Moon directed by Duncan Jones; 2009
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From Wikipedia:
“Moon is the first feature film directed by commercial director Duncan Jones, who co-wrote the script with Nathan Parker. The film was specifically written as a vehicle for actor Sam Rockwell. The film homages the films of Jones’ youth, such as Silent Running (1972), Alien (1979) and Outland (1981). Jones described the intent, “[W]e wanted to create something which felt comfortable within that canon of those science fiction films from the sort of late seventies to early eighties.” The director spoke of his interest in the lunar setting, “For me, the Moon has this weird mythic nature to it… There is still a mystery to it. As a location, it bridges the gap between science-fiction and science fact. We (humankind) have been there. It is something so close and so plausible and yet at the same time, we really don’t know that much about it.” The director described the lack of romance in the Moon as a location, citing images from the Japanese lunar orbiter SELENE, “It’s the desolation and emptiness of it… it looks like some strange ball of clay in blackness… Look at photos and you’ll think that they’re monochrome. In fact, they’re not. There simply are no primary colours.” Jones referenced the photography book Full Moon by Michael Light in designing the look of the film.
Since Moon was a film on an independent budget, the director set rules to minimize production, including keeping the cast small and filming in a studio. Moon was produced at Shepperton Studios in the United Kingdom, where it filmed for 33 days. Jones preferred using models instead of digital animation. Jones hired effects specialists who worked on Silent Running for his film. He also hired a set designer from Alien to help design the lunar rover used in the film. The moon base was created as a full 360-degree set, being 85-90 feet long and approximately 70 feet wide. The film’s robot, Gertie, was designed to be bound to a rail within the base since the tether was critical storywise. The visual effects were provided by Cinesite, who sought cut-price deals with independent films. Since Jones had an effects background with commercials, he drew on his past experiences in creating effects under a small budget.”