Side Effects Software has a case study online of their product Houdini in use in the Scott Pilgrim movie by Mr. X and Double Negative. I find it amazing that the snow in the movie, much of which I thought was actually blown snow, was actually Houdini particle effects.
In Scott Pilgrim’s Toronto, it is winter even though the movie began filming in spring. It was therefore logical for “Toronto” studio Mr. X to winterize key scenes in the movie. The snow was going to need to be more than just an environmental simulation of snow. Mr. X’s goal was to treat the snow just as if it was another character in the movie. It needed to be very directable and with Houdini, they were able to create quick and easy setups which would provide them with the control they needed.
