5 Ways to Nail the Sci-Fi Look

I recently read a great article on The Beat by Noam Kroll regarding how to go about nailing the sci fi look and it was so simple, and yet so clear that I just couldn’t resist posting it up here so that anybody who cares to read my blog would also be able to have access to it! So, here goes ...

Science Fiction is one of themes popular independent genres at the moment, but many filmmakers struggle to capture the right aesthetic on camera. Here are some tips for sending audiences to the outer limits.

on the set of Ex Machina via DNA films

Every genre calls for its own unique approach when it comes to lighting, camera settings, editing and colour correction. Sci fi is certainly no exception. Its hard to argue with the fact that sci fi films often feature some of the most stylised footage of any genre and as such a lot of work needs to go into executing that perfect look.

There is no one size fits all approach to crafting the look of any genre (nor should there be), but these guidelines will help start you off in the right direction as you shoot and post your next sic fi flick.

1. Art Direction is Everything!

On the set of 2001: A Space Odyssey via Los Angeles County Museum of Art

When it comes to science fiction nothing can ruin a project more quickly than poor art direction. Sci-Fi is al about creating a new world for your audience to immerse themselves in an the art direction plays a massive part in delivering on that front.

Assuming your project is properly budgeted you'll want to bring on a professional production designer early on in the process  to help you shape the look of your film. Choices with regards to locations, props, set decoration and other elements will play a vital role in whether or not the world of your film is believable, so having the right production designer on board will be immensely helpful in getting the best final result. 

If your budget is too limited to hire a dedicated Production Designer, consider rewriting the locations in your script to b more conducive to the scope of your project. Certain locations (such as a desolate town) will be much easier to set decorate (even without a production designer on board) than an urban environment, for instance.

2. Utilise Simple Visual Effects

Another Earth via Fox Searchlight

Most sci-fi films call for some degree of VFX work, but unless you're a VFX artist yourself, be very VERY careful about how and where you choose to incorporate VFX in your film. Nine times out of every ten, less is more when it comes to VFX on a budget - and there are many successful indie films you can look at to prove that point.

The independent film and Sundance hit Another Earth is a perfect example of this. The film, for all intents and purposes, was shot like a drama, even though it had a sci-fi backbone to its story. The filmmakers used an extremely simple VFX shot, involving tracking an image of Earth onto the sky, throughout the film in an incredibly powerful way. Had they attempted to do more elaborate VFX work throughout the film, they would likely have only cheapened their aesthetic. In the end they benefited tremendously from the less-is-more approach.

3. Crank Up the Shutter Speed

Edge of Tomorrow via Fandango

There isn't necessarily any formula for lighting a science fiction film, since the genre now includes countless sub-genres all with their own unique look and style. With that said, one camera-related technique that does seem to work on many science fiction films involves higher than normal shutter speeds.

The 180 degree rule states that your shutter speed should always be double that of your frame rate, so for a 25fps project, your shutter would be 1/50. In some genres (such as action) bumping up your shutter speed significantly higher can work really well, as it adds more intensity to the moment of the  shots.

Science Fiction is another genre that can been immensely from higher shutter speeds - but you still need to be careful not to take things too far. Cranking your shutter speed past a certain point can leave  you with off looking, distracting footage. You don't want your audience to notice the effect, but rather to just sense the effect unconsciously.  

4. Favour Cooler Colour Tones 

Oblivion via Relativity Media

At least 50% of the Sci-Fi look is created in post - more specifically, in the Colour Suite. Once again, there isn't a single approach thats going to work for all Sci-Fi films but there are some general principles that seem to work in the majority of films in this genre, one of which is the use of cooler tones.

Many sci-fi films take place in unsettling environments, or in some cases, even dystopian societies. Warm colour palettes are generally going to lead your audience to feel more comfortable, which can be counter intuitive to the genre in many respects. Cool blues, purples and cyan tones will go a long way in creating an unsettling feeling for your viewers - and don't forget to add a touch of desaturation too.

5.  Avoid Film Emulation

Interstellar via Paramount Pictures

I am normally a huge advocate of film emulation. In fact, I use some form of it on nearly every project I create. With that said, sci-fi films are one of the few instances where I feel film emulation can actually work against the better interests of the project.

