Behind the Scenes of ‘The Tomorrow War’

For those who have seen the trailer, the storyline of "The Tomorrow War" is undoubtedly familiar—a classic tale of time travel and intergalactic warfare. These themes have graced numerous sci-fi films. While incorporating elements from various sci-fi genres, "The Tomorrow War" doesn't confine itself to strict rules and logical narratives; instead, it emphasizes the commercial attributes of action and visuals.

At the forefront of this popcorn flick is the design of the extraterrestrial creatures known as White Spikes, a task shouldered by visual effects supervisor and creature designer Ken Barthelemy. The design of White Spikes underwent a staggering 67 iterations and modifications, culminating in the creation of the final 3D model and concept art, capturing the oppressive and terrifying essence of these extraterrestrial beings.

Influenced from a young age by the likes of "Star Wars" and "Jurassic Park," Ken Barthelmey's interest in the monster electronic animation effects and puppets created by Stan Winston Studio played a crucial role in shaping the design of White Spikes.

White Spikes are formidable extraterrestrial entities, incorporating features and attack methods reminiscent of various animals. Their jaws, arms, and tentacle spikes are lethal tools, allowing them to crawl in bizarre insect-like postures. The director envisioned these creatures with terrifying dental details, suggesting references from the designs in "Alien" and "Hellraiser."

Consideration for White Spikes' design extended to their behavioral traits and activity states. Questions were raised: How intelligent are they? Do they operate like a pack of wolves? In terms of features, the head of White Spikes drew inspiration from the features of a viperfish (a terrifying deep-sea fish), with mantis-like forearms and a thick carapace on the back inspired by grasshoppers. Designers observed the skin of rhinos and hippos and studied the joint movements of cheetahs and the jaw-opening abilities of snakes. The eerie eyes of the great white shark, known for their unsettling appearance, were also mirrored in the eye features of White Spikes.

In the initial visual exploration phase, renowned concept designers, including monster designer Kyle Brown, were enlisted for the early designs. Some of the early designs for White Spikes, evident in the initial drafts, experimented with a bipedal humanoid stance and a smoother amphibious texture for the skin (later replaced with rough skin covered in moss and cracks).

The final design needed to balance innovative divergence and realism, inevitably sharing commonalities with previous works, such as the alien aesthetics in "Independence Day." Considerations were made for a creature with crawling abilities featuring pointed ends and multiple tentacles.

Given the substantial amount of visual effects shots involving White Spikes, the team created a physical model for actor interaction and close-up shots. However, other action effects were predominantly handled by Weta Workshop. While the initial setup was pretty established, modifications to the length and movement of limbs and necks were made in post-production to facilitate free movement in actions like running, jumping, swimming, and flying based on the demands of specific shots.

The walking posture of the White Spikes' queen drew inspiration from bears, and many action details and muscle textures were referenced in actual animals, all set by animators in keyframes. One of the significant action spaces was the cave scene during the battle with the queen White Spikes. After the art department provided the design drawings, the set design department built a cave in the studio and decorated it with natural textures.

The exterior shots of the future military base and caves were set up and shot in real forest clearings, featuring authentic military tents and equipment, including displays showing geographical information and makeshift biological research labs. The modified Humvee with a heavy machine gun was genuinely refurbished, and its exterior underwent repainting in the props department to enable regular field operation.

As there were numerous CGI human interactions in these scenes, the special effects department conducted 3D rehearsals in advance. To enhance the realism of "The Tomorrow War," many outdoor scenes were shot on location through actual set constructions or on real streets and glaciers. The cold Russian environment in the film was authentically filmed at Vatnajökull Glacier in Iceland, where the crew faced the challenge of extremely short daylight hours, requiring meticulous time management.

The DeepWell 9 reference was drawn from a power plant built by Georgia Power in the suburbs of Atlanta. However, DeepWell Base not only featured a 10-story tower but also had an immense outer perimeter. The effects team conducted a 3D scan of the actual Georgia Power plant and identified the locations to be shot.

The DeepWell Base in the film comprised four offshore drilling platforms, with additional experimental and living spaces built on the existing facilities and connected through bridges and gangways. In scenes involving special effects and explosions, the asset department did meticulous detailing work, covering everything from pipes to small nuts.

In scenes where White Spikes traverse the DeepWell Base, the spectacle of masses of extraterrestrial beings was achieved using an AI crowd animation system. However, the animation team customized White Spikes closer to the camera and created an action library in advance (including turning, stumbling, attacking, etc.), adding a touch of authenticity. Under AI control, White Spikes navigated autonomously and overcame obstacles.

As a commercially driven action film that blends sci-fi with horror and thriller elements, "The Tomorrow War" excels in its solid design and production across various aspects, making it a worthwhile watch for fans of visual effects.