STARNO provided extensive Concept Art and Digital Matte Painting for the groundbreaking 2008 adaptation of Jules Verne's classic, Journey to the Center of the Earth. This project was a major milestone in cinema history as the first live-action narrative feature film to be shot entirely in high-definition digital 3D.
Our work began in the pre-visualization phase, where Frédéric St-Arnaud developed numerous Concept Designs to visualize the exotic and perilous locations within the subterranean world. This included the bioluminescent caverns, the crystalline structures of the earth's core, and the vast underground oceans.
In the production phase, we executed several complex Matte Paintings. One of the primary technical challenges was the climactic finale, where the characters are expelled from the Earth via a volcanic eruption. This sequence required seamless integration of digital volcanic environments, ash, and lava with high-speed 3D cinematography. These visual environments were meticulously crafted by Frédéric St-Arnaud during his collaborations with Meteor Studios and Rodeo FX.
On a quest to find out what happened to his missing brother, scientist Trevor Anderson (Brendan Fraser), his nephew Sean (Josh Hutcherson), and their mountain guide Hannah (Anita Briem) discover a fantastic and dangerous lost world in the center of the earth.
The trio finds themselves trapped in a subterranean realm where they must navigate through prehistoric jungles, sail across a massive underground sea, and evade terrifying creatures from the dawn of time.
Frédéric St-Arnaud
METEOR STUDIOS / RODEO FX
FEATURE FILM (DIGITAL 3D) – 2008
Journey to the Center of the Earth © 2008 New Line Productions, Inc. and Walden Media, LLC. All rights reserved.
