PRODUCTION. 60 YEARS OF BOND
LEITER FLUID Creating big bangs has always been a bedrock of Corbould’s work, with spectacular results
SPECTRE (2015)
line, which was a bit hairy. If he got the dialogue wrong, there was no going back. Another interesting fact: there was about 8000L of fuel and 33kg of high explosives. Part of the deal was that we had to destroy everything we didn’t use. So after that explosion, we went round the corner and let off 165kg – and twice as much fuel. I’m kicking myself that I didn’t put it in the background.”
As the film builds towards its climax, Bond and Madeleine escape Blofeld’s desert lair, blowing it to pieces. The explosion earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records (a feat Corbould eclipsed in No Time to Die ). “I remember when Eon put in for it, I thought, ‘Oh no! I’m going to get calls from effects people all over the world saying they’d done one bigger,’” says Corbould, “we only got one! “It was interesting, out in the desert. The great thing was there were no windows in sight and no neighbours! We could make lots of noise. It involved new tech for us. In all, there were over 200 pyro charges, in a system where each detonator was programmed through one wire and you chose when they went off. “We went round the corner and let off 165kg of high explosives – and twice as much fuel”
“Usually, you’d have 200 wires. The downside was, once you pressed the button, there was a three-second delay between each explosion, when all the mini computers are talking. It’s safe because either they all go or none do. You don’t get that embarrassing situation where only some go. “The problem is that we had to push the button halfway through Daniel’s
ONE SHOT Careful planning is key to pulling off the intricate pyro set pieces – once started, there’s no turning back!
12. DEFINITIONMAGAZINE.COM
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