November 27, 2024
Shot Talk – Alien Romulus with Dir. Fede Álvarez & DP Galo Olivares
Summary
In this episode of Shot Talk, Lawrence Sher, ASC sits down with director Fede Álvarez and cinematographer Galo Olivares for an in-depth conversation about their smash-hit horror sci-fi film Alien: Romulus.
From discussing how they based the visual style on earlier Alien films, to the complexities of shooting zero-gravity scenes, to the reason why the color palette is so orange (we promise, its grosser than you think), Fede and Galo offer an insider’s look at the creative journey it takes to bring a film of this scale to life.
Key moments
- 00:01:29 Fede's Origin Story: Pitching Alien to Ridley Scott
- 00:06:30 The Barbecue That Got Galo the Job
- 00:09:13 Finding the Right DP: Work First, Chemistry Second
- 00:12:26 What Makes a Masterpiece & What Not to Do
- 00:15:56 Matching Alien's Palette Panel by Panel
- 00:17:50 No Anamorphic, No Flares & Master Primes
- 00:22:46 Scene Breakdown: The Opening Labor Contract
- 00:27:17 Moving Lights as Storytelling & Live Lighting
- 00:31:52 Camera Choices: Lenses for Hero’s Journey
- 00:35:40 Shooting Chronologically & What It Does for Actors
- 00:38:30 Zero Gravity: The No Horizon Rule & Third Axis Discovery
- 00:43:55 Scene Breakdown: The Chestburster Reveal
- 00:49:46 Justifying Creative Lighting Choices on Set
- 00:52:27 Scene Breakdown: Ande’s Mutiny
- 00:55:25 The Disturbing Reason Fede used an Orange Color Palette
- 00:57:40 Practical FX Breakdown
- 01:02:36 Shooting Schedule: Constructing the Scene & Living in it
- 01:13:33 From Hulu to IMAX & the 1.90 Aspect Ratio
- 01:17:59 The Texture of The Movie: Atmospheric Smoke
- 01:23:05 Pitching Silly Ideas to Engage Crew
