The Science of Sleep

[Daniel Wallens]

Does anyone know what stock was used for Gondry's The Science of Sleep? I ask only because I noticed in the opening scene (as well as in later ones) that the cardboard box-made cameras are made out of Fugi Eterna film stock shipping boxes! I wondered if he just looked around at what he had on set/in the shop, and used that.

[David Mullen ASC]

Does anyone know what stock was used for Gondry's The Science of Sleep? I ask only because I noticed in the opening scene (as well as in later ones) that the cardboard box-made cameras are made out of Fugi Eterna film stock shipping boxes! I wondered if he just looked around at what he had on set/in the shop, and used that.

 

Yes, I just saw it and the boxes used as props say 8573 Fuji Eterna 500T. So I suspect that's what the film was shot on, which is not unlikely since Gondry used Fuji 500D for "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." Also, it looked like Eterna 500T, fairly fine-grained with a softer contrast / sharpness.

[Max Jacoby]

There is an article in this month's AC about the film.

 

Moslty Fuji Eterna 8573 500T, with some Fuji 8561 250D and Kodak 5245 50D. The animation was shot on Kodak 5274 200T.

[Michael Collier]

Any discussion on the look of that film? I have been a big gondry fan since the foo fighters video, and plan on seeing this one. Am I getting my hopes up to think it will be a good film?

[Dan Goulder]

Any discussion on the look of that film? I have been a big gondry fan since the foo fighters video, and plan on seeing this one. Am I getting my hopes up to think it will be a good film?

Since you're already a "big Gondry fan", there's no reason why you'd be disappointed. This is a likeable, creative film. Gondry has a very delicate touch, which is welcome relief to the typical deluge of angry, violent, in-your-face, steroid-enhanced filmmaking.

[Daniel Wallens]

Well, I liked it a lot, my girlfriend LOVED it, but I cannot say that I did as much. It may be a bit overhyped... although still a very good film. I'm am not much of a fan of the "surreal, dreamy film" genre... i prefer much more to watch an amazing film that accomplishes amazing things within the hard contstraints of reality. Nevertheless, MG does do an amazing job of telling a love story conveyed through dreamy sequences. I would have liked to see more of MG's camera-trickery genius, like we saw in Eternal Sunshine or in his music videos, such as in Kylie Minogue's "Come Into My World" (AMAZING video). Nevertheless, this movie does include some fantastic animation, although more self-explanitory.

 

One thing I'm not sure how he did was 1 small shot: Stéphane (Gael García Bernal) uses his index fingers to do the hotdog trick (when you move them slowly together in front of your face, and you see a "floating hotdog") and we see the finger hotdog from his POV. In real life, this is a phenomenon caused by the brain receiving information from two seperate eyes.... I wonder if he used 2 cameras to do this....? If it was done in post, I'd be MUCHO dissapointed....

Edited October 2, 2006 by Daniel Wallens

[Justin Boyer]

One thing I'm not sure how he did was 1 small shot: Stéphane (Gael García Bernal) uses his index fingers to do the hotdog trick (when you move them slowly together in front of your face, and you see a "floating hotdog") and we see the finger hotdog from his POV. In real life, this is a phenomenon caused by the brain receiving information from two seperate eyes.... I wonder if he used 2 cameras to do this....? If it was done in post, I'd be MUCHO dissapointed....

 

Well the finger was out of focus, so I suspect he made a little fake finger and stuck it between the two fingers and wiggled them. I think this is further encouraged, by the fact that the middle "hot dog" finger kinks at it's tips, which doesn't happen when you do the trick to yourself.

 

I'm not very privy to animation tricks, but how did gondry do the shot were Stéphane walks behind and in front of the stop motion type writer?