Another important aspect of digital Matte painting is the ability to seamlessly combine multiple photographic sources into a single coherent environment.
Several shots required the integration of different plates, blending elements from separate sources while introducing additional matte painting work to unify the final image. The objective was to create the illusion that everything had been captured as part of a single uninterrupted shot.
I particularly enjoy this type of work because it belongs to the category of invisible effects. It relies on careful observation, continuity, and subtle artistic decisions that help preserve the realism of the scene while supporting the needs of the edit and the story.
Some sequences required the development of projection setups designed to cover an entire series of shots rather than a single frame.
The speed of the aircraft, combined with lens distortion and rapidly changing perspectives, made these setups particularly technical. Building efficient solutions that could remain stable throughout a sequence required careful planning and a solid understanding of 2.5D workflows within Nuke.
I particularly enjoyed finding ways to optimise these projection setups, balancing production efficiency with the visual quality expected from a feature film of this scale.
One aspect of the role that I particularly enjoy is the creation of large-scale 2.5D environment setups within Nuke.
By building projection environments that extend far beyond the boundaries of a single shot, it becomes possible to support entire sequences while maintaining visual continuity and consistency across multiple camera angles.
This type of work sits at the intersection of technical problem-solving and artistic decision-making, making it one of my favorite responsibilities as a digital matte painter. Designing robust setups that can support complex cinematic sequences is a challenge I continue to find both rewarding and creatively engaging.
No CGI jets. No CGI explosions. Just... 2.5D dmp trees.
One of my favorite sequences to work on during 'Top Gun: Maverick' at MPC Montreal perfectly illustrates a side of Digital Matte Painting that often goes unnoticed: invisible visual effects.
Rather than creating entirely new environments, the challenge was to subtly support the storytelling by extending the photographed locations with additional vegetation. Every tree had to blend seamlessly into the live-action plates while remaining consistent across multiple shots, camera angles, and lighting conditions.
To me, this is one of the most rewarding aspects of working as a digital Matte painter. When the work is successful, the audience never notices it. The added elements feel as though they have always been part of the original photography, helping the narrative without drawing attention to the visual effects themselves.
Top Gun: Maverick also presented a number of technical challenges related to plate enhancement work on footage captured from real jet cockpit photography.
Because these shots were filmed at high speed during actual flights, maintaining believable environment continuity between shots required a strong understanding of camera motion, tracking, scale, and perspective. Small inconsistencies could quickly become noticeable when sequences were edited together.
As a digital Matte painter, much of the challenge was ensuring that every enhancement remained fully integrated within the original photography while preserving the intensity and realism that define the film's aerial sequences.
Top Gun : Maverick
Joseph Kosinski - 2022
VFX company : MPC (Montreal)
Role : Key Artist – Digital Matte Painter / 3DDMP
As part of MPC Montreal’s dedicated 3DDMP Strike Team, I contributed to Top Gun: Maverick, working on highly technical and creatively demanding environment shots.
Unlike artists assigned to a single production, the Strike Team operated across multiple shows within the studio, providing support on complex shots that required advanced technical problem-solving or creative development, to help productions achieve their visual targets.
My work focused on Digital Matte Painting and 3DDMP, combining 2.5D techniques with 3D environment workflows to create and enhance large-scale cinematic environments. A significant part of the work involved enhancing live-action plates from the shoot, extending and refining photographed locations while maintaining a strong sense of realism and continuity