Gravity’s Unique LED Light Box
As one of its many artistic and technological innovations, the award-winning film Gravity employed an original solution to simulate the extreme lighting conditions found in outer space. Gravity’s unique LED Light Box was created by visual effects supervisor Tim Webber alongside director of photography Emmanuel Lubezki, and was critical in earning the 2014 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.
Standing 20 feet tall and 10 feet across, the Light Box featured 4,096 LED bulbs spread across 196 two-by-two foot panels. It was capable of casting nearly infinite lighting and color conditions, and images could be projected onto its walls. This served the dual purpose of properly lighting the actors inside, while also providing them with a visual reference for what their characters were seeing.
In addition to providing stunning imagery, this innovative solution apparently helped enhance the actors’ performances. The film’s star, Sandra Bullock, spent a great deal of time acting alone inside of the Light Box, surrounded by projections of the sun, moon, and planet Earth. In a Digital Trends report, Bullock explained that being in the box was a creative stimulant that actually helped convey her character’s solitude. Where will LEDs turn up next?