Science Fiction
A relatively modern genre, science fiction is the result of the impact of the scientific world on a society or an individual. The genre first grew in popularity with the American publisher, Hugo Gernsback, in the 1920s. He sparked a movement and the recognition of pieces created through it with the recognizable Hugo Awards in 1953.Genre Conventions - content
With the original introduction of the genre, most directors presented pieces which were loosely based on the technological advancements of the error. This caused most seemingly scientific pieces to be later classified as fiction. The modern definition has transformed the genre so that content produced mostly focuses on space travel, robots, alien beings, and time travel. Many pieces explore the potential effects of knowledge and technology on our world through advanced dystopian societies like in Ready Player One by Spielberg. Meanwhile, some pieces examine the fusion of nature and science while others seek to present a surreal captivating space experience like the movie Gravity by Alfonso Cuarón.
Genre Conventions - production techniques
Science fiction productions typically invest heavily in set design. Props include items such as robots, spacecrafts, and sleek, refined, modern structures. The equipment used for creating such productions is expensive as well and requires skilled personnel to operate. In Gravity the actors were placed in mechanical rigs, a process that would take hours simply to position the actor. Other films have intricate details in their costume design such as in Star Wars where the clone troopers have robust armor that needs to appear uniform while still accommodating for different heights and body shapes. Location is another issue that is heavily significant in science fiction productions. Some creations require extra terrestrial settings which incurs heavy costs in transporting equipment and actors to remote locations, as well as obtaining permits where scenes can be filmed.
Institutional Conventions
The target audience for sci-fi films are typically males aged 18-29. As a result many production cast lead male actors to appeal to such an audience. Often these actors are well known as well such as Matt Damon and Sandra Bullock. Films are typically marketed by focusing on the visual imagery or special effects of the production as well as its actors. Some science fiction productions are based off of earlier works such as comics which are used to generate interest from the target audience. Intense action sequences against intriguing settings are used in many films to attract viewers as well, which is why many films incorporate such scenes in trailers or its snapshots on posters.
Interstellar
This brilliant film is a great example of a science fiction production. Directed by Christopher Nolan, the film grossed aver $130 million at the box office. However, the film required significant time, money, and technical skill as well. Unlike many other sci-fi films, the use of CGI was greatly limited to create a more natural look. In fact, on set, the word "sci-fi" was a dirty word with many workers remarking something "looks too sci-fi." Instead Nolan opted for the used spacecraft look which was partially inspired from Star Wars and NASA's space technology. Creating shots was risky and costly, with the production crew even flying a Learjet through an actual storm to simulate the turbulence required for the scene. There was also a heavy emphasis on the theoretical aspects of the film and linking back to scientific theories and research. Theoretical physicist Kip Thorne was brought in to help maintain the accuracy of the plot and ensure its relevance to modern theories of relativity.
The Martian
The Martian by Ridley Scott grossed over $600 million worldwide and had a budget of over $108 million. Similar to Interstellar this film was also heavily resource intensive, except the use of CGI was much more prevalent and the location was much more remote. The majority of the movie was filmed in the Middle East in the Wadi Rum desert of Jordan. The transportation of equipment to the remote location and shooting at that location was one of the biggest difficulties of the film. Actors were placed in 80-pound space suits and the structures had to be built in nearly inhospitable conditions. The potatoes for the film were unable to blossom in the conditions of the desert a special technologically advanced hothouse was required to produce the potatoes. Although green screen effects and CGI were used the majority of the film was shot practically and the film heavily focused on being realistic and following actual limitations of surviving in Mars while producing the plot and film. Matt Damon, the lead actor, joked that creating the film was harder than going to Mars itself.
Sample Films
Star Wars
2001: A Space Odyssey
Gravity
Arrival
Avatar
Sources
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/how-martians-ridley-scott-replicated-842642
https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a32413/interstellar-behind-the-scenes/
https://www.filmsite.org/sci-fifilms.html
https://www.britannica.com/art/science-fiction
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