Beyond the Sun Film Spotlight
Today’s film spotlight focuses on the short film Beyond the Sun directed by Aaron Vanderkley.
What is the title of your film and what inspired said title?
“Beyond the Sun” is a short fan film based on the long-running science fiction franchise “Star Trek”.
The story questions ‘what is beyond the sun?’ for one group of characters – is it a just a burning star that provides heat and life to the solar system, or is it a gateway to the “Place of Perfection”? The title itself was also a working title for a 1963 “Doctor Who” story.
Tell us a little bit about the story and origins of your film.
“Beyond the Sun” opens on a rescue mission to divert a pilgrim ship heading for a sun, an act which places our crew in a moral quandary between faith and science that is too difficult for one of them to ignore.
The story was written during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, loosely inspired by a work colleague and their experiences with an organized religion. The best “Star Trek” stories are often present-day moral dilemmas set in the future, so it seemed interesting to explore the idea of pilgrims who believe that the sun is the gateway to heaven and our crew having to uphold their ‘Prime Directive’ of not interfering in the affairs of other cultures, even thought they are certain the pilgrims will die. How do the characters rationalize that choice?
Any films or filmmakers that inspired this film?
Obviously the main inspiration for this project is “Star Trek: Voyager” so shot structure was inspired by series directors Winrich Kolbe and David Livingston, and narratives inspired by Kenneth Biller and Bryan Fuller.
What is the goal of the film for you?
The overall purpose of this project is to capture the look and feel of the 1990s era of “Star Trek”, both from a narrative and design. We do this through a combination of physical production (set, costume, props), cinematography (camera, lighting, shot structure) and post-production work (editing conventions, sound design, music, VFX and typography).
While techniques in filmmaking and storytelling in “Star Trek” has since evolved, fans appreciate the nostalgia of what is now considered the ‘legacy’ era of the franchise and so projects like this resonate with audiences around the world.
What has the journey been like getting the film into production?
One of the main decisions to come back to these projects (between 2016 to 2018, we had produced another five short films) was COVID taking away the ability to be creative, forced the drive to want to do something creative. Although we were very safe in Western Australia, there was the looming fear that if we did move forward, a lockdown would be declared and production would need to be postponed or cancelled.
Production Design was a major part of this project and during the pre-production process (and literally on the day of our last rehearsal) WA was hit with a snap week-long lockdown but we used that time at home to our advantage and built as many different set pieces as we could in the lead up to shooting. The “Star Trek: Voyager” sets have a specific design style that we tried to replicate, using amazing set plans by a fan online, we were able to get a good estimate on how to achieve certain shapes we wanted.
Another epic feat was the spacesuits, something uncommon in fan films, but we knew it would make ours unique, especially for the opening scene. They were a combination of long and hard hours for both Production and Costume Design, but the actors looked awesome in them.
“Beyond the Sun” was shot across three days in late February 2021, starting with the pilgrim ship interior, followed by Starfleet Corridor, and finally the Briefing Room. We certainly put into practice what worked in the past, which was shooting on a single set per day, rather than the stress of having to turn sets around, and that was a consideration written in the script, as well, and will continue to do for these short films.
From casting call to premiere, it took five months to produce “Beyond the Sun”.
One thing you learned from this project?
We originally scheduled five extras, four of which did not show up on the first day, so we had to rely on crew to step in and make up the numbers. As a result, we are very mindful of including extra roles in future projects and, if they are required, the action is written in a way to incorporate using our crew and have it shot almost as second unit pickups.
Another important thing was the use of prosthetics and making sure these are tested on-camera prior to the first day of shooting, in the same way costume fittings are carried out, make-up tests must be done.
How can folks find you and your film online?
You can watch “Beyond the Sun” and all our other “Star Trek” short films on YouTube.
https://youtu.be/sMvVeWK6TQY
You can also follow our production and stay up to date with all the latest news at:
www.facebook.com/voyagesfanfilm
www.instagram.com/voyagesfanfilm
Any last pieces of advice for fellow filmmakers?
One concept studying film which always stuck with me was the ‘Rodriguez List’ – the idea that a filmmaker compiles a list of things they have access to and then writing a story based on that list. When you’re working as a freelance filmmaker, especially on a commercial gig, it’s important to keep in mind what you have access to and what you know you can achieve. Don’t over promise on a concept unless you know you can pull it off. There is a different between challenging yourself as a creative and looking like an idiot when you have to go back on a proposal to a client.
Thank you for the opportunity
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