HBO First Look: Alien vs. Predator - Behind the Scenes is a 2004 episode of the promotional documentary television series HBO First Look. It details the production of the 2004 film Alien vs. Predator. Originally broadcast on American television on August 5, 2004, it includes interviews with the film's cast and crew alongside clips from the film and behind the scenes footage of the production.
Overview[]
Despite its relatively short length, the documentary is divided into seven sections, each dealing with a different aspect of Alien vs. Predator's production. It features no formal narration but instead relies on interview clips to tell the story of the film's development, interspersed with behind-the-scenes footage and images.
As is typical of such short promotional pieces, the documentary offers little serious insight into the production of the movie and serves more as an advertisement for the film.
Introduction[]
The first section discusses the basic plot of the film, and the main cast highlight their characters and discuss their motivations in the film.
The segment includes interviews with director Paul W. S. Anderson, and actors Sanaa Lathan, Raoul Bova and Lance Henriksen.
Genesis[]
The second section discusses the hiring of Paul W. S. Anderson, who in turn speaks about the legendary directors such as Ridley Scott, James Cameron and John McTiernan whose movies he is following up.
The segment includes interviews with Paul W. S. Anderson and producer John Davis.
Making the Creatures[]
The third section discusses the way the titular species are pitted against each other on the big screen for the first time, before moving on to the design and creation of some of the animatronics used to bring the creatures to life in the film.
The segment includes interviews with Paul W. S. Anderson and effects artist Tom Woodruff, Jr..
Production Design[]
The fourth section focuses on the design of the props and sets seen in the film, especially th eitnerior of the vast pyramid where most of the action takes place.
The segment includes interviews with Paul W. S. Anderson, producers John Davis and Chris Symes, Sanaa Lathan, Lance Henriksen, and production designer Richard Bridgland.
New Blood[]
The fifth section looks at the film's cast, particularly the hiring of Lance Henriksen to provide continuity with the existing films of the Alien franchise.
The segment includes interviews with Paul W. S. Anderson, John Davis, Raoul Bova and Lance Henriksen.
Visual Effects[]
The sixth section covers the visual effects in the film, and discusses the production team's preference for practical work whenever possible. As such, particular attention is paid to the use of scale miniatures.
The segment includes interviews with Paul W. S. Anderson, visual effects supervisor John Bruno, and model supervisor Richard Van Den Bergh.
CGI Effects[]
The final section looks at the CGI used in the film and focuses primarily on the slow-motion sequence were a Facehugger is bisected by a Predator Shuriken.
The segment includes interviews with Paul W. S. Anderson, John Davis, Sanaa Lathan, John Bruno, and CGI effects supervisor Ivor Middleton
Availability[]
Following it's original broadcast, HBO First Look: Alien vs. Predator - Behind the Scenes has subsequently been included on the Alien vs. Predator: Extreme Edition DVD (exclusive to the United Kingdom) as well as the Alien vs. Predator: The Unrated Edition DVD. However, it is not included on the Blu-ray release of Alien vs. Predator, meaning it has yet to see a high-definition release.
Trivia[]
- HBO First Look has also produced episodes looking at Alien Resurrection and Prometheus.