Film-makers doing a sci-fi space flick - without using any computer-generated effects

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A piece of lava rock on a turntable was used to simulate an asteroid

A piece of lava rock being placed on a turntable, to simulate an asteroid

A design for the heroine's spaceship in the film C

Derek Van Gorder adjusts the model spaceship

Crew member Al Gonzales putting together the model of the spaceship

LED instrument panels were simulated using out-of-focus pegboards, lit from behind with colored lights

The model spaceship, with internal LED wiring and batteries visible

Black cardboard attached to the lens (top and bottom) masked out parts of the set not meant to be seen in the finished product

Film-makers Derek Van Gorder (pictured) and Otto Stockmeier are in the process of making a science fiction film about space travel, without using any computer generated imagery

Starfields were produced by poking holes in black cloth, then lighting it from behind

An early version of the heroine's spaceship, against a star field

Schematics for the heroine's spaceship in the film C

Article Summary

When you think about the best-loved movies depicting space travel, what names come to mind? Star Wars, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Trek - The Motion Picture, Silent Running, Battlestar Galactica? Interestingly enough, all of those enduring films were made decades ago, and utilized hand-built model spaceships for their space-flight sequences. Today, even low-budget productions usually use CGI (computer-generated imagery) for the same purpose – it’s logistically much easier to create and “film” a virtual spaceship on a computer, than it is to build, light and shoot an actual model. Nonetheless, that second approach is exactly what New York film-makers Derek Van Gorder and Otto Stockmeier are taking with their short film, C.

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