Director Brian Duffield details the extreme practical challenges of filming inside a whale stomach set for the new survival thriller 'Whalefall', starring Austin Abrams.
01Summary
- 01The set is a small, water-filled 360-degree space on a gimbal, with lighting rigged inside and limited camera portals.
- 02Duffield sent pictures of the set to a fellow director, who reacted with disbelief.
- 03For the whale-chewing scene, crew members jumped on the set to crush down on Abrams, who was using a real oxygen tank.
- 04Studio and Disney safety reps expressed uncertainty about the safety of the shoot, but insisted it was carefully managed.
- 05Duffield co-wrote the script with novelist Daniel Kraus after reading an advance copy of the 2023 book.
02Why it matters
This reveals the lengths filmmakers go to create immersive, practical effects-driven cinema without CGI, offering audiences a unique survival thriller experience.
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