<sod>The film was green lighted soon after Emmerich and Devlin's completion of the first draft and were given creative freedom to write, produce and direct the film while TriStar would handle financing, distribution and merchandising deals.<ref name="p4"/> The deal also enabled Emmerich and Devlin to receive 15% first dollar gross on the film while the original producers Cary Woods and Robert Fried would be given executive producer credits.<ref name="p4"/> Instead of employing Digital Domain as Jan de Bont planned for his Godzilla, Emmerich and Devlin decided to use their own effects team such as visual effects supervisor Volker Engel, miniature effects supervisor Joe Viskocil mechanical effects supervisor Clay Pinney and executive producer William Fay.<ref name="p4"/><eod>
<sod>The film was green lighted soon after Emmerich and Devlin's completion of the first draft and were given creative freedom to write, produce and direct the film while TriStar would handle financing, distribution and merchandising deals.<ref name="p4"/> The deal also enabled Emmerich and Devlin to receive 15% first dollar gross on the film while the original producers Cary Woods and Robert Fried would be given executive producer credits.<ref name="p4"/> Instead of employing Digital Domain as Jan de Bont planned for his Godzilla, Emmerich and Devlin decided to use their own effects team such as visual effects supervisor Volker Engel, miniature effects supervisor Joe Viskocil mechanical effects supervisor Clay Pinney and executive producer William Fay.<ref name="p4"/> <eod>