Film Technology Case Study:
Barbie:
- Released 20th of July 2023 (NZ)
- Directed by Greta Gerwig
- Barbie was shot digitally using the ARRI ALEXA 65 Camera
- Fun Fact: the sets used so much pink paint that it caused an international pink shortage
- Box Office: $1.28 Billion
- Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
Notes:
- many old films were referenced in the making of this film
- the shot of Barbie stepping out of her fluffy heels with her arched foot was not CGI, taking about eights attempts to capture, with Margot Robbie holding onto a bar above the frame
- all the sets were built on a slightly larger scale than normal to create a whimsical and surreal feel to Barbieland, a made Margot Robbie appear more doll-like
- The sets were built on a soundstage in London
- By physically building the set, it adds a sense of tangibility, and helps the actors in their performances
- Would have been easier to do everything with the green screen, but was not authentic
- The sky for Barbieland was painted on a cloth that was 50 feet tall and 800 feet long
- The Barbie dreamhouse set was designed 23% smaller than the average house
- The set designers employed perspective tricks to make things look bigger/smaller
- Directed by Christopher Nolan
- Oppenheimer was filmed digitally on analog film, using IMAX 65mm and 65mm large-format film
- Fun Fact: Christopher Nolan used practical effects/perspective tricks to capture the explosion of the atomic bomb
- Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
- Christopher Nolan tries to film on location as much as possible, as it makes things seem more 'real'.
- Some of the building sets were made 360, further adding a sense of realism for the actors
- Shot at the actual places, such as Oppenheimer's house and Princeton
- A lot of the scientific scenes were done practically; not CGI
- Directed by James Cameron
- Avatar 2 was filmed digitally, using the Sony CineAlta VENICE 3D
- Box Office: $2.32 Billion
- Rotten Tomatoes: 76%
Notes:
- All of the Na'vi characters were created using motion capture and CGI, with the editors trying to preserve the actors' performances when translating it over into the digital characters.
- This sequel has a greater focus on facial expressions, made possible through the development of technology since 2007 when the first film started filming.