``Fantastic Voyage'' A science fiction masterpiece of outstanding quality from the 1960s before ``2001: A Space Odyssey'' (Part 1)

Alveoli, inner ear, brain

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The moment Dr. Benesh was revived, a huge shock hit the Proteus. As a result, the laser gun, which was supposed to be firmly fixed, came off the stand and damaged important parts. Grant suggests using parts from the radio for repairs, but this means communication with the outside world will be cut off. He determines that a spy hiding inside the ship was making it easier for the laser gun to come loose.

To add insult to injury, it was discovered that the Proteus' air tank was empty. Grant suggests they go outside and get some air directly from their lungs. He tries to insert the snorkel tube into the alveoli , but the pressure of breathing makes it difficult to get it in. They try to sneak inside, but someone loosens Grant's lifeline and he is sucked deep into the alveoli.

In this scene, everyone except Captain Owens performs his first spacewalk. They were supposed to be floating in blood plasma , but the set was so huge that it was deemed impossible to shoot underwater. Therefore, Laszlo decided to go with dry-for-wet (a method of shooting underwater scenes without using water), and used a fog filter attached to the lens and high-speed shooting at 3x (72 fps) to create an underwater effect. ing.

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After replenishing its air supply, Proteus passes through the pleura and enters the lymphatic vessels . However, inside the lymph node , it had to pass through the reticular cells, which are as intricate as a forest of seaweed. Since it took a lot of time, I decided to take the shortest route to the affected area, which was through the inner ear .

However, the inner ear has the ability to amplify the vibrations of the air coming in from outside, so even the slightest sound can be fatal to these bacteria-sized animals. As the Proteus was passing through the cochlea , its engine suddenly overheated and stopped. It turns out that the culprit is a clogged reticular fiber in the inlet, so Captain Owens and Dr. Duvall, who repairs the laser, are left behind to clean it up outside the ship.

However, in the operating room of the CMDF headquarters, a nurse accidentally drops scissors on the floor, and the vibrations cause a huge shock inside the cochlea. Cola was violently thrown away and became entangled in the hair cells of the organ of Corti . As she continues to struggle, her immune system reacts and her entire body is covered in antibodies .

The inner ear set was 21 m wide, 30 m long, and 9 m high. The problem was how to make the actors float and rotate them individually in the air, which required a sophisticated wire action. Peter Foy , known for his role in the Broadway musical Peter Pan, was hired as a flying effects supervisor and developed a special rotating rig.

In addition, Keygrip 's Martin Kushak, who is in charge of photographic equipment, attached a special attachment to the boom arm and linked it to a dolly, creating a mechanism that allows the camera to move in three dimensions from a high vantage point. This device also greatly helps in expressing the feeling of floating.

The antibody that attacks Cora is expressed by using a wire to peel off a model of the antibody that was attached to her and then rotating the film in reverse.

The Proteus finally reaches the affected part of the brain. However, there are only 6 minutes until the time limit. Despite Dr. Michael's objections, Dr. Duvall, Cora, Grant, and the others go overboard and begin laser treatment. Then Dr. Michael, who was a spy for the enemy, punches Captain Owens unconscious, abandons the three, and attempts to escape on the Proteus.

Grant shoots down the Proteus with a laser and rescues Captain Owens from inside the ship. However, the white blood cells recognized the Proteus as a foreign object and crushed it from the outside, and Dr. Michael also became prey. The remaining four people narrowly manage to escape by traveling along the optic nerve to the lachrymal gland .

The brain set was huge, measuring 30 meters wide, 61 meters long, and 11 meters high. Neurons (nerve cells) are sculpted by first making a core out of glass fiber, then spraying it with a special adhesive called Cobweb Cement (*8), which is used in things like spider webs in abandoned house sets, using a spray gun . In addition, the signals transmitted between neurons were expressed using illumination and superimposed animation.

*8 A solution of 25% Saran F120 resin dissolved in methyl ethyl ketone.

[References]

Written by LB Abbott: “Special Effects: Wire Tape and Rubber Band Styles ”The ASC Press (1984)

Written by Isaac Asimov: “Hayakawa Bunko SF23 Fantastic Voyage ” Hayakawa Shobo (1971)

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Text: Takayuki Oguchi

In 1982, he became the director of Japan's first CG production, JCGL. After working as the head designer for the IMAX Dome 3D video "Universe 2 ~Sound of the Sun~" at the Fujitsu Pavilion at EXPO'90, he became a freelance video creator. Won an Emmy Award for the NHK special ``Life: A 4 Billion Year Distant Journey'' (1994). His most recent work is the storyboard for the NHK special ``Space Spectacle'' (19). He is also a video journalist specializing in VFX, CG, 3D movies, art animation, exhibition videos, etc., and has contributed numerous articles to film magazines, theater pamphlets, the web, etc. In addition to being a visiting professor at Digital Hollywood University, he is also a part-time lecturer at Tokyo University of the Arts Graduate School of Animation Department, Waseda University Faculty of Science and Engineering, Japan Electronics College, Joshibi University of Art and Design Junior College, etc.

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“Fantastic Voyage”

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