STARNO provided Digital Matte Painting services for the psychological thriller THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN, directed by Tate Taylor. Working as a freelance collaborator for Mavericks VFX, our focus was on enhancing one of the most suspenseful and visually critical locations of the film: the dark pedestrian tunnel.
During a key sequence where the protagonist, Rachel Watson (Emily Blunt), enters a dim and gritty tunnel, the production required specific aesthetic modifications to the environment. The task involved digital set dressing and environment alteration through Matte Painting. We meticulously modified the textures of the tunnel walls and the ground to enhance the mood and narrative tension.
The technical challenge lay in maintaining a realistic, tactile feel within a low-light environment. Every crack in the concrete, damp stain on the walls, and piece of debris on the floor had to look perfectly integrated with the live-action plate to sustain the film's gritty, realistic tone. These subtle but vital enhancements help ground the audience in the character's distorted perspective and the unsettling atmosphere of the scene.
Based on the best-selling novel by Paula Hawkins, THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN follows Rachel Watson, a divorcee who fantasizes about a seemingly perfect couple she sees every day from her commuter train. One morning, she witnesses something shocking in their backyard, and soon finds herself entangled in a missing persons investigation that promises to alter the lives of everyone involved.
Starring Emily Blunt, Rebecca Ferguson, and Haley Bennett, the film is a dark exploration of memory, obsession, and the secrets hidden behind the walls of suburban homes. The tunnels and railway tracks of New York serve as a haunting metaphor for Rachel's own fractured state of mind.
STARNO TEAM:Frédéric St-Arnaud (Freelance Matte Painter)
Mavericks VFX
FEATURE FILM – 2016