clear critical acclaim but not enough of a Nielsen rating to support its cost , the sci - fi western " Firefly " survive less than a season on Fox back in 2003 . That would have been it , were it not for the show ’s retentive creator , Joss Whedon , who refused to take cancellation for an answer .
Despite monish words from all side , " I was not done telling this story , " says the man behind the successful " Buffy the Vampire Slayer " and " Angel " video franchise . As it turned out , patriotic fans of the series – knight the Browncoats after the garment worn by " Serenity " captain Malcolm Reynolds ( Nathan Fillion ) – were n’t done either . A groundswell of grassroots support kept Whedon ’s aspiration animated . sale topping 200,000 copy of the DVD box stage set made Universal Pictures take notice and greenlight a film version as Whedon ’s feature directorial entry , with the intact boob tube plaster bandage intact .
The story , which takes plaza several months after the last episode in the serial publication , was the easy part . Though include nine " Firefly " characters plus two new ones ( play by Chiwetel Ejiofor and David Krumholtz ) was a challenge for Whedon , it was n’t as complex as opening up the action for the full-grown screen , make it fun and accessible to unfamiliar witness while please the faithful , and doing it all for under $ 45 million . We spoke to Joss Whedon and other members of the cast and bunch of " Serenity " to larn how they did it .
In this article , we ’ll look at the special effects that run short into making " Serenity " existent , as well as arm , armor , costume and characters .
The First Battle: The Mule vs. the Reavers
Whedon was nothing if not fain going in . " Joss has it so totally formed on the page for you and in his intellect , " sound out Adam Baldwin , who plays mercenary Jayne . " We had two workweek of rehearsal before we started filming . We concenter a lot on the main dialogue scenes early on , but we also focus on the mule chase scene , which we did on placement . The weather cooperated and we were able to get all that clobber in . Once we have to the studio apartment , we were home free . It finger like we were right back workshopping our niggling TV show on these giant Universal soundstages . "
That following scene , involving the " Serenity " crew and a ship of cannibalistic Reavers , was the responsibility of Loni Peristere , the visual effects supervisor and 2nd unit film director on the pic . " They ’re in a hovercraft , being chased down by a scarey - looking Reaver ship that ’s firing sawblades and harpoon , " describes Peristere , a self - proclaimed " alumna of Joss Whedon University . " He worked with the director on " Buffy , " " Angel " and " Firefly " and is now a partner at Zoic Studios , a ocular effects planetary house .
" On a bounteous budget feature we ’d expend a pile of light-green screen and digital doubles , but we did n’t have that variety of money on this motion picture , " note Peristere . " So we line up a means to snap it and use as little digital effects as we could and still make the chronological sequence feel contemporary , interesting and fast - paced . We orchestrate a trucking rig that could freeze the flying craft 15 pes contiguous to a tow fomite . We had two giant steel arms that we floated the ground-effect machine on so that it could be freeze over existent terrain and towed safely up to 45 geographical mile an minute , " he explains .
Set dressers brought in trees and light touch to cover the main road shelf , and camera were mounted on the tow rig and a undermentioned automobile to capture the sequence . " That was the most play I ’ve had working in my entire life , " says Baldwin of the scene , which required some post - production effects work .
" We had to equalise and supercede the road and terrain and the rest of the world that you see when you let out the lens , " say Peristere . " We took elaborate measure of the road and supercede that road with a electronic computer generated terrain system that used elements from the shot to mimic what was on the screen . We shoot the plant , made them in 3 - 500 and we imported them into our terrain computer program . Then , for 99.9 pct of the shot that have the Reaver ship that did not have role player hanging out the windows , we put that entirely in 3 - D. "
The battles in " Serenity " get bigger as the movie goes on . interpret on to find out about how the effect squad made ten ship into fifty for the climactic last battle .
The Last Battle: Serenity vs. the Reavers
The big battle later in the film involved 200 unlike spacecraft and put a different sort of challenge . " Reaver ship are cobbled together and no two look alike , " excuse Peristere . " We had to be creative . We pack part off ship and reapplied them in dissimilar ways and shapes , with digital creature kits . We made ten ships look like 50 . "
Having the camera take a single item of opinion for that chronological sequence also saved some hard cash . " In traditional coverage in CG , you might have 10 - 12 different angles of the battle , but we had what we called our practical dogfight camera , " Peristere says . " We had our animators dissemble they were a chase plane following Serenity and their end was to keep Serenity in frame as best as they could while missiles , vehicle and obstacles get in the way . As a resultant , we have a frantic , eminent - energy chase that ’s quite unparalleled in terms of optic effects style . "
Peristere say the roughly 432 effects shots in " Serenity " duplicate their original calculation , but did not break the allocated $ 7 million budget . " We always lurch money around and modify the complexity with Joss so that we could hold the best film for the money that we had . We moved a draw of money around to make things work . Joss was n’t devastated when he had to lose a shooting as long as it told the story . "
Whedon ’s TV ground helped him " know what you’re able to have and what you ca n’t , and never being indulgent . You choose your battles , and you shoot just what you want . I do n’t work up a paries if I ’m not going to see it . I bonk exactly what my perspective is before I shoot . Plus , " he continues , " I had doer who had been workshopping the part for a year and a one-half . So we were really able to save an tremendous amount of time and just put every dollar on the screen . And none of us were working for a bunch of money so there was zero overhead . "
But " Serenity " is n’t trammel to Reavers and space battles . Next , we ’ll reckon at the training and costuming that went into making the movie ’s persona literal .
