7. A Rotating Centrifuge Was Built For 2001: A Space Odyssey
It's one of the most iconic scenes in a film filled to the brim with iconic moments. The scene depicts Dr. Frank Poole taking advantage of the Discovery 1's zero gravity, jogging around the outside of the room like he's hanging out in a giant, perpetual hamster wheel. In reality, Kubrick ordered the construction of a huge centrifuge set. The set rotated while the camera remained fixed in one place, creating the illusion of zero gravity movement. This meant that all Gary Lockwood (the actor who portrayed Frank) had to do was jog in a single spot. Kubrick was known for his expensive, elaborate sets (the budget for 2001: A Space Odyssey was around ten million dollars) but constructing an entire centrifuge for a scene that lasts approximately two minutes is pretty extreme. Nevertheless, the effect looks amazing, and still holds up today. Such is the joy of practical film-making. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wJQ5UrAsIY
Brian Wilson
Contributor
Commonly found reading, sitting firmly in a seat at the cinema (bottle of water and a Freddo bar, please) or listening to the Mountain Goats.
See more from
Brian