From visual references inspired by 1970s and 1980s science-fiction cinema to the use of LiDAR scans, matte painting and 3D workflows, Christophe ‘Tchook’ Courgeau shares how storytelling, realism and collaboration shaped the environments throughout Cold Storage.
As Head of Environments on Cold Storage, how did you define and implement the overall visual direction of the sets to ensure consistency with the other elements that make up each shot?
There are several ways to design an environment, but it is essential to keep a few fundamental principles in mind. First and foremost, the main subject remains the actors. The viewer’s eye should naturally be drawn to them. Everything we add therefore needs to recede into the background and avoid drawing attention away, unless the script or the staging specifically requires it.
Secondly, it is crucial to respect the film’s overall aesthetic. That means building as the production designer would, lighting as the director of photography would, and framing as the director would.
Finally, it is important to ask what role the set plays in the narrative. What is its purpose within the story? For example, a minimalist set can reinforce the tension of a scene, while a richer and more detailed environment can help establish a tone or context. The underlying question is always the same: how can shapes and colors help tell the story while remaining completely invisible? It is a delicate balance, but it is also what makes this work so engaging and exciting.
Which software did you rely on to design and produce these environments?
Quite a lot of them, in fact. More or less everything available on the market. In the Environments department, we primarily try to adapt to the needs of each shot and use the most appropriate tool. The main software we relied on were Maya, Nuke and Photoshop, as well as Houdini and Blender.
How long were you involved in the project?
About a year. The department was initially brought in to create concepts for the exploded bodies in the desert at the beginning of the film. After that, we worked on building environments for several sequences, mainly around the military base, including interior spaces as well as the aircraft.
What types of visual references informed the design of the environments: photography, real-world architecture, concept art, reference films or scientific documentation?
Before starting any work, we always take the time to gather a large number of references, especially photographic ones. We then analyze them carefully and keep only what truly serves the story and the viewer’s imagination. The goal was to build the image of an ultra-secret American military base as it exists in the collective imagination.
We also watched several film excerpts to understand how certain environments had been conceived. For instance, the depiction of NORAD in Wargames or the scientific facility in The Andromeda Strain. These references helped us reconnect with the aesthetic of science fiction films from the 1970s and 1980s.
Those films have something very distinctive about them. They were made at a time when everything had to be physically built. The sets were real, and that reality is visible on screen. One can also think of Alien, which presents highly functional industrial environments marked by human use and never idealized. That is exactly the kind of aesthetic we wanted to capture.
Ultimately, all of this serves a single goal: the viewer should never question what they are seeing. They should feel as if they are inside the base and fully believe in it, with the environment reinforcing the tension or the stakes of the scene without ever drawing attention to itself. The best set extensions are often the ones nobody talks about, simply because nobody noticed them.
Did you rely on LiDAR scans, photogrammetry or other capture data to build the environments or set extensions?
Yes, very often. These technologies have become essential tools for us. They allow us to visualize very precisely the space we will be working in and to understand the proportions and distances between the elements present on set. They are also used to calibrate the cameras with great accuracy, which is essential for our work.
In general, this is the first step. We retrieve the LiDAR data or the photogrammetry and import them into a 3D software package such as Maya or Blender. We orient the data correctly in space and scale them using our mascot and reference meter, who measures 1.75 meters and whom we have affectionately nicknamed Marie-Cécile.
The strength of these tools is that we are working with real data. It is not an approximation, it is the set exactly as it exists in reality. This completely changes our relationship with the shoot, because we are operating within the same space as the camera, down to the centimeter.
We also use Google Maps to place these data within a broader context. It helps us understand the surrounding environment, the orientation of the sun, the topography and the nearby buildings. This is particularly useful for maintaining lighting continuity. If we know where the light is coming from at a given moment, we can anticipate shadows and atmospheres. All this preparation helps avoid unpleasant surprises later on and gives us more time to focus on the creative work.
Were the environments designed primarily as invisible extensions of reality, or as spaces that more directly contributed to the film’s visual identity?
