{"id":68060,"date":"2015-12-11T11:26:00","date_gmt":"2015-12-11T17:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=68060"},"modified":"2015-12-11T11:26:38","modified_gmt":"2015-12-11T17:26:38","slug":"deconstructing-the-scene-war-of-the-worlds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/deconstructing-the-scene-war-of-the-worlds\/","title":{"rendered":"Deconstructing the Scene: War of the Worlds"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 id=\"lets-take-a-detailed-step-by-step-look-at-what-went-into-creating-one-of-the-most-riveting-scenes-in-recent-film-history-the-alien-attack-that-launches-the-war-of-the-worlds\">Let&#8217;s take a detailed, step-by-step look at what went into creating one of the most riveting scenes in recent film history: the alien attack that launches the War of the Worlds.\u00a0<del><br \/>\n<\/del><\/h2>\n<p>A well-developed\u00a0scene has a million moving parts. Let&#8217;s take a look at how those parts\u00a0come together to make something amazing. We&#8217;ll take a detailed look at the craftsmanship of a scene from all major aspects of production. From pre-visualization to the final edit, we&#8217;re going to discover exactly what it takes to create\u00a0something iconic.<\/p>\n<p>For this experiment, let&#8217;s\u00a0take a closer look at a scene\u00a0from <a title=\"Steven Spielberg IMDb\" href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm0000229\/?ref_=tt_ov_dr#director\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Steven Spielberg&#8217;s<\/a> <em><a title=\"War of the Worlds IMDB\" href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0407304\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">War of the Worlds<\/a><\/em>. In this roughly two-minute scene, we&#8217;ll explore several aspects of the entire production, from previsualization, cinematography, staging, editing, and visual effects.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rYGWG2_PB_Q?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>Video via\u00a0<a class=\"yt-uix-sessionlink g-hovercard      spf-link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC3gNmTGu-TTbFPpfSs5kNkg\">Movieclips<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 id=\"it-all-begins-in-pre-production\">It All Begins in\u00a0Pre-Production<\/h3>\n<p>Going into any scene, you must have a developed concept. Set yourself up for success by\u00a0<a title=\"PremiumBeat\" href=\"http:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/the-benefits-of-storyboarding-your-next-film\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">storyboarding the scene<\/a>. This will be the foundation you work from before you ever even call action. For a scene like this one, there was a<strong> long and detailed previsualization<\/strong> process due to the high volume of visual effects.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>I&#8217;m lost unless I&#8217;ve preplanned an action sequence &#8211; first in my head, then on paper, then finally, over a period of weeks, on film. \u00a0&#8211;\u00a0<a title=\"Amazon\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Steven-Spielberg-Interviews-Conversations-Filmmakers\/dp\/157806113X\/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1449797648&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=steven+spielberg+interviews\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Conversations with Filmmakers Series<\/a>, Steven Spielberg Interviews.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-68339 size-full\" title=\"Deconstructing the Scene: War of the Worlds Concept Art\" src=\"https:\/\/pbblogassets.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Concept-Art.jpg\" alt=\"Deconstructing the Scene: War of the Worlds Concept Art\" width=\"755\" height=\"315\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Concept-Art.jpg 755w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Concept-Art.jpg?resize=300,125 300w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Concept-Art.jpg?resize=277,116 277w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Concept-Art.jpg?resize=359,150 359w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Concept-Art.jpg?resize=543,227 543w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Concept-Art.jpg?resize=560,234 560w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Concept-Art.jpg?resize=600,250 600w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Concept-Art.jpg?resize=150,63 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 755px) 100vw, 755px\" \/><em>Image: Tripod concept design via <a title=\"Ryan Church Official Site\" href=\"http:\/\/ryanchurch.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Ryan Church<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Spielberg and the concept artists from <a title=\"Industrial Light &amp; Magic\" href=\"http:\/\/www.ilm.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Industrial Light &amp; Magic<\/a>\u00a0didn&#8217;t just create static storyboards. <strong>They developed <em>animated<\/em> storyboards<\/strong> that allowed Spielberg\u00a0to move around in the space and precompose his shots. By having this type of interactive storyboard, Spielberg\u00a0was able to discover the best way to move the camera within the mocked up location space. He was also able to use them to give the actors a rough draft of the scenes they were filming.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XhV3V_KRvoY?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>Video via\u00a0<a class=\"yt-uix-sessionlink g-hovercard      spf-link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCfLkQV-sEkislUfdwBXK24A\">TheMakingFilm\u2122<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 id=\"set-design-of-the-scene\">Set Design of the\u00a0Scene<\/h3>\n<p><strong>The right location is everything.<\/strong> You can convey\u00a0a lot to the audience by the locations you pick to go with your scene. For this particular scene, the scouting team selected Newark, New Jersey. It&#8217;s close to the big city, but has a very small town community vibe, which was crucial.