Zack Snyder built a whole new camera lens to give Netflix’s Rebel Moon a ‘distorted retro’ look
‘It has this weird vignetted accentuation’
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Zack Snyder has revealed how he crafted a camera lens using four different pieces of technology to create a “distorted retro” look for his new filmRebel Moon.
Speaking to TechRadar at theNetflixmovie’s UK junket, the fan-favorite director explained how he combined various tech to create a brand-new lens to augmentRebel Moon’s visual style.
To begin with, Snyder tracked down multiple versions of the same vintage Japanese camera lens. Once enough units had been sourced, Snyder and his team took each lens apart before affixing certain parts to three different German-madeLeicaproducts. These Frankenstein’s Monster-like devices were then used to shoot specific scenes inRebel Moon Part 1: A Child of Fireto optically warp said sequences.
The new lenses are “based on the hard glass, which is behind the anamorphic elements of the Leica rangefinder series, plus the Summilux and Noctilux lenses,” Snyder said. “We found some Japanese anamorphic lenses from a company called Cineovision, which was set up in the 1960s. We took them apart, grabbed the anamorphic element, and attached them to the Summilux and Noctilux lenses.
“What happens in super-wide angles, such as 24mm, the anamorphic optics of the Cineovision elements are so retro that they give this bizarre distortion. For instance, there’s a shot where Sam [Charlotte Maggi] is talking to Jimmy [voiced by Anthony Hopkins]. She’s standing and he’s seated, and the entire top of the frame is out of focus, but Jimmy is in full focus, so it has this weird vignetted accentuation. I love that cool aberration effect we achieved with the lenses.”
The new-age tech might giveRebel Moona distinctive flair, but shooting one of 2023’s most anticipatednew Netflix moviesusing these brand-new lenses presented challenges for the wider crew – not least its visual effects (VFX) team. Indeed, when it came toRebel Moon’s post-production phase, particularly the stage where the sci-fi fantasy flick’s computer-generated imagery (CGI) was added, said lenses caused a few headaches for the movie’s VFX artists.
“They had to add aberration to their full CG shots,” Snyder revealed. “They’d mapped all the lenses, so they asked me ‘If this was on a 24mm film reel, the CGI would be out of focus. How do you feel about that?’ and I’m like ‘Yeah, that’s amazing’. Then they’d say ‘You know, we don’thaveto do that’ and I’d reply ‘No, I really want it’, so it’s really fun to see all of that come together, and incredibly satisfying to create this retro feeling I was trying to get with the overall look.”
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Audiences will be able to make their own minds up aboutRebel Moon’s occasionally misshapen visuals whenPart 1: A Child of Firelaunches on one of the world’sbest streaming serviceon Thursday, December 21 in the US (Friday, December 22 in the UK and Australia). Be sure to read our review (linked up top) to find out whether it’ll join ourbest Netflix moviesguide once it’s released.
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As TechRadar’s senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You’ll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.
An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as thisMoon Knight TV spot.
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