Director Josh Trank’s vision for the upcoming movie ‘Chronicle’ was meticulously -chronicled prior to the start of production. Trank created pre-visualizations for every visual effect and camera angle, and wrote a detailed “Director’s Statement” outlining his plans, themes, and methodology.

Given the challenging nature of seamlessly marrying live action, stunts, visual effects and special effects, the pre-viz was a valuable guide for Trank’s department heads.

Trank’s mandate was to always keep it real. “What’s different about this show is that it’s really a personal story; we get to know the kids especially well.” says Robert Habros, one of the film’s visual effects supervisors. “We want the audience to be living in Andrew’s experience and not thinking about how the kids are flying. The visual effects work had to disappear within the story, characters and emotions.”

The film’s flying sequences were extremely challenging and came to life through not only visual effects wizardry, but through the magic of innovative rigs designed by Simon Hansen, a noted visual effects supervisor who in the past worked closely with acclaimed filmmaker Neill Blomkamp. Hansen invented techniques and rigs that created, says Trank, “flying like you’ve really never seen in a movie before. It is really the most realistic flying I’ve ever seen.”

Hansen designed a circular rig that would simulate the freedom of skydiving and allow for all sorts of interactive lighting and elaborate flying moves, like corkscrews and somersaults. The filmmakers wanted the characters to look like they were having the time of their lives flying.

The actors underwent extensive training to prepare them for the rig. “From the very beginning Josh wanted to do as much as possible in camera, live, and with the actors doing their own stunts,” says executive producer James Dodson. “We had to effortlessly combine these fantastic live-action effects, which are actually happening, with additional enhancements that Simon created digitally.

I think that some of the shots we see in this movie have never been experienced, thanks to that invisible integration.” The meticulous preparation, innovative flying rigs and intricate camerawork were critical for the film’s epic third act – a super-powered battle above the streets (and Space Needle) of Seattle. The sequence features not only flight, but cars rocketing into the air, a bus smashing into the side of a building, and a city under siege.

Notably, Andrew’s ever-present camera, now destroyed, has been replaced by a plethora of recording devices capturing the battle, including telephone cameras, security cameras, automated bank teller cameras, and police dashboard cameras.

It’s a high-intensity climax, leading to an emotional resolution. But what about the beginning – where did these powers come from? Trank and co-writer Max Landis keep it fairly mysterious, but production designer Stephen Altman enjoyed creating the location where it all happens – a craggy hole in the ground, in which rests a chamber containing a massive crystalline rock structure that emits wispy clouds of light.

Altman confesses that the creation of this unknown “matter” was a highlight for him. “It’s unlike anything I’ve designed before and I hope like nothing anyone else has seen. Josh [Trank]’s vision of the matter was that it was not of this earth. We don’t know if it’s animal, vegetable, or mineral. Perhaps it’s a combination of all three. To design the structure, we referenced geology, biology, and organic and inorganic matter.”

That set and what happens afterward will raise numerous questions for audiences – and that is exactly what the filmmakers wanted. Says Max Landis: “Josh and I know what happened in that cave. But in the movie it’s never meant to be explained.” In addition to the groundbreaking visual effects, rigs, and stunt work, Chronicle features some impressive special effects, including using compressed gas to flip two 1,000-pound vehicles thirty feet into the air, and then have them land and be destroyed.

Another scene that many will assume to be CGI but was actually captured in-camera depicts Andrew gently raising his arm and telekinetically crushing a car, which implodes and collapses within itself. The car imploded on cue, thanks to 20,000 pounds of hydraulic pumps sucking in on actual metal and creating an unforgettable twisting, wrenching metallic sound.

Squashing cars just by thinking about it. Flying. Wielding enough strength to level a city. Who wouldn’t want to obtain these kinds of powers? Who wouldn’t want to do the impossible? What would you do, asks Chronicle, if you were Andrew, Matt or Steve?

What are you capable of?

Image Courtesy of   http://www.movieinsider.com

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About the author

Claudia Sondergaard
Specialised in American foreign policy media discourse, I have a real passion for media and writing and feel comfortable in subjects such as human rights, politics, environment, social issues, movies, TV and books. Reporting from Denmark. Follow me @swirlgirlversus

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