Cruncher Block is a notorious criminal figure in the world of Speed Racer. RSP’s scene opens in his office, located in the back of a big rig that is barreling down the Lonely Highway. Whilst ILM did an exterior fight scene, RSP handled interior shots, including stylized slow-motion shots of bullets coming through the walls. The interior of Cruncher’s office is practical. It was a set piece built on a rocking base. Throughout the sequence, the rocking builds until the characters are tossed around. RSP created CG piranhas, Cruncher’s pets kept in a large tank behind his desk. The fish had to be animated to match the sloshing water in the tank. RSP also created matte paintings for an exterior gunfight. The matte paintings represent the Lonely Highway’s tree-lined roadside. For a portion of the scene when Taejo and Racer X are in the car, artists created a cycling background in the manner of a traditional animation – repeating the tree elements and sliding the matte painting layers along in 2D. The simplicity of the technique was an intentional homage to the economy employed in anime.
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