Alien: Romulus - Hall H (Behind the Scenes) | SDCC 2024

Summary

In celebration of the 'Alien: Romulus' film, director Fede Alvarez and his team have brought the franchise's iconic creatures to life with practical effects for a San Diego ComicCon event. Creative Character Engineering recreated face huggers and chest bursters with intricate details and mechanisms, allowing actors to control the movements for a realistic experience. WETA Workshop also showcased remote-controlled face huggers from the film set, promising a memorable panel for fans.

Takeaways

• 🎥 'Alien: Romulus' is the newest installment in the Alien franchise, emphasizing practical effects.
• 🎉 The film celebrates its return to roots with real-life face huggers and chest bursters at San Diego ComicCon.
• 🛠 The team at Creative Character Engineering was responsible for recreating these iconic creatures for the event.
• 👽 Initially tasked with creating face huggers, the project expanded to include chest bursters with movement.
• 🎬 Practical effects on set require a different approach than VFX, needing to convincingly exist in real space.
• 🔍 The team utilized detailed scans of the 'hero face hugger' to inform their design and construction process.
• 🤖 Many parts of the creatures were 3D printed, while others required molding and silicone casting.
• 💨 The face hugger's tail was designed to move with the actor's breathing, controlled by a scuba mouthpiece.
• 🔐 The chest burster mechanism was intricate, with a pin system that activates when the actor raises their arm.
• 👕 Custom printed t-shirts with pre-scored patterns were used to simulate the chest burster breaking through fabric.
• 🎉 WETA Workshop惊喜地带来了电影中使用的遥控face huggers，为ComicCon增添了更多期待。
• 📅 'Alien: Romulus' is set to hit theaters on August 16th, offering an IMAX experience for fans to face their fears.

Q & A

What is the theme of the new installment in the Alien franchise?

The new installment, Alien Romulus, is going back to its roots with a heavy emphasis on practical effects.

What did Fed Alvarez and his team decide to do to celebrate the release of Alien Romulus?

Fed Alvarez and his team decided to unleash real-life face huggers and chest bursters across the globe, starting with San Diego ComicCon.

Who was responsible for bringing the practical effects to life on the film set?

A workshop was responsible for bringing the practical effects to life on the film set.

Which company was tasked with recreating real-world versions of the iconic creatures for San Diego ComicCon?

The team at Creative Character Engineering was tasked with recreating real-world versions of the iconic creatures for San Diego ComicCon.

What was the initial task given to the team for creating the creatures?

The initial task was to make face huggers with a little movement that looked astonishing, which later expanded to include chest bursters.

How did the team approach the creation of the creatures differently from what can be done on a film set?

On a film set, things can be hidden with camera work or off-screen, but for real-world creations, everything has to live in front of the audience, requiring a different approach.

What was one of the most useful tools in creating the face hugger?

One of the most useful tools was a scan of the 'hero face hugger' which provided detailed information to break apart and recreate the internal mechanisms.

What materials and techniques were used to create parts of the face hugger and chest burster?

Some parts were 3D printed, while others required molding and creating silicone parts. Tails were made to be floppy by inflating with the actor's own breathing.

How did the team ensure that the chest burster could be controlled by the actor?

The team designed the chest burster so that any actor could control it with a scuba mouthpiece, which not only inflates the chest but also provides a point to hold the face onto.

What special preparation was done for the chest burster to come through a t-shirt?

A custom-printed t-shirt with pre-scored patterns was used, along with a piece of Kleenex behind it, to make it look like the chest burster was coming through a t-shirt.

What surprise did the Alien Romulus crew have for the ComicCon audience?

WETA Workshop brought the actual remote-controlled face huggers used on the film set for a surprise at ComicCon's Hall H panel.

When does Alien Romulus hit theaters?

Alien Romulus hits theaters on August 16th.