PRODUCTION. THE DEVIL’S PROMISE
PRETTY GREEN Green screen material was relatively easy to source in Egypt, with the crew creating a 270° set for shooting all their CGI-background scenes. VFX shots were then passed onto effects houses in Ukraine and India
pyramid was one of the first to be built from clay, as opposed to stone. Over the centuries, rain and degradation mean it is collapsing on itself. There’s a skull-like face and we thought that would be good with our story. We used a lot of plates around it and had it as our backdrop for a big fighting sequence, with jinns flying around on harnesses. We then
who sells his soul to Iblis (the Devil) in a desperate attempt to save his wife when she is diagnosed with a rare, incurable brain tumour. HELLISH TIMES For those not au fait with Islamic mythology and theology, invisible creatures called jinn – spirits that can take the form of people and animals – appear often. To make things even more interesting, these demons continue to play a role in modern Arabian life. “Jinn are very real in Middle Eastern culture – even today – so there was a lot of conversation and research into their history to make it feel authentic and sympathetic to the region,” says Teague. Ukrainian company Terminal FX was commissioned to create Iblis using CGI, as well as a jinn world made of sand. However, serendipity played a major “Over the centuries, rain and degradation mean it is collapsing on itself. The skull-like face was good for our story”
role when it came to finding the ideal backdrop for some of the biggest scenes. Just over an hour’s drive from the capital is the Pyramid of Amenemhat III (better known as the Black Pyramid), which Teague says was the perfect setting. “The locals from Cairo had never heard of this landmark,” says Teague. “It looks like there’s a devil’s face on it. This
JUST DESERTS The crew shot lots of plates and a large action sequence on location in the desert, with the Pyramid of Amenemhat III comprising the backdrop
08. DEFINITIONMAGAZINE.COM
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