Science fiction often calls for a sterile and clinical look and film emulation will typically push footage in the very opposite direction. In fact, film emulation is really all about muting colours, softening digital harshness and generally taking the edge off of footage - which isn't always the best choice for sci-fi. Many of the best sci fi films have in fact, even been shot digitally and taken advantage of the ultra clean, hyper sharp look that certain digital cinema cameras can deliver.

  

Directing 101: Coordinating Character Movement in a Scene

So, as the opening blog on my brand spanking new website I thought it would be good to set up an ongoing series of technical directing oriented blogs that each looks at a different element of the Directors job and how to get the best out of each.

One of the things that I continually see is a psychological chasm between character and camera movement. Instead of coordinating the two elements together as they are supposed to be, providing a fluid orchestral flow, there are many of us out there that focus on one or the other and then just bolt the other one on as an afterthought with the result that it feels as though the visual flow of the images jars our senses, leading to an amateur viewing experience or else one that the audience just wants to turn off!

One of the things to realise early on in the Directors process is that the camera is representative of the audiences eye and as such we are in the unique positions as directors that we need to anticipate what it is the audience will naturally want to see and secondly we have the ability to guide their senses to occlude their own desires for viewing.

First and foremost, to be able to structure this intensified experience we need to concentrate on the character movement first, because it is this that sets the environment and needs of everything that comes after.

When we come to place the cameras we may need to go back and adjust the character movement to facilitate the fluid coordination that we are looking for.

Deciding on character movement is almost like armchair psychology in that there are a group of conditions that a character obeys that determines when a character does and does not move.

In film it is a very well known maxim that you must show, and not tell and as such all of this character movement that we will be deciding upon is, to a certain degree, indicative of internal thought processes. In every day life this probably wouldn’t work so well but where drama and documentary is concerned our inherent understanding of the grammar of film has been instilled in us since our cradle days and therefore we inherently understand the meanings imparted perfectly.

Each character has motivations for movement and motivations for stopping and the list is as follows:

Motivations for Character Movement:

Characters will move for many of the same reasons that we all move in the real world and the vast majority of reasons are summarised with the following motivations:

i)              Initiative – This is a movement that any character can do in order to show a sense of purpose

ii)             Control/Territory – This is movement that a character will do in order to take a dominant position and become the centre of attention

iii)           Discomfort – This is movement that we may do when an uncomfortable situation is gnawing at us and we find it uncomfortable

iv)           Becoming more personal – This is movement that a character will undertake when they wish to forge a closer connection or relationship with another character and will often involve an invasion of the other characters personal space.

v)             Becoming more private – This is movement that is the opposite to the previous condition where a character may wish to reduce the personal connection with another character, and could indicate emotional withdrawal and rejection.

A lot of character movement within a scene is a mix of characters becoming more and/ or less personal.

Motivations for Character Stops:

Just as there are reasons for characters to instigate movement there are also reasons for a characters to end their movement.

i)              Stopping to End Movement – This stoppage occurs when the motivation for the original movement is no longer evident

ii)             Stopping to Think or Feel – As soon as something grabs the attention of the character in a lot of cases it may bring any movement to a halt or preclude the start of a new movement as the character chooses to focus on thinking on the thing instead

iii)           Stopping to Shift Gears – This is just a momentary stop as a character changes an emotional state from one movement to a higher or lower energy state in which he starts the new movement

iv)           Stopping for Clarity – This is a stoppage which serves to emphasize of underline something.

v)             Stopping for the Camera – This character stoppage is for the sole purpose of allowing the viewer a moment of analysis of the character and should as often as possible be used in combination with another stoppage motivation in order to disguise the mechanic.

The last option also covers a simple reaction shot or even a matching reverse where a character stands at the end of a scene which can be used for a detach. If the scene terminates with the character still standing there can be used to show intense and heavy internal reflection. It may however, only show a stoppage for a moment before the character in frame walks off frame indicating only a momentary internal reflection.

The directors job is to be able to portray visually an internal psychological story by utilizing character movements and frame juxtapositions but it is the decisions on the character movement that provides the foundations for everything that comes afterwards….