Harvesters & Ornithopters
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Spice Harvesters
"The large-scale Harvester model on our backlot desert set with its painted sky backing of the sky of Arrakis. In the cage of the crane is Gordon Hayman, the camera operator throughout principal photography and also for much of the miniature photography."
Image/Caption courtesy of Charles L. Finance
© 1983/84
"'Dune Miniature Shop' is a general view inside our miniature shop. At left is Danielle Verse, a modelmaker from Belgium; in the middle distance is Peter Bohanna (Brian Smithies' second in command); at right is a young Mexican modelmaker whose name I can't remember.
"The shop was set up especially for this project after Apogee (who had been initially engaged to do the visual effects for the picture, but then parted company with the production) pulled out.
Raffaella De Laurentiis hired Brian Smithies to be the supervisor of miniatures.
He pulled the operation together in a remarkably short time. I think we were off and running within less than a month after our arrival in Mexico City in July of 1983. One of our biggest challenges was to get the materials needed to build the models.
Many of them were fairly exotic items not found in Mexico, and Mexican customs routinely held up our shipments for days while they questioned what nefarious purposes these (sometimes) dangerous substances might be put to."
Image/Caption courtesy of Charles L. Finance
© 1983/84
"Rafael de Maria y Los Campos, Dune modelmaker from Mexico, detailing one of the medium-scale Harvester models. Some of the models were initially sculpted in plaster by an excellent sculptor from Spain. Molds were then made from the sculptures (or maquettes, as they're sometimes called) and these, in turn, were used to make casts of the models, to be painted and detailed by the artists in the Dune modelshop. The Dune modelshop crew was truly international. We had modelmakers from England, Spain, Belgium, the U.S., and, of course, Mexico."
Image/Caption courtesy of Charles L. Finance
© 1983/84
"Gordon Hayman operates the camera during filming of the large-scale Harvester. An unidentified Mexican special effects technician aims a wind machine at the model to create a plume of Arrakis dust (mostly a nasty combination of real sand brought in from the Mexican desert of Samalayuka, near Juarez, Fuller's Earth, and microballoons). These shots were filmed in slow motion to lend the models the required sense of mass and size."
Image/Caption courtesy of Charles L. Finance
© 1983/84
Peter Bohanna finishing detailing the sand around the large Harvester model prior to shooting.
Image/Caption courtesy of Charles L. Finance
© 1983/84
One of the large-scale Harvesters.
The shots were all overcranked to some degree to slow down the smoke and give the shot proper scale.
Image/Caption courtesy of Charles L. Finance
© 1983/84
Camera operator Gordon Hayman films an ornithopter POV of the large-scale harvester - sculptured by Rafael Ablanque and cast in fiberglass - which was positioned on a miniature desert setting constructed outdoors at Churubusco.
Image/Caption courtesy of Eric Swenson
© 1983/84
Ornithopter approach shots were filmed on the interior worm stage with a smaller version of the harvester.
Image/Caption courtesy of Eric Swenson
© 1983/84
During the final postproduction phase at Van der Veer, a small sand crawler - actually a prototype toy incorporated for its merchandising potential - was photographed scooting up a rear ramp into a harvester.
Image/Caption courtesy of Eric Swenson
© 1983/84
Between shots, model shop supervisor Peter Bohanna examines the diminutive Spice harvester - constructed from beeswax to facilitate its being crushed by the giant sandworm.
Image/Caption courtesy of Eric Swenson
© 1983/84
Preparing for a shot of the large harvester, Danielle Verse spreads coloured 'spice' particles on the sand. Assisting her is Kyle MacLachlan. Back in Mexico for a postproduction dubbing session, the young actor pitched in on some of the effects work then in progress.
Image/Caption courtesy of Eric Swenson
© 1983/84
Building the Carryall miniature.
Image/Caption courtesy of Charles L. Finance
© 1983/84
"Miniatures of various flying ships used in compositing were shot on blue screen. Here you see the Carry-All mounted and ready for photography. Note the little Harvester model suspended from the underside of the Carry-All. This gives you the comparative scale of the two ships as David Lynch conceived of them. The color of the ships in this photography is way off because the picture was taken with daylight film under incandescent light. In actuality, the Carry-All was silvery gray."
Image/Caption courtesy of Charles L. Finance
© 1983/84
Electrician Ruben Huerta and modelmaker Rafael de Maria y Campos prepare the wedge-shaped carryall for a blue screenshot.
Image/Caption courtesy of Eric Swenson
© 1983/84
On the Churubusco lot, the massive "bottom" of a Spice Harvester. Rocks will be tossed down from the platform to simulate the attack of a gigantic sandworm.
Ornithopters
The ornithopter's takeoff and primary in-flight shots were obtained with a fully articulated miniature constructed by Apogee. Effects crew members Tom Valentine and John Hatt adjust the collapsible landing gear in preparation for bluescreen photography of the takeoff.
Image/Caption courtesy of Eric Swenson
© 1983/84
Danielle Verse adds finishing detail on two of the smaller 'thopters used for distant shots.
Brian Smithies does a quick on-set touch-up of the ornithopter's underside.
Image/Caption courtesy of Eric Swenson
© 1983/84
John Hatt rigs one of the small-scale ornithopters on a wire while the effects camera crew prepares for a shot of the 'thopter travelling over the shield wall.
Image/Caption courtesy of Eric Swenson
© 1983/84
The Harkonnen 'thopter model was mounted in front of a blue screen and filmed with a camera suspended from the ceiling with bunjy cords - readily allowing operator Ken Worringham to incorporate a rough, bouncing movement into the shot.
Image/Caption courtesy of Eric Swenson
© 1983/84