

    Still a great movie, I Highly recommend it.

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