Lynch’s 1984 adaptation of Dune didn’t have the same technological advancements at its disposal that Villeneuve and his team used to create Arrakis and its dangerous inhabitants. While both are based on Frank Herbert’s novel, the stylistic differences between the two adaptations of Dune are clear.

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A group of VFX artists challenged one another to recreate the battle sequence between Paul Atreides and Gurney Halleck in Villeneuve’s Dune to feature the shields from Lynch’s Dune. In the recent adaptation, Timothée Chalamet and Josh Brolin are both concealed in a Holtzman shield with a faint blue hue. This appearance differs greatly from Lynch’s 1984 version, which featured Kyle McLachlan and Patrick Stewart in the roles, concealed by obstructive shapes that made it difficult to see the fighting sequence. As an homage to Lynch, the artists decided to take a trip to the past and experiment with Lynch’s filmmaking process.

The lack of technology available to Lynch in the ’80s to create a film like Dune created a huge task for visual effect artists working on the film. This is highlighted by Matt, one of the artists in the video, as he honors Lynch’s process by using 2D shapes to create the blocky, obstructive shields seen in the 1984 adaptation of Dune. By the end, Matt is only able to complete about nine seconds of the fighting sequence within the allotted week timeframe, because of the intricacies involved in the design process. As he attempted to break down his complicated process, Matt showed that in one shot, he had approximately 239 layers being used to create the shields.

On the other hand, Jordan, another VFX artist, decided to use updated technology to experiment with the shields. He uses 3D to assist him in altering Villeneuve’s Dune, which gave him a less stressful time altering the footage. As opposed to drawing the shapes as Matt and Lynch’s team once had to do, Jordan is able to use the basic principles of geometry to his advantage. This gives his finished product a somewhat defined look, as he can fine-tune some shapes better than Matt’s hands-on approach.

Villeneuve’s thin, almost non-existent version of the shields is certainly more ideal for viewers to make sense of the fighting sequence. This gives the choreography a chance to shine, as well as the actor’s physical performances. The differences between Matt and Jordan’s approaches in altering Dune are testaments to the evolution of the film and the tools available to filmmakers today.

Dune is now available on digital platforms.

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Source: Corridor Crew