As a lifelong Superman fan who has seen countless iterations of the Man of Steel on screen, I can’t help but feel a surge of excitement when I hear about James Gunn’s innovative approach to capturing Superman’s flight sequences for the upcoming film. Having witnessed the jaw-dropping aerial action in Top Gun: Maverick, I can see why Gunn would turn to this cinematic masterpiece for inspiration.
Ahead lies the debut trailer for James Gunn’s reinvention of Superman. Since June last year, numerous entertainment platforms have shared their accounts from a visit to the Cleveland set of this upcoming movie. During breaks in filming, Gunn engaged with reporters, shedding light on various elements of the eagerly awaited film that will be the inaugural production under the new DC Studios label. Topics ranged from the portrayal of Clark Kent and Superman, to playful insights regarding the ensemble cast of characters, as the director of Superman had much to share.
An intriguing aspect was how Gunn shot some of the movie’s action scenes. Given Superman’s famous flight ability, it’s no wonder that the Man of Steel engaged in a few aerial battles. To depict flying action effectively, Gunn drew inspiration from the Joseph Kosinski-directed film, Top Gun: Maverick, where Tom Cruise stars. As Gunn explained to Gizmodo:
Mastering the skill to fire projectiles into the heavens is quite a challenge. Drawing inspiration from films like ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, we opted to capture our action sequences using real drones, which flew close to Superman and his fellow aviators during aerial battles. This was all done on sound stages, utilizing miniature, high-tech drones. We’ve got some of the world’s top drone pilots collaborating with us.
‘Superman’ Features Plenty of Drone Camera Work
A key factor behind the massive success of Top Gun: Maverick lies in its realistic portrayal of air combat and piloting. By adopting similar cinematographic techniques, James Gunn could imbue Superman’s flight scenes with a tangible sense of action, rekindling audience belief in human flight. Gunn’s knack for innovative camera work, evident from the action sequences in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, courtesy of cinematographer Henry Braham, provides a promising foundation for this endeavor.
In the sequel of Superman, Braham resumed his camera responsibilities, implying that Gunn’s visual approach and consistency should remain relatively consistent, particularly with respect to the clarity of action scenes throughout most, if not all, of his collaborative work with the cinematographer. However, while Gunn has depicted flight in his previous works in various ways – like Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) using a jetpack or Adam Warlock flying – none can truly match the might and swiftness that Superman is known for across multiple media depictions.
It’s great that Gunn’s remarks about depicting Superman’s abilities show a deep love for the character and its essence. Every live-action Superman film has offered a unique portrayal of Superman’s flying ability, with Richard Donner’s version being particularly renowned in cinema. After Zack Snyder’s impressive first flight scene in Man of Steel, accompanied by Hans Zimmer’s stunning score, it will be intriguing to see what fresh ideas Gunn comes up with using drone cameras and soundstage techniques.
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2024-12-17 23:10