VFX artists explain how the introductory sandworm sequence from the 1984 adaptation of Dune was shot. The film was directed by the legendary David Lynch (Twin Peaks, Mulholland Drive) and is based on the classic 1965 sci-fi novel of the same name by Frank Herbert. The story of Dune revolves around Paul Atreides, ducal heir of the Atreides family, who is forced to confront their long-time enemies, the Harkonnens, after his father accepts stewardship of the desert planet Arrakis. The planet is known to be the only source of an incredibly valuable drug known as "spice," which grants psychic abilities and facilitates space travel.

The 1984 version of Dune starred frequent-Lynch collaborator Kyle MacLachlan in the lead role, which was also his feature film debut. He was joined by a supporting cast that included Patrick Stewart, Brad Dourif, Dean Stockwell, Virginia Madsen, Sting, and Max von Sydow, to mention a few. Dune was a box-office bomb that failed to recoup its $40 million budget, was negatively reviewed by critics, and was ultimately disowned by Lynch, who claimed he did not have final cut privilege. However, it was praised for some of its visual effects at the time of release and has gained a cult following over the years, particularly among the American auteur's fanbase.

Related: Dune 1984: How David Lynch’s Sci-Fi Movie Compares to the Book

In their latest video, three VFX artists from the popular YouTube channel Corridor Crew explain the visual effects behind the introductory sandworm scene in the 1984 version of Dune. The scene features the first appearance of a sandworm in the film in all its glory, as it devours a spice-mining vehicle, leaving absolutely nothing behind. The artists praise the effects in the sequence, stating that they "nailed it," but also point out the "awkward framing" of the shot, which makes it look "static." They continue to examine the scene by looking at the special type of "miniature sand" that was used to make it look more effective. Check out what they had to say regarding the sequence below:

Nico: So, it turns out they had miniature sand, actually. [...] It's actually little micro glass balloons. So, there's a method that you make these really microscopic glass particles - hyper, hyper, hyper dangerous to breathe, so everybody on set had to have respirators and goggles because if this stuff gets in your lungs, it would cut up your lungs. [...]

Wren: The reason why I caught on to that, Nico, is how fluffy the actual smoke looks. The actual dust and smoke that is hitting the air actually looks large-scale, but it can't be, they can't have some giant worm coming out of actual sand, so it has to be a miniature. But in order to get that sort of looking effect, the sand can't be real sand.

A sandworm in the 1984 version of Dune

The experienced artists detail the importance of camera movement when shooting with miniatures, and mentioned how such scenes are shot in "slow-motion" to make the scope look "big," with shots from Christopher Nolan's Interstellar used as reference. They also identify how the sandworm consuming the spice-mining vehicle and the subsequent explosion don't "happen at the same time," though it must have appeared that way "in real life," with only the slowed-down footage catching the delay. They then go on to compare this sequence with its counterpart in Denis Villeneuve's adaptation from this year, in which they notice clear similarities between the two versions.

While the visual effects of Dune may not all have aged well, it is worth noting that many of them, especially the ones with the sandworms, were considered revolutionary for their time. This speaks volumes about the effects team who crafted the sequence, as they would've had their work cut out for them. The fact that the sci-fi epic was on the heels of several effects-heavy films like the original Star Wars trilogy shows that the VFX artists behind Dune more than did their part to create a unique look for the film.

Next: Dune 2021 Shows Why David Lynch's Original Was Always Doomed

Source: Corridor Crew

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