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-68367 size-full\" title=\"Deconstructing the Scene: War of the Worlds, City Streets\" src=\"https:\/\/pbblogassets.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-City-Streets.jpg\" alt=\"Deconstructing the Scene: War of the Worlds, City Streets\" width=\"755\" height=\"315\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-City-Streets.jpg 755w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-City-Streets.jpg?resize=300,125 300w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-City-Streets.jpg?resize=277,116 277w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-City-Streets.jpg?resize=359,150 359w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-City-Streets.jpg?resize=543,227 543w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-City-Streets.jpg?resize=560,234 560w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-City-Streets.jpg?resize=600,250 600w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-City-Streets.jpg?resize=150,63 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 755px) 100vw, 755px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>By utilizing a small township atmosphere, Spielberg was able to <strong>position the main character as an everyman<\/strong>, rather than a typical hero. Also, by choosing this location in conjunction with the <a title=\"Lit Reactor\" href=\"https:\/\/litreactor.com\/columns\/8-ways-to-make-your-characters-more-relatable\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">narrative of the character<\/a>, the film can now relate to a much broader audience.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>It&#8217;s important that you look at the location in the full context of the story and in the details of the scenes you need to shoot there while keeping in mind the logistical requirements that must be met to actually shoot there. &#8211; <a title=\"Kathy M. McCurdy IMDb\" href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm3140500\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Katy McCurdy<\/a>, Location Manager<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 id=\"cinematography-of-the-scene\">Cinematography of the Scene<\/h3>\n<p>In traditional Spielberg style, he sets up the action with a wide establishing shot, which includes our main character. He then gives us additional coverage of the scene to heighten the sense of space and numbers. He starts this by <strong>capturing a reactionary cutaway of stacked extras<\/strong> within the frame. This gives the <a title=\"Action Cut Print\" href=\"http:\/\/actioncutprint.com\/filmmaking-articles\/the-psychology-of-movement\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">audience a sense of unsureness and fear<\/a>, which is amplified by the charging of the Tripod&#8217;s ray guns.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-68368 size-full\" title=\"Deconstructing the Scene: War of the Worlds, Tripod\" src=\"https:\/\/pbblogassets.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Tripod.jpg\" alt=\"Deconstructing the Scene: War of the Worlds, Tripod\" width=\"755\" height=\"315\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Tripod.jpg 755w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Tripod.jpg?resize=300,125 300w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Tripod.jpg?resize=277,116 277w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Tripod.jpg?resize=359,150 359w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Tripod.jpg?resize=543,227 543w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Tripod.jpg?resize=560,234 560w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Tripod.jpg?resize=600,250 600w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Tripod.jpg?resize=150,63 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 755px) 100vw, 755px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>As we hear this charging take place, Spielberg and cinematographer <a title=\"Janusz Kaminski IMDB\" href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm0001405\/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Janusz Kaminski<\/a> use several framing techniques to increase the tension. It starts with a quick dolly of patrons looking through a shop window, then cuts to a rack focus from our main character to a man holding a camera, which connects to another shot momentarily. They\u00a0end this <strong>build-up of tension<\/strong> by utilizing a sweeping dolly shot, starting off as a medium and finishing as a close up on Tom Cruise.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-68343 size-full\" title=\"Deconstructing the Scene: War of the Worlds, Extras\" src=\"https:\/\/pbblogassets.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Scene-4.jpg\" alt=\"Deconstructing the Scene: War of the Worlds, Extras\" width=\"755\" height=\"315\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Scene-4.jpg 755w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Scene-4.jpg?resize=300,125 300w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Scene-4.jpg?resize=277,116 277w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Scene-4.jpg?resize=359,150 359w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Scene-4.jpg?resize=543,227 543w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Scene-4.jpg?resize=560,234 560w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Scene-4.jpg?resize=600,250 600w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Scene-4.jpg?resize=150,63 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 755px) 100vw, 755px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>By framing this section of the scene in this way, Spielberg\u00a0and Kaminski are able to <strong>increase the visual tension<\/strong> to go along with the audio, which perfectly sets up the audience for the upcoming action sequence which jump starts\u00a0the rest of the film.