Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1480624
and the main base camp, which included the large cave entrance, and the focal point of the Princess shrine. This was also the base for military operations of the Navy SEALS and other government entities. VR technology was also helpful in determining the VFX requirement for set extensions and the use of foreground greens to help blend this transition. Simultaneously, Illustrator Liam Beck and I were developing concept illustrations not only to show Ron and others on the team my intentions for each set, but also for helping us define a lighting language with Sayombhu for the caverns and underwater cave system. We wanted to create a style of just enough light to keep the audience engrossed in the story, but dark enough to also keep the audience gripped in the realistically claustrophobic nature of the divers' journey. As the design progressed, the crew created full- size tunnel mock-ups to allow every department to understand and explore the relationship of the tunnel environments to the action. With simple wire frame and lightweight canvas, the team could crawl through each space to feel the physical realities for themselves. There were many set reviews with Ron in this manner, everyone crawling around the sets, solidifying the specific beats he had in mind like tight squeezes, falling rocks, trapped lines, narrowing tunnels that became nearly impassable when flooded. We also had to always consider the direction of water flow, so that in post-production editor James Wilcox would be able to know whether footage could be used for coming in or going out of the cave. Concurrent to the design process was the ongoing logistical challenge of delivering the sets in an ever-narrowing timeframe. The Art Department had to allow for preproduction set rehearsals, camera tests, diver safety and actor familiarization, and before all of that, we had to fill the tanks, heat the water and test the filtration systems. Although in the final film there is a lot of debris in the water, for shooting it had to be absolutely clear in order to see the divers' faces. The debris was added in post by VFX; so the built filtration system had to hold up over weeks of shooting. D. TUNNEL MOCK-UP. E. ROCK TEXTURE AND COLOR TEST. F. DIVER IN A TUNNEL. PRODUCTION STILL. G. DIVER WITH STALACTITES. PRODUCTION STILL. D E F G