STARNO had the privilege of contributing matte painting expertise to Denis Villeneuve’s critically acclaimed sci-fi masterpiece, Arrival. Working as a specialized freelance partner for Raynault FX, our mandate focused on one of the most visually poetic moments of the film: the global presence of the extraterrestrial vessels.
As the story reaches its climax, the film reveals several "shells" (Heptapod spacecraft) suspended silently over iconic cities and diverse landscapes across the globe. STARNO contributed to creating these large-scale digital environments, integrating the monolithic vessels into realistic urban and natural settings.
Contributing to a project led by a visionary Quebecois director like Denis Villeneuve, who has made a significant international impact, was particularly rewarding. The work required a delicate balance of photorealism and atmospheric mood to match the film's unique, grounded visual language.
When twelve mysterious spacecraft touch down around the globe, an elite team—led by expert linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) and physicist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner)—is brought together to investigate. As mankind teeters on the verge of global war, Banks and the team race against time for answers—and to find them, she will take a chance that could threaten her life, and quite possibly humanity.
Arrival is a provocative science fiction thriller that explores the complexities of communication, time, and the human experience. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and is widely considered one of the best sci-fi films of the decade.
Frédéric St-Arnaud
Raynault FX
FEATURE FILM – 2016