PRODUCTION ONSLAUGHT
EVOKING THE OLD DAYS Soffer swapped modern devices like drones and gimbals for Steadicams, tripods and dollies – because “that’s what filmmakers in the eighties had at their disposal,” he says. He extended this logic to lens choice as well, opting for Panavision E Series anamorphics. “So many of our references were shot on those lenses, and they have such a distinct look. Even our choice of focal length was inspired by films of that time; we studied our references and noticed that a lot of shots were telephoto. “In terms of lighting,” Soffer adds, “especially in the nighttime work, we wanted that backlit, blue look. We called it Terminator blue. We were specific about that in the colour grade and throughout the entire process, but I don’t think we did it to the point of limiting ourselves,” he clarifies. “It was all an attempt to evoke or be inspired by films of that time and channel them, but not to the point of pastiche or parody. Our number one priority was the story, and we didn’t want these things to take precedence.” Filming largely at night, Soffer sought a camera that would perform well in low light. For his main body, he doubled up on the ARRI ALEXA 35, which has a Super 35 sensor and a maximum ISO of 6400. In turn, “we were able to light with relatively low-power, low-wattage LEDs, as opposed to much bigger, brighter, more traditional lights,” he shares. “We did embrace modern technology,” using a combination of Aputure, NANLUX, Astera and Creamsource fixtures. He also employed the Sony FX3, fitted with Blazar Remus anamorphics, for car mounts, in tight spaces and other specialist shots.
On-set, each trailer had practical lights both inside and out, which were all placed by the film’s electrical team. “We also used these theatrical, hard spotlights,” sometimes to mimic moonlight, which was then softened by artificial fog or haze, à la A Nightmare on Elm Street or film noir. Soffer played around with colour, too, using full- spectrum RGB LEDs. GOING BIG While most of Onslaught is relatively restrained, stylistically speaking, Soffer decided to have some fun with the sex club scene. “We’re introduced to Drew Starkey’s character, a government agent who is sent to clean up after the escaped super soldiers,” he says. “The location is a fancy-looking mansion, and lighting- wise, we basically went crazy.” By day, the museum displays gems and jewellery under sterile, fluorescent lights; in the
film, it was stripped down and ‘decked out with candles’ to make it feel more ‘strange and seductive’. For Soffer, “It was fun to create the palette for that. We put red lights and a blue spotlight outside the stained-glass window. We put in atmospheric haze, so you could see these blue beams, and then there’s all this candlelight. If you saw a before and after of this location – what it was and what we turned it into – you wouldn’t believe it was the same space.” He added other details, such as a strobe light, into the sequence to build a deeper, more believable world. “It just adds a little colour, metaphorically and physically,” he describes. The crew had been spending so much time at the trailer park that they welcomed this change of pace. “We were so grounded in reality that when we had an opportunity, we were like, ‘How neon, saturated and colourful can we get – and get away with?’” Soffer says. “We pushed ourselves, and whenever you do that you second- guess yourself. But often that’s when you make the most interesting choices. ‘Is this too much? Is this too far?’ The answer is almost always no.” While the crew hadn’t planned on it, Soffer was pleased that Onslaught was selected for an IMAX release. He urges audiences to see it in cinemas – just like they would have in the eighties. “It looks amazing on the big screen.” Onslaught is set to hit US theatres on 4 September
STICK TO YOUR GUNS Panavision E Series optics, the same lenses used on many of the films Onslaught was referencing, gave Soffer the look he was after
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