In “Anatomy of a Scene” we ask directors to reveal the secrets that go into making key scenes in their films. See new episodes of the series on Fridays. You can also watch our collection of over 150 videos on YouTube and subscribe to our youtube channel.
Henry Joost knew he wanted to do “Project Power” when, 10 pages after reading the script, he stumbled upon a scene with a guy on fire.
The filmmaker called his production partner, Ariel Schulman (both directed the documentary “Catfish”, as well as two “Paranormal Activity” sequels) and told him about the scene, as his goal was to make the film and, with the help of expert teams of stunts and visual effects really set a person on fire.
It’s a lofty task in this Netflix action movie about a pill that gives people five minutes of superpowers, although the side effects can vary – dizziness, nausea, death. In Newt’s case (Colson Baker, aka Machine Gun Kelly), its ability to become combustible results in severe skin burns.
The scene is the first time we get to know one of the film’s main actors, Art (Jamie Foxx), who has his own reasons for stalking Newt. Recounting the sequence, Joost and Schulman discuss how they found Art’s clever way of breaking into an apartment (Google does wonders) and how they settled on the design motif (lamps heated galore, plus an alligator).
And then there’s the whole man on fire. They explain why such visual effects can sometimes seem unconvincing and what they have done to fix it. Open a frozen drink and enjoy.
Read the “Project Power” review.
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