Architecture vs Film

Architecture and film have always been in a close relationship. From Jacques Tati’s Playtime (1967) to Christopher Nolan’s Inception (2010), from Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (1980) to Bong Joon-Ho’s Parasite (2019), architecture, space and urban planning always play a crucial role in the aesthetics, pacing and development of the story and its characters.

Films are also the perfect playground for architectural experiences. The rules of the real world, gravity, stability, safety, buildability, are often ignored or challenged in ways construction cannot. Movies inspire their viewers by making the impossible possible whether they take place in a single small room or on a whole new planet.

Depending on the complexity, time, budget, and technology available, several techniques have been used to make the illusion happen: fully built sets, partial built sets, matte painting backgrounds, perspective manipulation, green and blue screens, miniatures, background projection and more recently virtual sets.

Modern Times (1936) – Charlie Chaplin – Matte painting cutout / perspective manipulation https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/the-roller-skating-scene-from-charlie-chaplins-modern-times

Virtual sets are gaining popularity among the film industry. Jon Favreau’s “The Mandalorian” is one of the first shows to use this technique. The acting experience is more immersive, as actors can now perform surrounded by the environment where the action takes place, instead of acting on an empty space surrounded by green screens. By using motion-tracked cameras and LED walls displaying a live 3D background built on the Unreal Engine that moves with the camera (parallax effect), directors can change location in seconds and achieve a more realistic result. It also reduces post-production quite significantly by solving some of the most time-consuming tasks like lighting and reflections.

The Mandalorian (2019) – Jon Favreau – Virtual set

https://www.indiewire.com/2020/07/mandalorian-watchmen-westworld-vfx-1234572862/

For us, architects, Virtual reality is becoming a powerful ally. Using headsets, phones or tablets, we can experience our unbuilt projects and ideas in a completely different way. We can use it as a design tool, for planning purposes, marketing and to showcase projects to clients. The feeling of immersion is not yet fulfilling and the technology available is not yet easily accessible, but augmented, mixed and virtual reality development and innovation are growing and it will certainly become a key technology of the next decade.

Multi-sensory technologies in cinemas (4DX) already exist and are a growing trend. 3D glasses, moving chairs, environmental effects such as wind, water and scent try to interact with the human senses and create a more immersive cinematic experience.

Will we be able to experience a space as if we were there? Will the Earth room from Danny Boyle’s movie Sunshine (2007), where the passengers of a spaceship can seamlessly experience their favorite places on Earth, be a reality?

Sunshine (2007) - Danny Boyle – Earth room

Hopefully, this is the next step for the VR world. The future looks promising!

Andre Picaro

Visualisation lead @ astudio

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https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-boy-using-vr-headset-4144098/

https://unsplash.com/photos/NR_tXTuyTak

https://www.pexels.com/photo/northern-lights-over-mountain-and-forest-4388593/