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4TiGcuOGWhE?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>Video via\u00a0<a class=\"yt-uix-sessionlink g-hovercard      spf-link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCfLkQV-sEkislUfdwBXK24A\">TheMakingFilm\u2122<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 id=\"editing-the-scene\">Editing the Scene<\/h3>\n<p>Spielberg&#8217;s longtime editor <a title=\"Michael Kahn IMDB\" href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm0434883\/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Michael Kahn<\/a> followed the pacing set by Spielberg\u00a0and his crew. \u00a0But where Kahn really shines is when we have to <strong>transfer from the actual set location to a sound stage<\/strong> for a visual effects shot, and this happens during the department store sequence.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-68365 size-full\" title=\"Deconstructing the Scene: War of the Worlds, Tripod Escape\" src=\"https:\/\/pbblogassets.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Alley-Way.jpg\" alt=\"Deconstructing the Scene: War of the Worlds, Tripod Escape\" width=\"755\" height=\"315\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Alley-Way.jpg 755w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Alley-Way.jpg?resize=300,125 300w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Alley-Way.jpg?resize=277,116 277w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Alley-Way.jpg?resize=359,150 359w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Alley-Way.jpg?resize=543,227 543w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Alley-Way.jpg?resize=560,234 560w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Alley-Way.jpg?resize=600,250 600w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Alley-Way.jpg?resize=150,63 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 755px) 100vw, 755px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>For this section of the scene, Spielberg\u00a0had to film Cruise\u00a0running through the door of the department store, then film him in a controlled set for an effects sequence, then film him on location again as he runs out the back door. This, of course, came with some major challenges for editor Michael Khan. <strong>To get around these challenges, he got creative.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-68366 size-full\" title=\"Deconstructing the Scene: War of the Worlds, Catch Your Breath\" src=\"https:\/\/pbblogassets.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Alley-Way-2.jpg\" alt=\"Deconstructing the Scene: War of the Worlds, Catch Your Breath\" width=\"755\" height=\"315\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Alley-Way-2.jpg 755w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Alley-Way-2.jpg?resize=300,125 300w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Alley-Way-2.jpg?resize=277,116 277w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Alley-Way-2.jpg?resize=359,150 359w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Alley-Way-2.jpg?resize=543,227 543w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Alley-Way-2.jpg?resize=560,234 560w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Alley-Way-2.jpg?resize=600,250 600w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Alley-Way-2.jpg?resize=150,63 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 755px) 100vw, 755px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>To transfer the main character in and out of the store, Kahn utilized the movement of the people around Tom Cruise. So, as Cruise\u00a0enters the store, <strong>he uses the crowd to mask his transition wipe.<\/strong> Then after the car bursts through the window, Kahn uses a b-roll shot of people running across the frame to help with the transition of Cruise\u00a0leaving the building and running for his life. It is here that Kahn chooses not to cut, leaving a\u00a0long take that allows the <a title=\"Writers Store\" href=\"https:\/\/www.writersstore.com\/connecting-with-audiences-through-character-emotions\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">audience to connect<\/a>\u00a0with Cruise and catch their\u00a0breath.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 id=\"developing-the-vfx-for-the-scene\">Developing the VFX for the Scene<\/h3>\n<p>The visual effects for this particular scene are nothing short of amazing. There are <a title=\"AWN\" href=\"http:\/\/www.awn.com\/vfxworld\/war-worlds-post-911-digital-attack-0\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">so many moving parts<\/a> in order to get all of the elements in correct relation to one another. This is particularly evident during the initial attack, as our main character rushes through the street while<strong> other citizens are zapped and turned to dust around him.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-68359 size-full\" title=\"Deconstructing the Scene: War of the Worlds, Camcorder\" src=\"https:\/\/pbblogassets.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Camcorder.jpg\" alt=\"Deconstructing the Scene: War of the Worlds, Camcorder\" width=\"755\" height=\"315\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Camcorder.jpg 755w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Camcorder.jpg?resize=300,125 300w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Camcorder.jpg?resize=277,116 277w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Camcorder.jpg?resize=359,150 359w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Camcorder.jpg?resize=543,227 543w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Camcorder.jpg?resize=560,234 560w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Camcorder.jpg?resize=600,250 600w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Camcorder.jpg?resize=150,63 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 755px) 100vw, 755px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In order to pull off this shot, Spielberg\u00a0first worked with the <a title=\"ILM\" href=\"http:\/\/www.ilm.com\/vfx\/war-of-the-worlds\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">VFX team at ILM<\/a> in pre-production. They\u00a0knew that they had to film a plate\u00a0of\u00a0people running down the street and pretending to be struck by a ray gun.