At the View Conference in Turin, Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor Paul Lambert and co-supervisor Mag Sarnowska detailed the technical methods behind the space epic “Project Hail Mary,” directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.
Simulating zero gravity and practical stunts
Lambert stated that creating convincing weightlessness was his primary concern going into production. Although the team initially considered utilizing parabolic aircraft maneuvers known as the “vomit comet,” the film’s elaborate spacecraft sets made onboard filming unfeasible. Instead, Ryan Gosling performed his own stunt work using wire rigs and a rotating harness.
To eliminate the visual impression of a suspended body, VFX artists adjusted the position of Gosling’s limbs and torso while incorporating drifting objects into the frame. Cinematographer Greig Fraser also employed an infrared-modified camera, programmable IR lights, and running water to generate experimental imagery.
Grounding star fields in reality
Drawing on data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission, the production mapped star positions between Earth and Tau Ceti. Lambert explained that the team avoided colorful nebulae in favor of skies resembling actual views from space. Exposure conditions dictated star visibility; for instance, background stars were omitted near the brightly illuminated planet Adrian to mirror real camera behavior in orbit.
Fraser handled film textures by printing digitally captured footage onto Kodak film and scanning it back, using 5254 with silver retention for Earth sequences and 5203 for space scenes.
Bringing the alien character Rocky to life
For the alien companion Rocky, the production utilized a combination of practical puppets and digital effects. Performed by James Ortiz and a team of puppeteers, Rocky was built in three physical versions, including an animatronic and a smaller reference puppet. Framestore scanned the physical models and studied performance footage to train the full CG version. Sarnowska noted that the team ultimately split the character’s screen time evenly between practical puppets and digital creations.