'Elysium': Inside the Visual Effects

Beverly Hills in Space

Chapman said the biggest challenge in the film’s VFX was creating Elysium, the ring-shaped habitat in space. This CG shot shows all that detail that needed to be placed on the inner surface. Noting that Blomkamp wanted it to have the feel of Beverly Hills, Chapman said the VFX team had to create trees, water, people, birds, vehicles and homes as well as atmosphere and an air purification beam. He added that Imagine Engine collaborated with VFX house Whiskytree on detailing the inner surface.

Before

In this sequence, the production used pyrotechnic elements to create an explosion and also shot a stunt performer in a grey suit as reference.

After

In the final shot, the stunt performer was replaced with a droid. A lot of layers were used, including pyrotechnics and CG elements. Also, an exploding droid was simulated in CG and added to the shot.

Before

To create realism for a shot of a spaceship, the production shot a helicopter as a stand in — giving the camera operator something in the frame to react to and also to capture the dust interaction for the visual effects.

After

The VFX team replaced the helicopter with a CG spaceship and used dust from the live-action shoot and CG dust to complete the shot.

Before

This plate was shot on location in Vancouver. 

After

The VFX team replaced the background, creating a hanger on Elysium and a deportation shuttle. The majority of this shot is CG.

Before

An aerial plate of the Getty Center in Los Angeles.

After

But in postproduction, the VFX team decided to instead create this entirely CG shot. They used the images of the Getty Center as reference for vegetation.

Before

In this shot, which takes place on Elysium, the foreground plate was shot in Puerto Vallarta.

After

To complete the shot, the VFX team added the background, including a portion of the ring, the sky and atmospheric effects. One issue was how much light to use. “This was space sky, but we wanted it to feel familiar — that people would want to live there — not dark and foreboding,” Chapman said.

Before

Illegal immigrants are rounded up by homeland security droids (one of six different types of droids created for the film) when they arrive on EIysuim. Actors in grey suits performed the role of the droids on set, allowing Blomkamp to direct the performance.

After

The actors were replaced with CG droids in the final shot. Also, the on-set plates were used to provide lighting data for compositing so that when the shot was rendered, the CG lighting would match the live action. The VFX team also had to be sure the droids properly interacted with the environment, such as where they stepped on blades of grass.