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-68369 size-full\" title=\"Deconstructing the Scene: War of the Worlds, VFX\" src=\"https:\/\/pbblogassets.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Clothes-Plate.jpg\" alt=\"Deconstructing the Scene: War of the Worlds, VFX\" width=\"755\" height=\"315\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Clothes-Plate.jpg 755w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Clothes-Plate.jpg?resize=300,125 300w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Clothes-Plate.jpg?resize=277,116 277w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Clothes-Plate.jpg?resize=359,150 359w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Clothes-Plate.jpg?resize=543,227 543w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Clothes-Plate.jpg?resize=560,234 560w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Clothes-Plate.jpg?resize=600,250 600w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/War-of-the-Worlds-Clothes-Plate.jpg?resize=150,63 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 755px) 100vw, 755px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>From this plate they built the VFX work on top by mapping the frame and tracking the camera movement. This was then\u00a0applied to the 3D animation software they used to create the various elements. Not only did they use 3D elements, but they used practical elements as well, <strong>filming the clothes and dust in the air.<\/strong> Once all of the assets were placed together within the comp and rendered out, <strong>we end up with an impactful scene that sets up the action for the rest of the film.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ggzgODo-yZw?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>Video via\u00a0<a class=\"yt-uix-sessionlink g-hovercard      spf-link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCfLkQV-sEkislUfdwBXK24A\">TheMakingFilm\u2122<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let&#8217;s take a detailed, step-by-step look at what went into creating one of the most riveting scenes in recent film history: the alien attack that launches the \u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":68337,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4519,3843,715,79,1,39],"tags":[810,1093,211,536,857,5380,473],"class_list":["post-class-post-68060","post-class-post","post-class-type-post","post-class-status-publish","post-class-format-standard","post-class-has-post-thumbnail","post-class-hentry","post-class-category-cinematography-2","post-class-category-filmmaking-2","post-class-category-industry","post-class-category-inspiration","post-class-category-various","post-class-category-video-editing","post-class-tag-behind-the-scenes","post-class-tag-cinematography","post-class-tag-editing","post-class-tag-filmmaking","post-class-tag-industry-2","post-class-tag-inspiration","post-class-tag-visual-effects"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v18.5 (Yoast SEO v21.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Deconstructing the Scene: War of the Worlds<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Let&#039;s take a look at what went into creating one of the most riveting scenes in recent film history: the alien attack that launches the War of the Worlds.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/deconstructing-the-scene-war-of-the-worlds\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Deconstructing the Scene: War of the Worlds\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Let&#039;s take a look at what went into creating one of the most riveting scenes in recent film history: the alien attack that launches the War of the Worlds.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/deconstructing-the-scene-war-of-the-worlds\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Beat: A Blog by PremiumBeat\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/premiumbeat\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=808712364\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-12-11T17:26:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2015-12-11T17:26:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/pbblogassets.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Deconstructing_The_Scene_WaroftheWorlds.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"584\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Johnathan Paul\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ProXavi3r\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Premiumbeat\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Johnathan Paul\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/deconstructing-the-scene-war-of-the-worlds\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/deconstructing-the-scene-war-of-the-worlds\/\",\"name\":\"Deconstructing the Scene: War of the Worlds\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2015-12-11T17:26:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2015-12-11T17:26:38+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d575f2f30baf86667b3373d31e39d9f3\"},\"description\":\"Let's take a look at what went into creating one of the most riveting scenes in recent film history: the alien attack that launches the War of the Worlds.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/deconstructing-the-scene-war-of-the-worlds\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/deconstructing-the-scene-war-of-the-worlds\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/deconstructing-the-scene-war-of-the-worlds\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Cinematography\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/category\/cinematography-2\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Deconstructing the Scene: War of the Worlds\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"The Beat: A Blog by PremiumBeat\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d575f2f30baf86667b3373d31e39d9f3\",\"name\":\"Johnathan Paul\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3d79e1babb19e47cbfacb247caee2fbaf279f714a5e1a114b9b4f3f5f5487e58?