HESTIA IN SHORT
STAR QUALITY The film’s lead, Amber Doig-Thorne, is not only an accomplished actor but also a theoretical physicist
plan the entire production. They met with Amber Doig-Thorne, who they cast as the film’s lead (and who has a degree in theoretical physics), “and that’s where we all started getting really excited,” shares Lowley. “It was a match made in heaven; all the stars aligned.” Hestia ’s co-producer Shahidul Khan did ‘90%’ of crew recruitment, according to Lowley. “That’s how we broke this all down: Izzy and I came in with the technological experience and the creative vision, and then Shah came in with the Rolodex of appropriate crew who could facilitate this vision,” including colourist Garry Maddison, whose credits include Interstellar and Ex Machina . “We had a couple of people we’ve brought along throughout our journey. Composer Liam Jessup, for example, is someone we’ve collaborated with since we started and we’ve been working with our costume designer for years,” explains Drane. “The enthusiasm from the crew is amazing – they were willing to do such an intense shoot for low rates.” In the following weeks, the crew created three Unreal environments – the
spaceship pre-crash, the spaceship post-crash and the Earth – all from scratch. They also designed a physical set, combining practical and virtual elements, and sourced the rest of their kit from Sony, Sunbelt Rentals and ZEISS. Running up against the clock, “time was a limiting factor,” admits Lowley, who would have preferred a few additional months of pre-production. “We did our best to make sure everything was as close to perfect as we could get it.” Though Doig-Thorne didn’t have much rehearsal time on-set, the virtual backdrop enhanced her performance, letting her slip into character alongside fellow actor and on-screen daughter Summer Joules-Saunders. “I’ve worked with a lot of green screens before but never with LED panels. Walking onto the set for the first time, I was blown away,” she recounts. “Acting is reacting at the end of the day. Using the virtual LED screen was amazing because I didn’t have to imagine anything; I was immersed in the space. It’s a whole world that’s right there for you to step into.” Doig-Thorne continues, “When I’ve got
the scenes where I have to be emotional, I found the technology actually helps me do that rather than hindering me.” Lowley echoes this sentiment. “The technology allowed for a great symbiosis between every department, but especially between the camera department, us as directors and then our actors. I think the creative simply wouldn’t have been possible without the technology,” he concludes. CHOOSING WISELY Joshua Ighodaro handled Hestia ’s cinematography, working with the Sony BURANO for the first time. A compact camera that has ‘carried that VENICE technology into a smaller package’, according to Ighodaro, the BURANO permitted the cast and crew to fit into tight spaces and assume ‘difficult positions’. The end result was a series of crucial close-ups during the film’s emotional peaks. “The BURANO is lightweight and let us get in close, which, when you’re telling a story as intense as this, being able to
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