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.”
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.”
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.