Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniastunk. No, that’s not a critique of the movie. An on-set mix up of set materials, a mistaken order that led to the wrong material being brought in,literallymade the set of the film so unbearably stinky that the production had to halt. With all the incredible advancements in special effects,blockbuster movies(especially of the superhero variety) are able to create vivid scenery that transport viewers into fantastic worlds that our imaginations can only dream of.
One such innovation has beenVolume technology, which immerses the actors in the same fantastic realms that they will later show to eager audiences. In order to help the actors feel a more tactile connection to these sets, a combination of practical props are brought in to bridge the gap between the digital visuals and the actual performers on the soundstage.However, when the dirt meant to ground the actors on set turned out to be something entirely different, even the most devoted cast and crew needed a break from the noxious smells.
‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s Production Accidentally Ordered Manure
In an interview onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, star of the moviePaul Ruddrecalled how a mistaken order forced them to pause production of the movie for an entire day.Rudd shared that parts of the film were shot using the Volume, a type of background used to create more immersive sets for both the actors and viewers. The Volume uses massive LED-screens that wrap around a sound stage in all directions, including the ceiling.
These screens display the digital backgrounds, minimizing the need for blank blue screens and allowing actors to feel as if they are on location in these out-of-world settings. Rudd shared that, “They try and make it feel as much like the Quantum Realm and we have something to react to,” making sure that, “they try and have as much practical stuff as possible.” One way that they do this is by bringing in dirt, among other physical props, to truly make the stages feel like a different location.
Industrial Light & Magic’s Digital StageCraft Technology: What We Know About the Volume
What exactly is this new technology?
As Rudd recalled, there were a couple of days when they shot using the Volume that presented an interesting challenge, asthe dirt that was spread all across the floor was, in fact, not soil, but manure.“We were shooting with like 150 other creatures and people. And we were like, ‘it doesn’t smell good at all,'” Rudd said as the cast and crew noted how the smell progressively got worse and worse throughout the day. When they returned the next day, they found the stench too noxious and unbearable.
The crew soon realized that what they had ordered wasn’t just soil, but was literally animal dung, forcing them to stop production that day in order to haul it out and replace it with something far less obnoxious. Rudd had a laugh about the whole ordeal, joking that the crew “probably got a deal on the dirt because it actually wasn’t dirt… it was manure.” While most mysteries involving theQuantum Realmhave to deal with time dilation and the physics of the universe, perhaps the greatest question is whether the mysterious landscapes truly reek like a farm.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniais available to watch on Disney+ in the U.S.Watch on Disney+
Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania
Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne are dragged into the Quantum Realm, along with Hope’s parents and Scott’s daughter Cassie. Together they must find a way to escape, but what secrets is Hope’s mother hiding? And who is the mysterious Kang?
