The Paradise fire lasted 18 days, destroying over 18,000 structures and leaving 85 people dead, making it the most destructive wildfire in California history. Paul Greengrass recounts one survival story in “The Lost Bus,” starring Matthew McConaughey and America Ferrera as bus driver Kevin McKay and teacher Mary Ludwig, who risk everything to bring a group of children to safety. “I spent probably eight months in preproduction with an editor, researcher and a producer and we put together about 90 minutes of material that chronicled the day before and the day of the fire,” says visual effects supervisor Charlie Noble, whose team included David Zaretti, Russell Bowen and Brandon K. McLaughlin. To capture the last perilous stretch of their escape, production lined a New Mexico road with propane-powered flames, wind machines and flame effect lighting. “In this particular frame, Paul wanted to go lower with the camera than the road allowed us to go. So we did a run-by with the real bus and then took all of the information and re-created a CG bus,” says Noble. Swirling dust, burning trees, thick smoke and drifting embers heighten the danger, while firsthand accounts layered emotional tension. “Mary gave me clips she took on her phone as they were trying to evacuate, which were amazing bits of reference, but reminded you that we’re not just making a movie. This is people’s lives.”
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