The Morning Watch: Moonfall VFX Breakdown, Making Of Modern Star Trek Action Figures & More
(The Morning Watch is a recurring feature that highlights a handful of noteworthy videos from around the web. They could be video essays, fan-made productions, featurettes, short films, hilarious sketches, or just anything that has to do with our favorite movies and TV shows.)
In this edition, see the behind-the-scenes visual effects magic used to create some of the wildest scenes in the sci-fi action spectacle "Moonfall." Plus, some of the team from toymakers Exo-6 drop by "Adam Savage's Tested" to show everyone how modern "Star Trek" action figures are made. And finally, "24" actor Kiefer Sutherland breaks down some of the most famous movie and TV roles from his extensive career.
Breaking down the visual effects of Moonfall
First up, Roland Emmerich's "Moonfall" might have bombed its way into the record books at the box office, but the special effects used to make intense moon battles come to life is still pretty impressive. The above video from DNEG shows off the work done by major visual effects company, includng the many plates effects artists had to layer for a wild space sequence, from the background on up to lighting effects. If you ever wondered how computer-generated imagery is put together, this is a great example.
Making modern Star Trek toys 101
Next, the folks at "Adam Savage's Tested" had a chat with the head of Exo-6, who created a line of sixth scale "Star Trek" figures from every iteration of the franchise. They discuss the differences in costumes throughout the years, the standardization of toys in past years, and the attention to detail put into each figurine. The figures are even all slightly different heights, to reflect the various heights of the characters (and the actors who play them). There's no standardized, basic body shape here, and the characters have been designed in order to look as close to their onscreen counterparts as possible. While it's impossible to get every detail exactly right at such a small scale, the folks at Exo-6 do what they can to make sure their figures look perfect on your shelf. I really want that Borg Picard, for starters. Just look at that face detail!
Kiefer Sutherland on his most memorable characters
Last but not least, Kiefer Sutherland sat down with GQ to discuss his most memorable roles. Among them? "Stand By Me," "24," "A Few Good Men," "A Time to Kill," "Dark City," "Designated Survivor," "A Few Good Men," "The First Lady," and his latest, "The Contractor." He also takes a moment to remark on the one place in the world where people seem to confuse actors with the characters they play, and it's the good old United States of America! Whether you like Sutherland best when he's fighting terrorists in real-time on "24" or getting weird as a kooky scientist in "Dark City," it's worth hearing what he has to say about each of these roles and where they stand in his filmography.