Gallery: How Digital Filmmakers Produced a Gorgeous Sci-Fi Movie on a Kickstarter Budget
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*Despite all of the sophistication of gear and preparation, the model shots were ultimately filmed in front of sheets.* Photo courtesy Seaquark Films
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*To create the miniature shots, the team relied on a donated DitoGear motion control Omnislider. "By shooting stills instead of live video we were able to use low light and keep deep focus by lengthening exposure times (meaning a 10-second shot could take half an hour to film, and when you add multiple passes to that it was slow going)," writes Stockmeier.* Photo courtesy Seaquark Films
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*One of the biggest challenges in making the model work was the size limits imposed by the crew's filming space, which limited the final model to 4 feet. "There were numerous lighting effects and all kinds of wires and fiber optics that needed to be crammed inside a very small space. In the end, we felt more like surgeons than model builders!" writes modeller Charles Adams.* Photo courtesy Charles Adams
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*The starship in C began as a 2-foot prototype. Stockmeier's father, architect Wolfgang Stockmeier, recreated the model in SketchUp to generate concept art for the Kickstarter campaign. When it came time to create the movie, modeller Charles Adams imported the SketchUp model into Rhino, refined it and then broke it into parts for a laser cutter, which became the base upon which to add detailing.* Image courtesy Charles Adams
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*The ship's main UI elements were created by projecting animated Illustrator files onto surfaces. Some of the other consoles were created by running animations on an iPad and filming the result.*
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*Many of the walls used in the movie were made of hole-filled pegboard. By putting moving light sources in the background and keeping the depth of field shallow, the result was a ship awash in hypnotic bokeh effects.*
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*A view of the corridors from the outside. Note the doors, ready to slam down.* Photo courtesy Seaquark Films
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*The sets were made out of low-cost materials and had plenty of imperfections and seams. By filming with low-light settings and making careful use of lighting, they became seamless.* Photo courtesy Seaquark Films
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*Caroline Winterson as Lieutenant Commander Malleck prepares to change human history.* Movie still courtesy Seaquark Films
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*For the retro science documentary* Beyond the Infinite*, the lighting situation was much simpler. For authenticity the team left behind the digital gear and filmed using a 16 mm Eclair ACL camera.* Photo courtesy Seaquark Films
