The visual effects work on Star Trek into Darkness plays a pivotal role in creating this highly designed world, producing a scale and scope suitable for a space adventure. A large proportion of the movie was shot in the larger IMAX film format (almost half the final run time of the film), which was intercut with the standard anamorphic film format. The higher resolution of the IMAX frame, and the added 3D Stereo exhibition format added a considerable workload but the ILM team was up to the challenge.
ILM contributed over 700 of the film’s effects shots including the interior and exterior scenes of the volcanic planet Nibiru which erupts in the opening sequence, the secret Federation ship the Vengeance and its subsequent destruction as it crashes into San Francisco Bay and its resulting skid across the city, the street chase between Spock and Khan, and the flying truck sequence. The team also created the iconic Enterprise.
Our model, texture and lighting team created hundreds of buildings to fill out the city, and guided by our art director, Alex Jaeger, created a living, breathing city with a striking sense of design and vision of the future.
The film received Academy Award and BAFTA nominations for Best Visual Effects as well as two VES Award and two Annie Award nominations.
