ALEX LAURANT

Steven Spielberg's award-winning1998 dramatization of the D-Day Allied invasion of Normandy and its aftermath was not technically a big film for ILM. The total shot count was less than 50.

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But it was hugely significant in terms of prestige and the honor of contributing to an iconic piece of film making and historical remembrance. Many of ILM's VFX shots were in the service of extending and amplifying the peril and bloodshed of the various battles, adding extra explosions, bullet and mortar hits, enhancing the makeup with even more gruesome wounds, and a handful of other effects.

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​The most iconic wide shot in the film—shown below—is one that I had the honor of designing and then aiding VFX Supervisor Roger Gueyette and the ILM team (including Pablo Helman, Stefen Fangmeier and Jennifer McKnew ) in bringing to life.

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Starting with a live-action plate of a beach in Scotland, subbing in for Normandy, and including a small number of vehicles and a modest squadron of marching soldiers, our task was to add in the massive military presence established by the Allies in the days following the beach invasion.

This meant scores of ships and transports and PT boats in the water, many more marching soldiers, and more vehicles driving on the beach.

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A final unique addition to the design: barrage balloons. In the course of my research to ensure historical accuracy and integrity, I learned of this tactic to thwart low-flying fighter aircraft. My proposed inclusion of this element added a welcome layer of visual interest to the shot, drawing the eye from the foreground to the distance.

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