Carlo Van de Roer takes Thor to the Moon; Also, Some Special Spots
We don’t generally throw around the term “genius” but director Carlo Van de Roer certainly qualifies.
His unique skillset combining revolutionary proprietary lighting and in-camera shooting technologies with amazing artistic + stylish visuals, makes him a one-of-a-kind narrative + commercial filmmaker.
Check out a selection of his recent work in advertising and on this summer’s Marvel blockbuster Thor: Love & Thunder
We think you’ll agree, Carlo is something special !
Carlo has been developing a visual language for zero gravity for years. Using his patented technology, PlateLight, the director is behind one of the most memorable moments from this summer’s blockbuster Thor: Love & Thunder - a battle on the moon featuring stars Chris Hemsworth and Christian Bale.
Collaborating for a second time with Oscar-winning director Taika Waititi, PlateLight allowed Van de Roer to shoot multiple lighting setups simultaneously. “It meant that, in post, we could control the position of the sun, move it at will, and re-light the characters with interactive lighting, all using real practical sources,” he explains.
The result is a sequence that switches seamlessly between vastly different looks without the time offset. Combining the avant-garde experimental vein of Meliès and the state-of-the-art appeal of a Marvel blockbuster, Van de Roer sows fertile ground for an unforgettable space encounter between good and evil
This unprecedented capability comes after a decade of advances in filmmaking technology led by Satellite Lab, an R&D studio that Carlo co-founded. Satellite Lab has created a series of revolutionary, patented in-camera technology systems including:
DynamicLight - Enables the use of moving light sources within footage captured at any speed, including the frozen world of high-speed imaging. When using a high-speed cinema camera and light sources moving at over 10,000 feet per second, this technology creates the ability to move light sources within images frozen in time.
PlateLight - Provides the ability to capture multiple lighting set-ups simultaneously on the same camera. Each is recorded as separate footage of the same live action, without time offset. Works with moving camera(s) and subjects.
Little Black Book covers it here: “How This R&D Studio Is Revolutionising In-Camera Tech for the Likes of Taika Waititi and ‘Thor’”
Represented by NYC’s CASEY, Carlo has employed his patented technologies at Satellite Lab to create spots for a range of brands including Lexus, Meta, LG, Apple, Clè de Peau Beautè, La Mer and Dolby. Here’s a selection of recent work: