Feature Film VFX
Alien: Romulus
Industrial Light & Magic
On Alien: Romulus, ILM’s visual effects prioritized staying true to the original films, emphasizing practical effects and grounding all CG elements firmly in reality. This dedication meant recreating established light palettes and employing a "no magic lighting" rule, where CG sources directly mimicked practical setups for consistent scale and realism.
The ILM team seamlessly blended practical and digital artistry across various environments. The all-CG opening sequence, featuring the Echo Probe and Nostromo-referenced debris, was built upon practical miniatures and emulated traditional cinematography. The Jackson Star Mining Colony combined extensive CG extensions with live-action location plates. The Corbelan vehicle, starting as a practical model, received meticulous CG enhancements, leveraging on-set light rigs for realistic interaction. Even the colossal Renaissance Space Station, a 405-million-polygon CG model, was crafted like a large-scale miniature, with hand-painted textures ensuring intricate close-up detail. Photorealistic Atmosphere Generator escapes and a physically accurate CG planet with billions of particle-system rings further exemplify this seamless blend.
Creature effects followed suit. Facehuggers utilized recreated original puppets, with CG augmenting complex movements for dynamic chases, seamlessly intercut. The Chestbuster sequence offered a franchise-first detailed internal view. CG Xenomorphs were meticulously matched to practical effects, allowing for seamless intercutting. Their dynamic actions — like zero gravity and wall crawling — required CG for extended range, with animation informed by practical movements. Xenomorphs were treated as actors, incorporating flaws and "accidents" to enhance their terrifying realism.
CREW
Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser, Ben Pickering, Fiona Chilton, Ale’ Melendez, Ilona Blyth, Chantelle Williams, Matt Middleton, Nicolas Caillier, Murat Ayasli, Waldemar Bartkowiak, Kah Jeng Cheong, Stevie Denyer, Matt Ebb, Sebastian Ravagnani, Adrian Watkins, Trevor Wide, Norberto Idiart Ritter, Jhon Alvarado