INTERSTELLAR

DESIGNING A BELEIVABLE FUTURE, AGAIN


After the viewing of 2001: A Space Odyssey. I started thinking about the importance of set design and props in film. 2001 does an excellent job of using miniatures and practical sets to create a convincing view into Kubricks version of the future. So, what is the modern equivalent? In my opinion that is Interstellar, which I remember first watching in physics class at high school. I left that viewing with the same sort of feeling I did when I finished 2001. Amazed at the visuals and the world they had created. Interstellar gives a stunning glimpse into a future that may not be too far away from reality and is a great opportunity to touch on another area of design, film.

The director, Christopher Nolan, is often known for his commitment to practical sets and effects in his movies in an industry that is now almost over saturated with CGI. So how did Nolan sell this bleak take on earth and space travel, 50 years in the future?

“Our methodology is simple­: if you can do it in camera, then you do it in camera; if you can shoot your exteriors on location you do it. We resort to visual effects only when necessary, and we try and get as much in camera as possible so it visually influences any post production work” - Nathan Crowley on the creation of Interstellar

With the help of Nathan Crowley, they crafted convincing planets, wormholes, black holes, space craft and even robots. So, I guess I’ll start in that order, starting with the planets. These look so convincing due to specifically chosen locations that were altered with digital enhancements. Miller’s planet, the water planet, was filmed in North Atlantic and Vatnajökull Glacier in the Jökulsárlón lagoon. This provided shallow enough water to sell this concept. Similarly, Dr Manns planet, the ice planet, was filmed at Svínafellsjökull Glacier in Iceland. I suppose this is less design based I just think it is cool to realise that these shots relied heavily on earthly locations to sell something completely different. When you look at them, they really do look out of this world. Familiar but new.


Miller’s Planet
Dr Manns Planet
So next onto the wormholes and black holes, which were mostly computer renders to deliver scientific accuracy that is almost impossible to create practically. What is extremely impressive is that the Tesseract scene is filmed with a practical set. 




I’m not even sure how to describe this concept as I still don’t fully think I understand even after a few viewings. This is supposed to be the projection of a human’s life from the fifth dimension, where he sees an abstract physical representation of his daughter Murphy’s bookshelf. He can communicate important information as he watches her life unfold in this fifth dimension, which she in turn uses to save humanity. A confusing concept to try and put into words, and an even more confusing concept to convey on screen. The use of practical set design and elaborate camera work help to explain such an amazing concept in a digestible and stunning way. The shots from the set really are impressive. When watching the scene, it somehow makes it feel more real. You aren’t just looking at a bunch of computer-generated renders you are looking at something almost tangible.


Tesseract Practical Sets 
A good sci-fi film is nothing without realistic and believable space craft and space suits. I think interstellar gets this just right. What I found interesting to read about the process of developing the Endurance (The Rover) and the Ranger (Space Shuttle), was that they were designed with the consideration of real NASA prototypes in mind. While obviously taking some leaps in terms of today’s feasibility the designs are grounded in a sense of realism and familiarity. This creates these machines that look futuristic from our perspective but that also don’t bend the logic that we know of today. It’s not unbelievable to think man might create this kind of wingless spacecraft in the next 50 years.


Ranger 1 on Miller’s Planet 
Rear of the Ranger 1 
The general air frame looks believable, not like a far-fetched flying saucer. When you compare it to the experimental aircraft from NASA these days you could see this being a natural progression. Looking closer you can see it takes hints from the original NASA space shuttles. Large thrusters and an aerodynamic design, with intricate grungy detailing and exposed machinery around the doors and ports to really sell the design.


NASA Experimental Aircraft (X-Planes)
NASA Space Shuttle
The other main craft is the Endurance, the long-range explorer that the Ranger can dock into. A circular ring of interconnected pods with a central docking station.

Endurance Long Range Explorer
Ranger Docked Inside the Endurance
Endurance Layout
The reason these designs come to life so well is the use of practical miniatures on set. Like many films before it such as 2001: A Space Odyssey or even Star Wars, Interstellar sticks to this traditional way of creating off-planet scenes. They were made by New Deal Studios in LA, and they were shot under real lighting conditions with realistic exposure ratios to get the cameras to behave naturally around them. This leads to such a convincing effect that I feel would not be achievable with completely digital shots. It gives a greater appreciation for the film when watching these scenes, and it goes a long way in making some of the most important shots in the film as tense as they are. Most notably the docking scene.


Miniatures on Set 



The space suits are similar, rooted in existing space technology but updated in a reasonable way to suit the modern setting. If you compare it to the space suits used by man last time we set food on the moon, it is drastically slimmed down. With very few manned missions since this time it’s difficult to know how suit design would have progressed. Recent prototypes for the new era of space suits do look surprisingly close to the predictions made in Interstellar, slim, and more discrete with a focus on manoeuvrability.


Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU), Apollo Missions, 1969 
Artemis III Prototype, 2023
Interstellar Suit 
I think my favourite bit of design in the whole film are the robots. TARS and CASE are the two large metal robots that accompany the character along their journey. If you thought about how robots might look in 50 years your first thought might not be something like this. You’d maybe think about a walking droid from Star Wars or something more human like similar to the Boston Dynamics robots that can jump about. This is a total departure from that, and I think that’s the right choice. I think it will in time allow these robots to age well similar to the monolith in 2001.

"To me the idea of a robot is a machine that's impersonating a human being. These are purely machines." - Christopher Nolan on TARS and CASE

TARS Physical Model on Set
TARS operated by Bill Irwin
You also might be surprised that in most shots these robots are completely practical. Sometimes operated by a puppeteer or attached to quadbikes for shots that required quicker movement. These shots were then digitally altered to remove these people leaving just the robot. There were multiple versions for different shots. It is described as a 200-pound stainless steel apparatus that is controlled with compressed air in some areas to move the segments. 

IBM Plaza, Chicago
TARS Model
The actual design of the robot was apparently inspired by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and his ‘Less is More’ approach to design. When you look at some of his buildings, specifically the IBM Plaza in Chicago you can see clearly how this style is applied to the machines in this film. No complicated shapes, no complicated components. Just simple geometric rectangles combined into a monolith like structure, almost reminiscent of a skyscraper.

In conclusion, I love this movie. In combination with fantastic acting and an addicting score, the production design creates an intense and gripping look into a dystopian future. A complete visual delight from start to finish. It’s entirely believable and packed full of great design in my eyes. For years, science fiction films have amazed us with visions and predictions of what might be out there. Interstellar takes this to a whole new level with the wealth of information we have learned over the years. I hope whoever is reading has seen the film, otherwise this doesn’t exactly mean much. If you haven’t seen it, it’s well worth a watch.