Mo-Sys G50 on 'Spectre'
An iconic title sequence is part of the Bond franchise like Aston Martin or martini - shaken, not stirred. Through the years the sequences always deployed the latest animation and VFX techniques. The newest film in the Bond franchise ‘Spectre’ makes no exception. Director Daniel Kleinman, who is responsible for the title sequences since 1995, teamed up with Framestore for the three minute clip set to John Smith’s haunting “Writing’s on the Wall”. The sequence combines all the traditional elements, such as guns, explosions and barely dressed females, with new elements - there is a heavy emphasis on the octopus of the SPECTRE logo.
The filming of the actors and special FX plates took place in Pinewood Studio in front of a massive blue screen backdrop. A Mo-Sys G50 was attached to the end of a 40” Technocrane, both provided by Technocrane Europe. The 3-axis remote head with a maximum payload of 50kg, carried an ARRI Alexa with an Angenieux Optima lens attached to it. Filming plates with Bond actor Daniel Craig and supporting talents in front of the chroma screen, to be later composited with CGI elements. The floating camera on the crane underlining the dream/nightmare-ish atmosphere of the sequence. The G50 was chosen because it is one of industries strongest heads that works perfectly on the end of a telescopic crane, with backpan and gyro-stabilization offering smooth motion. Furthermore is its ultra-responsiveness and intuitive control with handwheels and touchscreen console reason for being the head of choice on more and more film productions that require stabilized crane work.
In one of the impressive shots Daniel Craig and his female companion fall into a fiery abyss. For that shot the actors were hanging on wires suspended from the ceiling with the Mo-Sys G50 on the crane moving around them and so creating the flying effect.