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3d79e1babb19e47cbfacb247caee2fbaf279f714a5e1a114b9b4f3f5f5487e58?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Johnathan Paul\"},\"description\":\"Johnathan Paul is an award-winning filmmaker, artist and writer from Dallas, Texas. After graduating from the University of North Texas, he began his career as a concept artist and graphic designer. He worked as a Marketing Executive for a Fortune 500 company, then returned to school to obtain his master's degree in film production and management. When Johnathan isn't sharing his knowledge with PremiumBeat, he is running his own production company and post-production house.\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/www.johnathanpaulonline.com\",\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=808712364\",\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ProXavi3r\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/author\/johnathanmartin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Deconstructing the Scene: War of the Worlds","description":"Let's take a look at what went into creating one of the most riveting scenes in recent film history: the alien attack that launches the War of the Worlds.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/deconstructing-the-scene-war-of-the-worlds\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Deconstructing the Scene: War of the Worlds","og_description":"Let's take a look at what went into creating one of the most riveting scenes in recent film history: the alien attack that launches the War of the Worlds.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/deconstructing-the-scene-war-of-the-worlds\/","og_site_name":"The Beat: A Blog by PremiumBeat","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/premiumbeat","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=808712364","article_published_time":"2015-12-11T17:26:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2015-12-11T17:26:38+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1000,"height":584,"url":"https:\/\/pbblogassets.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Deconstructing_The_Scene_WaroftheWorlds.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Johnathan Paul","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@ProXavi3r","twitter_site":"@Premiumbeat","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Johnathan Paul","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/deconstructing-the-scene-war-of-the-worlds\/","url":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/deconstructing-the-scene-war-of-the-worlds\/","name":"Deconstructing the Scene: War of the Worlds","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2015-12-11T17:26:00+00:00","dateModified":"2015-12-11T17:26:38+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d575f2f30baf86667b3373d31e39d9f3"},"description":"Let's take a look at what went into creating one of the most riveting scenes in recent film history: the alien attack that launches the War of the Worlds.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/deconstructing-the-scene-war-of-the-worlds\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/deconstructing-the-scene-war-of-the-worlds\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/deconstructing-the-scene-war-of-the-worlds\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Cinematography","item":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/category\/cinematography-2\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Deconstructing the Scene: War of the Worlds"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/","name":"The Beat: A Blog by PremiumBeat","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d575f2f30baf86667b3373d31e39d9f3","name":"Johnathan Paul","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3d79e1babb19e47cbfacb247caee2fbaf279f714a5e1a114b9b4f3f5f5487e58?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3d79e1babb19e47cbfacb247caee2fbaf279f714a5e1a114b9b4f3f5f5487e58?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Johnathan Paul"},"description":"Johnathan Paul is an award-winning filmmaker, artist and writer from Dallas, Texas. After graduating from the University of North Texas, he began his career as a concept artist and graphic designer. He worked as a Marketing Executive for a Fortune 500 company, then returned to school to obtain his master's degree in film production and management. When Johnathan isn't sharing his knowledge with PremiumBeat, he is running his own production company and post-production house.","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.johnathanpaulonline.com","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=808712364","https:\/\/twitter.com\/ProXavi3r"],"url":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/author\/johnathanmartin\/"}]}},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Deconstructing_The_Scene_WaroftheWorlds.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pab9JK-hHK","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68060","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68060"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68060\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":68405,"href":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68060\/revisions\/68405"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68337"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68060"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68060"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68060"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}