Ex Machina appear unlike any skill fabrication film you ’ve project lately . Its mostly subterranean location is luxurious and claustrophobic — and then there ’s Ava , the spookily beautiful robot . Check out an exclusive cartridge clip from the DVD ’s extra feature , and our interview with the film ’s product room decorator , Mark Digby .
Wewere blow away by Ex Machina when we visualise it in theaters , and the more sentence we ’ve spent thinking about it and revisiting it , the more we ’ve appreciated its tense , cozy dramatic play . So we were stoke to have the above clip about the design process that go away into create Ava , the movie ’s android character .
And we were excited to blab to Mark Dibgy , the output graphic designer , about two elements : The luxurious home base of the inventor Nathan ( Oscar Isaac ) , who invite his employee Caleb ( Domnhall Gleeson ) to make out continue with him . And Ava herself . We sent a crew of questions to Digby via e-mail , and here ’s what he told us .
Ex Machina ’s mostly subterranean space is so classifiable and pale . Were you influenced by other sealed - off locations , like Moon ’s mining root word or the base in Robert Wise ’s Andromeda Strain ? Or were you trying to avoid all science fable mention entirely ?
We were not consciously influence by other film reference locations and that was never our approach . In some sense , certainly for design , from the scratch line I never really placed the motion-picture show as science fabrication . It is specify in a very near timeline , possibly even current , and the primary science fiction is the achievement of reliable AI , which perhaps is not that far aside in reality .
The terminal resting place of the location and design of Nathan ’s house was the result of a journeying that started with the script requirements , but twisted and bend due to a compounding of the practicalities and pragmatism of photographic film making as well as our exploration of Nathan ’s character and the kernel requirements of his building .
Specifically about the subterraneous constituent ; that came about because we found it voiceless to retrieve literal billionaire houses or buildings of similar magnitude and luxuriousness that we could shoot in .
In unrefined term , our original thoughts were of a sprawling mansion , possibly in a modernist white Corbusian / International Style architecture . We could not really obtain accession or yield anywhere within our fourth dimension and budgetary constraints , so we rethink what could play for Nathan ’s character and us .
It needed security measures , farness , and a broken profile / visual thumbnail . It also postulate to be the type of place that a human being of his wealth and non - ostentatious character could and would own and also have the facilities of a living residence as well as a research and manufacturing workspace .
We came to the determination that he did n’t need or handle for a large Californian - type mansion that was walled and gate , but alternatively could attain security and visual obscurity in a geographically remote , but none - the - less stunning area of natural beauty . And it is only the truly moneyed and powerful that can afford such lifelike beauty and soil only for themselves . As a individual man whose centering was his oeuvre – of way to hold out – it ’s just himself , as long as he had his beast comforts and he did not take to show or prove to anyone his wealth , either . So a comfortable - sized construction lay out on a mountainside or in a national park or glacial environment might do the trick and to give him all the space he need , some of the room could be subterranean .
As for the pale and distinctive styling , that is just our own design aesthetic and rendition for Nathan and his grapheme choices .
How does that enmesh with the parts above ground that were actually shoot ata lavishness hotel and residence in Norway ?
The two aboveground existing location and building and below ground studio build surround must seamlessly be join if we are to trust they are the same construction , a pre - requisite for scene - by - scene film pattern . The two environs were always informing and feast into each other in a very symbiotic way . For example , we actually had to start designing and were some way towards building some of the studio apartment circle before we had sealed off decisions on the Norway locations . But we always know they ( the location buildings ) would be concrete surround and we had to wait until we saw the color and patina on the location before we mirror that in our studio apartment builds . Elevators , size and style of the studio earth , was determined by where and what sizing fitted in our Norway locations .
You told Dezeen that “ gruelling , shiny surfaces are for defective guy , ” and that you desire to keep away from that , but also use it . Can you explain more about that ? Were you try out to produce a space that variety of looks like a supervillain den , but also does n’t ?
No , that was perhaps a blemished reply to Dezeen from me . The level I was trying to make was that we are often hold a “ language “ of estimate , blueprint , scientific discipline etc . from other and previous films , dramas and fictional works . As meter go past , no one question their robustness or trueness and they are lapse down over and over again . The real earth is often less pretty and perfect than we opine for our forensic labs , police force offices and military control rooms . space are often smaller and more disorderly and not colour coded . I guess we , as a conception team , strive not to be over - influenced by that or take those rule and ideas as given , but to examine and question each aspect for its particular requirement and current use . Which means that generally we would shy out from bright surfaces and lighting for lighting ’s sake , because most of functional forward-looking life is not like that , but in this case we have a man who had the money and savor to have well - style and perfectly balanced artistic to his life , but also genuinely required areas that need shiny well lit expensive materials and surfaces and , importantly , he could give them .
