Students overcome new production challenges by making the film 3D

Katelyn Hummel
Staff Writer 

The digital design class and the theatre class have banded together to create a film that is to be viewed in the recently built Rainier Building planetarium.

The film, “Corella”, is a sci-fi action film about a raging battle between three different races in a struggle for survival. Due to a nuclear explosion that destroyed all of the planets within their solar system, these races abandoned their galaxy in search for a way to maintain their own existence.  The source of the struggle between the survivors is the desire for that which can satisfy each races various purposes: the light energy of the planet Corella.

This production was written, directed, choreographed, and performed by students. It is also the main project of this quarter for the Digital Design class and one of the major projects for the Theatre class.  Each student in the Digital Design class is assigned different tasks in the editing and CGI (Computer-generated Imagery) process. The CGI that is to be put in the film includes all of the spaceships, planets, and all of the special effects and digital models for each scene. The theatre students act, direct, and fill in other various roles that are required to make this production.

However, both departments face a new challenge. Since this to be displayed in the science dome, the production is being made in 3D.

Addison Kelly, the director and co-writer of the play, explains the difficulties of adapting to 3D filming.

“It is new and different because the angles of the camera have to be positioned differently than you would be with a 2D film,” said Kelly, “and lighting is very important because if the light shines in the camera lens too much it can sort of warp the picture and make it harder for the camera to realize what’s 3D and what’s not. It was something we sort of had to adapt to on the fly ‘cause we didn’t have a whole lot of preparation time.”

Kelly is not only director and co-writer, but he also plays the character John, a captain of the human starship.  When asked about living the role of both actor and director, Kelly said he was used to it from directing his own films, but he also expresses its complication.

Brian Martin, teacher of the Digital Design class, is filming with his own 3D cameras, contributing minor suggestions about filming but giving the reigns fully to the direction of the students.

“You have to call action as you’re getting into character, which is sometimes a bit of a challenge as being a director is totally a different thing from being a character. So you have to be able to transition quickly in and out of character which is something I have had to practice a lot,” said Kelly.

Addison then described some interesting highlights from the production. One scene in particular that stuck out was a fight scene between the ruler of the evil, orc-like race and two people from the other races.

“They got their fight choreography down so well that we just had them do it time after time again and it was a long battle and I was just so proud of them because they were doing it perfect every time and their facial expressions were amazing,” he said.

The film, which is expected to be about three to four minutes long, is set to open sometime in December.