It is becoming a staple of directors in the MCU to break-down certain scenes in their films and share with the viewer the technicalities and thought process that went into bringing the scene to life. In Avengers: Infinity War, one of the funniest early moments was the reaction of the Guardians of the Galaxy to finding space-pirate Thor.
Directors Joe and Anthony Russo have now shared how they visualized this first crossover between the Avengers and Guardians characters.
The Russos explain the importance of using color and lighting in the film, particularly in this scene to contrast between the Avengers and the Guardians. The use of practical lights helped add warmth and color to the Guardians and their ship, with the Russos noting that they sought to ground the appearance of the Guardians in the film with lighting.
The directors share how they drew upon their past experience to keep tension alive between characters, panning up from one character to the other to strengthen the impact of a reaction (in this case Quill reacting to Rocket's sandwich comment). The Russos also provide insight into using CG versus practical effects and make-up, in particular with Mantis and Drax, and describe how they filmed scenes with Sean Gunn as Rocket Raccoon.
Check out the video below:
Perhaps the most interesting perspective the brothers touched on was the level of emotion in their films. They used a compressed lens to add realism to the frame of the Guardians becoming defensive to Thor waking up. Anthony Russo states that this level of "emotional realism is the glue that binds Winter Soldier, Civil War, and Infinity War. No matter how absurd characters are behaving, we still try tying it back to an emotional core or pathos so they stay connected to the stakes in the story."
What do you think of how the Russos broke-down this scene in Avengers: Infinity War? Do you appreciate the directors sharing some insight into how they introduced Thor to the Guardians? Be sure to share your thoughts in the usual spot below!