Miniature effects supervisor Ian Hunter and Pro Machina teamed up for the film. An excerpt from befores & afters magazine in print.
As well as creatures, Alien: Romulus features a number of space environments, the Renaissance research station, the Corbelan hauler, the Weyland-Yutani Echo space probe and other spacecraft. Some of these elements were initially considered as effects tasks that could be handled with miniatures, as VFX supervisor Eric Barba relates. “We really wanted to shoot as much as we could as miniatures, but at some point the budget and number of days you have to shoot pokes up. And then also the action we wanted to stage didn’t lend itself to an easy motion control shoot with miniatures.”
Ultimately, the Corbelan and the probe were built in miniature by Pro Machina Inc., with Ian Hunter as miniature effects supervisor. “We shot half a dozen shots but in the end were able to use just a few shots of the Corbelan model,” states Barba. “The probe was built practically but it was entirely digital in the film. The thing is, we got such great models to use from amazingly talented model makers and that gave us exactly what the CG team then had to do to match them.”
In terms of the work by Pro Machina, Gillis and his co-founders–Camille Balsamo-Gillis and Reid Collums–partnered with Hunter to build the Corbelan hauler and the Weyland-Yutani Echo space probe as models for the film. Pro Machina came about from a desire to, Gillis explains, “have under one roof the ability to build all sorts of miniatures, as well as the creature effects and props. I invited Ian to come in as a freelance VFX supervisor and also keep working with Camille, who had been his producer on several projects already.”
“When I told Fede that we also build miniatures and that I had two-time Oscar winner Ian Hunter, Fede’s eyes lit up. I mean, it was not just me recommending Ian. I don’t want to take credit for that because Ian’s work stands on its own. In my opinion, he is the premier miniature effects and VFX creator. So, they took it from there. I provided the space and the structure, but it’s Ian and Camille who run the show.”
As noted, the two miniatures–the Corbelan and the probe–were built and then filmed for a number of shots, some of them against LED walls for light interaction. “Those two models were scanned and used as the basis for the digital models that ILM created,” describes Gillis. “I think that ILM did a spectacular job with them. They’re very tactile looking. Of course, the foundation of them are the actual miniatures, which were so great. I liked the approach, where we started with something practical.”
“In fact, I think we need more of the hand-off happening with models because they still have a tremendous amount to offer. Our practical work is a 120-year-old craft, and it is real. So, let’s use it where we can. Let’s use the right tool for the right moment. I just hope the fans appreciate the hand-off because I don’t want to diminish anyone’s art, I want to enhance. That’s what the goal always is.”
