Dragonball Evolution: A Chat with Ariel Shaw

DBthemovie recently had the pleasure of speaking with the visual effects supervisor for Dragonball: Evolution, Ariel Velasco Shaw, who had completed his work on the film. Ariel answered some questions that many of you have been asking lately.

DBthemovie: Were you (or the team) familiar with Dragonball before this film?
Ariel Velasco Shaw: Yeah, I have a 12 year old son, Milo who is a huge fan. I have always loved the series as well. It’s funny how excited the Visual Effects Houses were to get on the movie. They would do these Ki Energy tests where the CG artists would throw the Ki and then put in their incarnation of the effect.

Q: In the anime, everything seems to be bright and vibrant with fluffy cloud-filled skies. I noticed that, in the trailer, the scene with Gohan training Goku is very similar. Does that [scene] represent the overall look of the movie?
A: What I love about the look of the film is that it arcs from a terrestrial (earthly every day look, albeit, bright and hopeful) to something that is foreboding and other worldly. We went through a look development process (Look Dev) where we had our VFX houses develop the arc.

Q: Some fans were confused that the “Kame Hame Ha” [in the trailer] was executed with one hand. Was this the actual “Kame Hame Ha” or just a “Ki” blast put in the trailer to not spoil it?
A: The one handed ki blast was just a shadow crane strike. Goku has a limited arsenal of energy blasts that culminates in a Kame Hame Ha. Roshi’s arsenal is more powerful than Goku’s, and Piccolo has many types of energy blasts that culminates in a Spirit Bomb. I gotta say, the energy fights are pretty cool.

Q: Do any of the characters have auras in the film?
A: Yes.

Q: If Dragonball: Evolution does well, are you up for working on a sequel?
A: This was a great project to be a part of. The cast and the crew were fantastic. The Fox VFX department is second to none on helping the process along. Of course I’ll come back and join the party.