We wanted to create a space that reflected Nathan and his very personal world , but also leave subliminal paying attention to the imposing claustrophobia and immurement of every one except Nathan that “ lived ” there . It is his fort , prison house and living space .
What does this space say about Nathan ? Is it supposed to reinforce that he ’s a ascendency freak , or to make him seem more disjunct ?
Yes , it nods to his control , and his ego - impose closing off . But it also tells us he is a man like very few others – rich , extremely intelligent and very potent in the common sense that he moderate the mental capacity of the masses ( i.e. the world ’s world-class internet search engine ) . It nod to his taste and focus on a particular goal . His house say that he is wealthy , he is discerning , vain but so confident of his self that he does not need to be ostentatious in any way ; he wants comfort but he is at last focus on his sovereign target and all else add up secondary to that . He skirt himself with thing that make him easy and happy – he collects artistry , and historical artifacts , all based on his obsession of cognition and contrived intelligence .
What is it about Modernist architecture , in finical , that speaks to the melodic theme of creating contrived life-time , and how we relate to it emotionally ?
I guess it is about the search for knowingness , ego - cognizance and also about function - over - course as a antecedence . It is about discarding the superfluous to obtain maximal economic value . Perhaps it is about innocence , simplicity , one-dimensionality in searching for the ideal .
You mentioned in one interview that one of your guiding principles for Nathan ’s house was that all the technology should be hidden , because the most high - conclusion homes do n’t show off their advanced tech . Did you look at smart home that are being designed now , or people ’s ideas for the chic dwelling house of the future ?
Well , yes , to a point , but it is not just now or for the future that this is the case , and it ’s not particularly about smart gadget . There has for a long time been an impetus in a sure aesthetic of interior figure that plays down and hides the grease monkey of base and service , ( if that is what applied science does for us – serve us ) . I guess for a lot of us we want technology to be , and we believe it to be , some sort of thaumaturgy . So it is most telling and in effect hidden .
Also from the Dezeen interview , you blab about how you want to reflect the theme of nature and the artificial in the space . Including experience the woods intrude into the house in various places . Did you consider pushing that demarcation further ? Are the glance of nature supposed to represent escape , or freedom , or just the opposition of what ’s conk out on in Nathan ’s world ? specially since that huge impassible landscape is part of what ’s keep open Caleb and Ava trapped there ?
There is a duplicity that ladder through the heart and soul of this film . We aimed to constantly prompt everyone ( the audience , Caleb and Ava ) that there is a duplicity around us . That is the co - existence of the artificial and the instinctive , of the man - made and the organic fertilizer . Ava is a man - made artificial point yet we “ see ” her , through her intelligence , to be human – like . Organic . live , almost . We should be incessantly jumble by that contradiction in terms or juxtaposition , right through the film . We are to be reminded that all is not one thing or the other . She is something organic , encased in synthetical caparison , and so too is the garden behind her .
In the design we undertake to keep that idea . A very much New construction of man made or man - cover framework ( concrete , ice , metal ) yet in a highly hefty natural locating . The imposing background of garden in Ava ’ s blank space and the separating flora filled wall separating Nathan ’s field / bedroom , and of course the intruding mountain wall in the living way and Pollock room .
And yes , the instinctive display represent a perhaps tantalize taste of what the outside world is for Ava . A reminder she is imprison and allowed only a sure amount of knowledge and experience of “ life . ”
You advert that the Observation Room is plan so that Caleb is the one who is trapped , and Ava can actually take the air around him . What was the purpose of reversing the common dynamic where the “ captive ” is trapped in a goldfish bowl and the “ tester ” can take the air around him or her ?
Well , it was part of our design process to question the average , to ass what we are told about how thing are detect or displayed .
It make most sensory faculty that Nathan ( and then Caleb ) necessitate to observe Ava , and the similar , in her own living distance , not in a punitory prison blank space or interrogation area . So it would make sense that she has as much room to move . The beholder ( Caleb / Nathan ) just ask enough elbow room to see and interview . What we did was the most efficient way of doing that , but was a reverse of what normally exists . It also allowed us to meet with the notion that she was observe him and that perhaps he was as much part of the experimentation as she was too .
Was the lighting in the house a particular challenge ? With the sunken LEDs and the need to have the lights change by reversal red at a consequence ’s notice ? Plus of course the disco lights in that one saltation setting ?
