How Props And Special Effects Can Make Sci-Fi Realistic

Of all the areas of TV and film making, nothing requires or is rewarded by a lot of imagination than science fiction. Whereas many areas focus on real action from news and sport to wildlife, or set fiction within a real-life context (either contemporary or historical), science fiction offers the whole of time, space and human creativity to play with.

To that extent, there may be questions about how much it needs to be realistic, given that the topic can be so fantastical. However, there is no doubt that modern audiences will enjoy great special effects and props that look the part, rather than low-tech wobbling items, costumes you can see the stitches on and dated-looking effects.

What We Can Offer

By using a studio like ours, you can take advantage of the supply of high-quality props as well as the expert post-production work that can add special effects in after scenes are shot, from lasers and warp drives to hovering UFOs and great monsters.

How and where you use these special effects can make a big difference. Take, for instance, one of the oldest science fiction stories of all: War of the Worlds. Originally published in 1898 and depicting an invasion of England by Martian tripods with heat rays and deadly ‘black smoke’ chemical weapons, it has had many adaptations for film and TV down the years.

How Not To Film War Of The Worlds

The latest incarnation, starring Ice Cube and Eva Longoria, used some modern CGI special effects, but the focus on one man behind a computer and some obvious product placement led to it being slated by critics.

Perhaps the biggest failing was to focus too much on a single talking head and not make use of the different scenes and wider array of scenes, unlike previous versions. Few could deny that the special effects used in George Pal’s 1953 version, though very dated now, looked superb at the time.

However, sci-fi from the 50s and 60s was not always so state-of-the-art, with classic examples including the cheap early props used in Doctor Who, a contrast with the CGI and other high-tech special effects used in the 21^st century.

Meeting Audience Expectations

Of course, with its larger modern BBC budget, Doctor Who can now afford to use the latest technology in special effects. Modern fans who may not have seen the show until its 2005 revival might be very unhappy with any episode that featured the low-tech approach of the mid-to-late 20th-century series.

Similar considerations might shape your own approach. What does your audience expect? Clearly, the presentation of the latest War of the Worlds film was exactly the type of thing fans of the story did not want. Therefore, you must be prepared to meet expectations, especially if you are adapting an existing story or series.

Can Careless Use Of CGI Lower Special Effect Quality?

Indeed, film buffs will still be fascinated by the effects in the 1953 War of the Worlds film, just as they were with the shrinking, melting and exploding heads in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Yet what was done with wax, a heat lamp and a time-lapse camera can be replaced by CGI in more recent Indian Jones films.

However, it is worth noting that, sometimes, CGI might be used carelessly. This was the opinion of some fans of V, a 1980s sci-fi series in which ‘visitor’ humanoid aliens turned out to be reptiles in disguise with ambitions to conquer the Earth and turn humans into food.

A central feature of this was the horrifying ‘reveal’ whenever one of their latex face masks was ripped off to show green, scaly skin beneath. To many fans, a 2009 reboot that used CGI for this effect instead produced a look that was far less compelling or realistic. That may be nostalgia, or it could be that such ‘advances’ on the 1980s masks were unnecessary.

The key for CGI and other special effects is that it should not be too obvious that this is what they are, any more than fake blood should look like it’s just come out of a Ketchup bottle. Indeed, one of the major talking points of film fans in recent years is that the quality of CGI seems to have declined.

Using Special Effects The Right Way

Put together, these laments should act as a guide on what to do (and not do). You need your special effects to be high quality, which, even with the latest technology, is not guaranteed unless there is sufficient focus. Moreover, they cannot be a substitute for a good story or intelligent use of props.

That is why you need to work with focused teams as well as ensuring the special effects are the cherry on the icing of the cake. After all, it is not because of technology alone that people will always prefer a melting face to Ice Cube’s face.