The film takes a very realistic approach in the way it is crafted, even though it deals with science fiction elements. The aesthetic clearly draws inspiration from science fiction films of the 1980s.
We therefore followed the live-action plates very closely in order to blend seamlessly into the image. The emphasis was clearly on realism. The goal was not to create spectacular environments that draw attention to themselves, but rather spaces that feel as if they have always existed, as if the camera simply chose not to show them entirely.
Science fiction films from the 1980s introduced an interesting approach: they often tell extraordinary stories within everyday environments that feel plausible and functional. The sets give the impression that they are actually being used.
In practical terms, every decision was tested against the filmed material. A wall texture, a light color or an architectural detail had to remain credible for the period and the context. It was in this spirit that we built the digital sets, ensuring they served the story while remaining discreet.
How do you decide between projected matte painting, full 3D or a hybrid approach? What criteria guide these choices?
It really depends on each case. We analyze the sequence in question and also look at whether other shots might influence the decision.
As a general rule, when there are dynamic textures such as glass or metal combined with camera movement that creates parallax, we tend to favor a 3D approach.
If the movement is lighter, or broader but with less dynamic textures such as a mountain or a plain, we usually opt for a 2.5D approach. In that case we calibrate a camera, recreate the layout of the existing set and build our extension. We then simplify the shapes and set up a camera projection system that allows us to repaint certain areas.
When the camera is static or almost static, we often use a hybrid approach combining a bit of 3D for perspective, photography and paint.
How was your collaboration with the other departments organized on the project?
The work was fairly compartmentalized with some departments, particularly CG, because the sets we produced did not directly interact with the creatures.
On the other hand, we had many exchanges with the compositing team. They were the ones setting up the plate extension rigs, which allowed us to paint more efficiently. They also received our projection rigs. I am thinking in particular of the large projection rig set up by Bastien Halter inside the aircraft, which made it possible to produce around thirty shots directly in Nuke without going through a full 3D render. This kind of collaboration proved very efficient in optimizing the production.
How did the narrative guide the design of the environments beyond their purely spatial function?
We always try to tell a story through the sets we create. We like to integrate elements that help the viewer better understand the space and the context of the film.
The opening title shot was particularly interesting in that regard. We suggested structuring it in three stages. First, a phase where the military gradually leaves the base. Then the arrival of squatters who move in with trailers, followed by graffiti artists covering the walls with tags. Finally, a construction company arrives to clean and transform the place in order to build the storage facility. This type of visual progression allows us to tell the history of the location in just a few shots.
Looking back, what lessons do you take away from this project?
If there is one main lesson, it is the need to be ready to adapt to every request and every change. On this type of project, flexibility and anticipation are essential.
Is there a particular shot that stood out to you?
Yes, the shot at the beginning of the film where the title is revealed through a tunnel with a long backward tracking shot combined with a timelapse while the set evolves.
In that shot, the light changes, the weather changes as well, and several transformations happen at the same time. It therefore involved a large number of technical constraints.
We went through many versions: a static shot, a tracking shot through the floors starting from level minus four, forward or backward movement, fixed or animated weather, alternating day and night. Each modification raised new questions. If the weather changes, does the light on the elements remain consistent? If the tracking accelerates, does the timelapse remain readable?
This is typically the kind of shot where all parameters are interconnected. Changing one element can have consequences for the entire sequence. Fortunately, the initial setup allowed us to remain very responsive to these evolutions. When a scene is well built from the start, it becomes much easier to explore different directions without having to start again from scratch.
Any last words?
Of course. I would like to thank the whole team: Bastien Halter, Jim Burgot, Thomas Houdayer, Clément Beaubert, Damien Cueille, Diwan Bertrand, Alicia Mendes, Céline Bailleul, Aimé Boutet and Elena Cerisier.
I would also like to thank Alexia and Jessica Ferry who, in addition to working on several shots, took over the supervision of the environments at the time of the project delivery. Taking over a project at that stage is always a challenge.
We were lucky to work with a close-knit and highly efficient team. I could not have hoped for better, so a big thank you to everyone.
