Having worked as a concept designer on Duncan Jones’ Moon, filmmaker Gavin Rothery has pedigree when it comes to independent sci-fi movies whose small budgets don’t necessarily equate to small ambitions. Rothery is about to release his directorial debut feature, Archive – a near-future tale of robotics and grief, in which Theo James’ engineer George hopes to create an artificial intelligence based on his late wife, working through various robo-iterations to create something near-human.
Speaking to Empire in the new Mandalorian issue – on sale Wednesday 23 December, and available to pre-order online now – Rothery explained why he opted for practical effects when it came to Archive’s androids. “It’s always the robots with performers inside that I really love,” he says. Look at the personalities of R2-D2 and C-3PO! I haven’t seen a CG robot that made me //feel// like that.”
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If George’s first two robots are clearly early, boxy designs, it’s his third model – ‘J3’ – who has a more recognisably humanoid appearance. While there are digital elements to the design, for the most part it involved actor Stacy Martin being in make-up and prosthetic that took four-and-a-half hours to apply, and a further two-and-a-half hours to remove. It was a practical aesthetic that extends to the character itself. “The idea was, it’s just not quite finished,” says Rothery of J3’s design and facial line-markings. “Those are almost like witness marks. If you look at the bottom of any plastic moulded dustbin, there’s always these little artefacts that betray the manufacturing process.”
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Read Empire’s full story on Archive and the film’s androids in the Mandalorian issue – available to order online here. The film is expected to arrive in cinemas from 15 January, and will be available digitally from 18 January.