Ukrainian American had role in creating "Titanic's" illusions (07/05/98)

Ukrainian American had role in creating "Titanic's" illusions

by Olena Welhasch

PARSIPPANY, N.J. - Behind the Blue Sky-VIFX (FOX) special effects studio doors, Marian Rudnyk spent a year and a half creating convincing illusions of a world - famous shipwreck. In James Cameron's "Titanic," simulated breathing, depiction of the ship's immense engine room, and the creation of an astronomically correct sky were among the special effects that utilized Mr. Rudnyk's expertise. Visual effects and digital animation aided in the authentic portrayal of the fateful night of the ship's sinking.

In order to successfully recreate historic events, meticulous attention to detail is required. For example, unlike the actors in the film, the unfortunate victims of the historic wreck were subject to the unmerciful freezing temperatures of the North Atlantic. Because the scene with the drowning passengers was filmed at Santa Rosarita Beach in Mexico, digital technical teams were left with the task of inserting "breaths" into the motion picture to convey an accurate depiction of passengers' breathing in the cold waters.

Mr. Cameron, director/producer of "Titanic," wanted "breaths that act." Consequently, the special effects team spent hours filming crew members clad in black masks exhaling in a dark room to provide them with frosty breathing material. Then the crew undertook the complex task of digitally inserting breaths to precisely match the dialogue and actions of the characters.

Mr. Rudnyk also worked on a scene in the engine room. The actors who appear to be laboring among the huge pistons of the Titanic were really nowhere near ship - they were simply acting before a blue or green screen. Mr. Rudnyk was responsible for combining the footage of a ship's engines with their actions and, in effect, bringing people into the engine room.

Perhaps the most appropriate project aboard the "Titanic" for Mr. Rudnyk was the research and precise recreation of the sky that appeared on April 14, 1912. He was well-equipped to perform the historical research of the stars due to his varied past career experiences.

Prior to his work in special effects animation, Mr. Rudnyk worked as an astronomer and planetary photogeologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. During his 10 years at NASA, Mr. Rudnyk charted and named over 200 asteroids. He named the first asteroid he discovered "4601 Ludkewycz," in honor of his mother, whose maiden name is Ludkewycz.

Following federal budget cuts in 1994, Mr. Rudnyk's days at NASA ended and he began cultivating his artistic talents by taking classes at the American Animation Institute. This additional education provided him with skills that led to a job animating part of a Levi's women's jeans commercial that is currently showing. In January of 1997, Mr. Rudnyk enrolled in a federal program to retrain displaced aerospace workers to enter the entertainment field; the next thing he knew, his career had moved from asteroid hunting to special effects animation in what was to become the blockbuster hit,"Titanic."

A free-lance writer as well, Mr. Rudnyk has published various science and technology articles including an account of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster in The People's Almanac of the 20th Century.

Right now Mr. Rudnyk hopes that his career in character animation will prevail. He explained that he has some demos that he will be pitching to Nickelodeon and MTV soon.

How did Mr. Rudnyk acquire such a diverse compilation of interests and abilities? He said he believes that his career choices are reflective of his parents' influence. Marian's father, Augustin Rudnyk, worked as an aerospace engineer and was instrumental in the Apollo missions. His mother, an artist, can take credit for inspiring her son to pursue animation.

Mr. Rudnyk was born and raised in Monrovia, Calif., where he attended Ukrainian school and was a member of Plast. Marian's grandfather, Evhen Ludkewycz, was the founder of Plast in California.

From discoveries in the Milky Way to special effects in Hollywood, 32-year-old Marian Rudnyk's career has offered him more variety than most people will experience in a lifetime. Mr. Rudnyk's business card inevitably baffles all beholders when they read "Marian Rudnyk - writer, cartoonist, astronomer, geologist."