{"id":66590,"date":"2015-11-18T10:42:00","date_gmt":"2015-11-18T16:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=66590"},"modified":"2015-11-18T10:43:03","modified_gmt":"2015-11-18T16:43:03","slug":"5-ways-to-nail-the-sci-fi-look","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/5-ways-to-nail-the-sci-fi-look\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Ways to Nail the Sci-Fi Look"},"content":{"rendered":"

1. Art Direction Is Everything<\/h3>\n

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\nOn the set of 2001: A Space Odyssey<\/a> via Los Angeles County Museum of Art<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

When it comes to science fiction<\/strong>, nothing can ruin a project more quickly than poor art direction. Sci-fi<\/strong> is all about creating a new world for your audience to immerse themselves in, and the art direction plays a massive part in delivering on that front.<\/p>\n

Assuming your project is properly budgeted, you\u2019ll 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 location, props, set dec, and other elements will play a vital\u00a0role 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.<\/p>\n

If your budget is too limited to hire a dedicated Production Designer, consider rewriting the locations in your script to be 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.<\/p>\n

2. Utilize Simple VFX<\/h3>\n

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\nAnother Earth<\/a> via Fox Searchlight<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Most sci-fi films<\/strong> call for some degree of VFX work, but unless you’re a VFX artist yourself, be very careful about how and where you choose to incorporate VFX in your film. Nine times out of ten, less is more when it comes to VFX on a budget \u2014 and there are many successful indie sci-fi films<\/strong> you can look to that prove that point.<\/p>\n

The independent film and Sundance hit Another Earth<\/em> 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<\/strong> backbone to the 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 likely would have only cheapened their aesthetic. In the end, they benefitted tremendously from the less-is-more approach.<\/p>\n

3. Crank Up The Shutter Speed<\/h3>\n

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\nEdge of Tomorrow<\/a> via Fandango<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

There isn\u2019t necessarily any formula for lighting a science fiction film<\/strong>, 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<\/strong> involves higher than normal shutter speeds.<\/p>\n

The 180 degree rule states that your shutter speed should always be double that of your frame rate, so for a 24fps project, your shutter would be set to 1\/48. In some genres (such as action) bumping up your shutter speed significantly higher can work really well, as it adds more intensity to the movement in your shots.<\/p>\n

Science fiction<\/strong> is another\u00a0genre\u00a0that can benefit immensely from higher shutter speeds \u2014 but you still need to be careful not to take things\u00a0too far. Cranking your shutter speed past a certain point can leave you with odd looking, distracting footage. You don\u2019t want your audience to notice the effect, but rather to just sense it<\/em> unconsciously.<\/p>\n

4. Favor Cool Color Tones<\/h3>\n

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\nOblivion<\/a> via Relativity Media<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

At least 50% of the sci-fi look<\/strong> is created in post \u2014 more specifically, in the color suite. Once again, there isn\u2019t a single approach that’s going to work for all sci-fi films<\/strong>, 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.<\/p>\n

Many sci-fi films<\/strong> take place in unsettling environments, or in some cases, even dystopian societies. Warm color 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 \u2014 and don’t forget to add a touch of desaturation too.<\/p>\n

5. Avoid Film Emulation<\/h3>\n

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\nInterstellar<\/a> via Paramount Pictures<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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<\/strong> are one of the few instances where I feel film emulation can actually work against<\/em> the better interests of the project.<\/p>\n

Science fiction<\/strong> 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 colors, softening digital harshness, and generally taking the edge off of footage \u2014 which isn\u2019t always the best choice for sci-fi<\/strong>. Many of the best sci-fi films<\/strong> have, in fact, even been shot digitally and taken advantage of the ultra clean, hyper sharp look that certain digital cinema cameras can deliver.<\/p>\n

For some inspiration, be sure to check out the trailer below for the above mentioned film, Another Earth<\/em>:<\/p>\n