Pre-production

This is where everything starts. Obviously, based on a novel, Dune already has an edge when it comes to having a vast source from which to pull inspiration for the world and story. But I want to focus on a few key aspects that elevated the already existing material. But they need to make it shine.

Great creatives taking risks

A key piece, in my opinion, was getting the right people involved, not only in the talent department but also a clear bet from the studio side to allow for bolder (no pun intended) and more distinct creative choices.

One that allowed the filmmakers to experiment and push their creative limits, which, in turn, not only made for a more visually and artistically interesting film but got the right people involved. To me it is no wonder that both the cast and technical team is absolutely staked. Let them experiment and explore with a big budget, and you will get the best talent for a fraction of the price.

 Just as an example, the Feyd Rautha scene in the coliseum that is in black and white is not a color grade that was done as an afterthought; rather, it was an in-camera effect achieved by using infrared cameras. They knew it was a risky choice, but it paid off. And this is what the director had to say about the choice.

Strong predefined artistic vision

Pair a strong creative vision with an opportunity to test things out. The reason why so many films are so dull today is because most major studios want absolute creative control. What this means is that they will very rarely commit to choices, thus robbing a film of its distinct personality, going so far as to get a bunch of unnecessary scene coverage just so that they can control the edit.

This is in stark contrast to director Denis Villeneuve, who was allowed to make bold, distinct choices when it came to his camera blocking, cinematography, and VFX. But all of this comes at a cost, you need to be locked in from the beginning. And as production advances, you get less of a chance to pivot. But when left to a strong and confident team, you get a consistent and amazing result.

This is something that VFX artists have been saying is one of their biggest pain points: a lack of direction, not from artists but studios, when they won't commit to a vision. Know the vision,and stick to it.

But when you do, everything works in tandem; wardrobe, VFX, cinematography, all help to complement the story and build the world. But it needs to be built from the ground up, not fixed in post.

For example, they used sand-colored screens to do their VFX instead of the green or blue screen. This was because they knew the lighting would be better, there would be less cleanup work, and it would fit in more with the environment, helping the actors get even more immersed. it’s a little example, but the movie is filled with a bunch more like it.

Production

Budget used right

As I mentioned, there are plenty of films that have a bigger budget and a worse looking final product. To me, it comes down to using a budget properly and making something that people want to work on.

One thing that I don’t see people mention is the relatively low salary of the actors. Why? I’m willing to bet that most actors are willing to take a pay cut when it means they get to work on an actually fulfilling film, or rather something that feels bigger than themselves.

In terms of making the whole look come together, it was also a blend of VFX and SFX. They even had a whole worm unit, as they called them, which was a filming unit dedicated only to filming the worm riding sequence practically. I'm not saying it is all practical or no CGI, but there is a blend of both VFX and SFX to get the final look. They were reportedly working for three months just on that sequence.

External supplementing the internal

We know that the movie looks amazing, but for me, it is not just a shiny shell; it is also a storytelling device. It is one of the few films that actually manage to have this sense of scale in terms of the story and the world. This makes you feel like you haven’t seen a fraction of the world. How do they achieve it?

World building & Avoid over exposition

Allow things to remain a mystery. When you see something but don’t have all the pieces, you assume there is more to it.

Work in connecting your already existing lore within one another. Don’t have them exist in a chamber. For example, if we know that water is valuable, don’t show respect by shaking a hand; show it by having them spit. A small example, but you get the point.

Post-production.

VFX and SFX

As we discussed earlier, this shouldn’t be a stage to fix all the movie's problems but rather to add the final master strokes. If you've done your work, then everything from wardrobe, color palette, scene blocking, and props should be the base from which you construct the final product. For me, this is the result of careful planning and proper follow through, not being afraid to take decisions and stick to your guns. If you don’t think so, watch these two BTS photos and tell me which one you think the VFX will end up looking better on.

This is not to make an enemy of VFX or CGI. The people who swear by practical effects often don’t understand how closely linked they both are, so I find those takes nonsensical. But I want to show that we shouldn't leave all the work to the VFX artists and hope that they can bring life and essence to a soulless movie. That is why it is important that we have artists making decisions because they know how to best utilize these tools. And if Dune is the perfect example, let’s stop bashing bad VFX and focus on the root cause: a lack of direction and creative, distinct decisions from the get go.

Music

And lastly, the music. It is such an amazing composition by the mega talented Hans Zimmer, but to me what stands out the most was the fact that, once again, they decided to take a risk. Saying that they wanted the movie to feel almost like a documentary of Arrakis, which in turn drove the decision to make the music feel unique and a little alien. Combine this with the sound design, and you get a unique auditory atmosphere.

I think the succes of the flm can best be sumarized by this quote by Hans Zimmer while composing for the film.

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