Yes , it was a heavy challenge and from very early on an important topic of discussion . The light had to inform of the layer of technology , controller , surety , claustrophobia . It was very much symbolic of Nathan ’s approach path and esthetical , low visibility , functional and unobtrusive until it weigh .
The extent and scale of light in all the rooms and corridors etc . was a challenge of measure and cost and also controlling the high temperature temperature and color temperature was crucial . In guild to command volume and vividness temperature , some of the recessed Christ Within feature were in reality tungsten bulbs , so we needed to plan in zephyr vents and fans to dispel the immense heat mother in some of the more constricted and forever used arena .
The disco lights took a fairish bit of invention thought . They needed to be unnoticed until that aspect , but they need to have substantial presence once the disco music starts . So we require to “ hide ” them on a large wall that was a featured background . We decided to engraft them in sculptural wall artwork , which in itself unlit could not be too distract behind the actors in other conniption , nor could it give the game aside of its future function .
Can you say more about the use of mask in Nathan ’s rest home ? He has various types of masks hanging around his planetary house , plus there are all the idle robot look . What did the theme of masks and unreal side add to the film for you ?
They are masks from antiquity to the present solar day ( and perhaps to the futurity , if you include Ava ) . He is a collector , a valet of history and the bequest of what has hail before . A man who understands and is working on evolution . He is concerned in the human pattern and human face and through his study on Ava and the like he is interested in the message and power of the grimace , and what is hidden behind the window dressing . Hence , we conceive of he would garner a variety of works of nontextual matter and artifacts . The ones in the corridor are some form of historical progression and evolution of the face .
I find like Ava is often at her sexiest when we ’re most aware of her artificiality . Did you attempt to create a female silhouette that becomes more alluring to the manful regard when its inner workings are visible ?
I do n’t opine we approached it like that at all . We did , however , want to ensure that Caleb and we would see her as robot and human at the same time for a lot of the celluloid . That in essence was the challenge for Caleb and us , to fight our seduction of her human intelligence by being reminded she is ultimately artificial .
When people think about gynoids , the artistry of Hajime Sorayama immediately come to psyche . Did you imagine about Sorayama ’s artwork while you were design Ava ? Was it something you sought to evoke , or quash ? Or neither ?
Neither . We tried to jaunt a journey not tempt by anything other than the practicalities of the handwriting and our technical vision . We wanted her not to be overtly hard , burnished or animatronicly , mechanically skeletal , but a bit more liquid and synthetically organic .
Her robot skin needed to permit the overlay of a human - like hide and have that softness , hence its grid topography and flexile texture .
One of the thing that you ’re credited with is coming up with that mesh that allow Ava to count transparent at times , and self-coloured at others . Can you explicate more about how you made that study , and why you want that to fall out ?
Well , that actually was very much a collaborative speculation , drive principally by Alex Garland , the theatre director , and the visual effects guys , particularly Andrew Whitehurst . We contributed but the credit is really theirs . I guess we want to play with the belief that Caleb will see her as different at unlike times . He suffer confused about her as he becomes seduce by her intelligence service . In the same way that at metre she appears very human and at others she is clearly artificial .
You cite in one consultation that you wanted the seeable contribution inside Ava to look sort of soft and organic , as opposed to “ operose ” and mechanical . Were there designs you reject because they looked too overweight on gear mechanism or toilsome surface ? What was the guiding rule behind pee her look artificial but still sort of like a live being ?
The guiding principle was to mirror the effect that was having in carnal knowledge to her artificial intelligence .
What ’s the reasoning behind having ignitor that are visible inside Ava ’s body ?
That was part of the Visual Effects squad remitment , but I approximate it was a filmic conclusion to be visually interesting , but also to indicate a working part that was not mechanical , so it ’s a way of life of showing cause .
How much of Ava is CG and how much her is practical skeletons and other airscrew that you guy rope built ? How much of a hired man did you have in designing the bodysuit that Alicia Vikander fatigue on solidifying ?
Ava is actress and CG . We did , however , build up a physical frame , based on their design of her , as a prop that appears in part of a scene , but does not make it to the final cut . The duplication of that skeleton is seen all around the research lab , on the shelves and tabular array tops . All to scale and anatomically correct , for our Ava .
The very early and initial ideas of how the body suit of clothes might pan out was looked at by those on board at the metre ; director , production design and Visual Effects . As soon as the right and relevant department get on display panel – costume and prosthetics – they took over and give voice and make out the final designs and fabrication .
Ex Machinacomes out on DVD and Blu - ray tomorrow , July 14 . photograph viaTerritory StudioandHedghog Construction .
Ex Machinakiller robotsMoviesRobots
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