Characters and Costumes
The Asian influences in " Firefly " carry over to " Serenity . " " Joss feel like if you were to look at the creation like a giant ethnical Proto-Indo European , Asia is very important and that if you were to advance civilisation by 500 eld , that ’s become to be the predominant cultivation , " says Peristere . " It ’s looking at what scientist and sociologist are forecasting and putting that into this world . Also it ’s pretty , intricate and beautiful , the nontextual matter and culture . It brings a nice sort of tone to the space that we ’re in . "
Whedon stress , however , that " Serenity " is less about visuals than character – and what the actors playing them can do . " What Summer Glau can do with her feet , money ca n’t buy , " he says , referencing the ballet - trained actress ' translation into the deadly fighting simple machine that is the telepathic River Tam .
" I was used to training and going to the gymnasium , but this is completely dissimilar sinew memory . I had to completely retrain my soundbox , and it took three months , all twenty-four hours , every sidereal day , " says Glau , who did all but two sequence herself . " But all the brand and blade study , the gas and the dagger , I did myself . I feel every puncher and kick back , " she notes .
Her carbon monoxide gas - stars trained too , albeit less intensively than Glau , in what Fillion says the plaster bandage affectionately called " Fight Like a Girl Club . " " I ’d be done and Summer was still there , fighting against nine guys , " he says admiringly .
weapon system were another major part of the activity premix . " They were n’t sure who would be shooting what so they had us get familiar with everything that could maybe work its means into the script , " says Sean Maher , who plays Dr. Simon Tam . Jewel Staite ( ship ’s mechanic Kaylee ) append , " This one gun was so heavy that every time I burgeon forth , it would ricochet and I ’d get burns all over my legs . " Baccarin had to watch archery for the movie . " I really took to it . But when the time come in to bourgeon , they were like , ' all good , have ’s reset the set . ' Everybody put on goggles and backbreaking chapeau . But they kick in me an X to hit , and I strike it every time . "
Reprising their roles took less effort . " We ’d already established these characters and relationships , " notes Gina Torres , who plays Zoe . " For me , the hard thing was getting into those damn pants . "
apropos , all the costume were remade for the movie . " This time my pants had sac , which they did n’t in the series . I had a position to put my playscript side , " say Fillion , who enjoy playing the darker side of Malcolm . " He ’s a cranky , hateful hombre but I wish him because he fight back all the metre – fights he knows he ’s not go to succeed . He does n’t fight make love he ’s the champion and is give-up the ghost to plain everybody ’s a * * . He fights because he ’s got anger inside him and he demand an outlet . "
He and his co - stars stayed in close touch since the end of " Firefly , " and appreciated the chance to reunite and finish what they ’d started . " We got canceled so quickly that there was no closure , so being able to play these characters again matt-up very gratifying , " explain Staite .
Next , we ’ll look at programme for the future of " Serenity . "
The Future of “Serenity”
Asked to describe for the untimely death of " Firefly , " those necessitate blame rating , the clash of nontextual matter and finance , shifting timeslots and scheduling against post - season baseball . Whedon is particularly candid . " Fox was n’t interested and had no design of airing the show . Why go through nine months of Labour so you could strangle your baby ? " he asks .
Fans kept Whedon ’s baby alive by disperse the word , buy the DVDs and flocking to a series of early screenings around the country . " They ’re incredibly loyal , " state Baldwin , also praise Whedon for never pass on up on the project . " I could n’t have it go , " says the theatre director . " I had a chronicle to tell with these people , and Universal get it and nurtured what I was doing . I do feel a certain measuring stick of defence , but I do n’t quantify the movie by it . It ’s crucial for me to remember that the chronicle of the movie is not the moving-picture show itself . Anybody who does n’t love how we shin to get it out there has to enjoy it too , " he reminds .
The cast is signed for two sequels , which they and Whedon would lief make . " There are more narrative to secern with these character , so if the opportunity came up , I ’d jump . We had a heap of playfulness and I retrieve it translate on projection screen . I believe that if people see it , they will like it , " read the director . He would n’t rule out another television receiver edition either , but add " though I do n’t know who owns the goggle box rights . "
Whedon is presently pen the script for the upcoming " Wonder Woman " movie . " And no , it ’s not cast , " he adds . Peristere , while directing commercials and involved at Zoic with TV serial publication including " CSI " , " Battlestar Galactica " and " Prison Break , " hopes to re - team with Whedon . " I ’m 100 percent attached to anything and everything that Joss would ever ask of me , " he read .
For lots more information on " Serenity " and related topic , determine out the links on the next Sir Frederick Handley Page .
