With an approach that aims to revive the spirit of classic horror and science fiction films, director Fede Alvarez, at the helm of the new chapter of the series Alientitled Alien: Romulusopted for a return to basics in terms of visual style and filming techniques. With the blessing of Ridley Scott, creator of the franchise, Alvarez decided to focus on simplicity and the heavy use of practical effects.
“I knew I wanted to bring this chapter back to the beginning, not just in terms of story, but in terms of visual style,” Alvarez explains. “I wanted to keep it simple and focus on some characters you could know and love.”
To achieve this, he prioritized the use of traditional techniques rarely seen in modern cinema, with the aim of creating a true horror film.
My approach was to make a true horror film with limited characters and use practical effects whenever I could. I wanted to compliment all the directors who came before me and pay homage to the franchise. Alien in different ways.
Fede Alvarez, director of Alien: Romulus
What are the practical effects?
Strategies for using the practical effect in Alien: Romulus
The film’s sets were meticulously designed to give the director the creative freedom he needed. Naaman Marshall, the film’s production designer, emphasizes the complexity of the sets, which were designed in 360 degrees. “We could rotate 360 degrees and film whatever we needed,” Marshall explains. “Fede loved the idea of having that much freedom, so what you see on screen is the real deal.”
To ensure authenticity and realism, all departments worked closely together.
Everything we design we coordinate with the special effects, electrical and visual effects team and the visual effects team. This allowed all the sets to be real: the lights come through the openings, the special effects smoke comes through all the light fixtures, all the push buttons work and flash, all the monitors were real and worked live.
Naaman Marshall, Production Designer for Alien: Romulus
Even the creation of the franchise’s iconic creatures followed this line of respect for the legacy. Alvarez assembled a strong team, composed of some of the most renowned visual effects and creature designers in the film industry.
Among them are Shane Mahan of Legacy Effects, who oversaw the design and creation of the Xenomorphs, and Richard Taylor of Wētā Workshop, who was responsible for the conceptual design of the facehuggers. “The creatures are a mix of prosthetics and animatronics controlled by puppet teams, which gives the film a very realistic and gory feel,” Alvarez explains.
With this attention to the use of practical effects, Alien: Romulus promises to not only keep the essence of the franchise alive, but also to offer fans an experience that takes us back to the first films, bringing back the palpable and visceral terror that it created Alien as one of the greatest classics of science fiction cinema.
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Source: Olhar Digital
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
