Lipsync Post Checks Into Stephen King's '1480'

Lipsync Post has just completed 170 vfx shots for '1408', a film adapted from the terrifying short story by suspense master, Stephen King.
Directed by Mikael Håfström (Derailed), 1408 stars John Cusack as renowned horror novelist Mike Enslin who believes only in what he can see with his own two eyes. After a string of bestsellers discrediting paranormal events in the most infamous haunted houses and graveyards across the world, he has no real proof of life… afterlife. But Enslin’s phantom-free run of long, lonely nights is about to change forever when he checks into suite 1408 of the notorious Dolphin Hotel. Defying the warnings of the hotel’s manager (Samuel L Jackson), the author is the first person in years to stay in the reputedly haunted room. Like many Stephen King heroes, first he must go from sceptic to true believer before confronting his demons to survive the night…
Lipsync’s work on the six-month long project included a host of invisibles effects necessary to maintain the suspension of disbelief and keep the horror convincing, including screen inserts, cold breath clouds, matte paintings of Manhattan exteriors, bluescreen compositing and the creation of melting effects and heat hazes, as well as some more dramatic CG effects such as fireballs and explosions.
“1408 is one of those jobs where people tend not to notice what you’ve done, despite months of labour and effort,” commented Stefan Drury, head of VFX at LipSync. “But that’s good. In some ways the highest compliment you can be paid in this business is when someone says ‘Effects? What effects?’ and that’s what we’ve achieved here.”
The USA box office smash hit opens across the UK through Paramount Pictures on 24 August 2007, and all European territories though the autumn.
(DS/SP)