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REFUGE: A Sci-Fi Short Filmed Entirely With Moonlight

Set on the very real Gliese 667 Cc in the Scorpius Constellation a distant 23.2 light years away from Earth comes Refuge a sci-fi short shot entirely in moonlight. Yes, moonlight.


REFUGE // A Moonlit Short Film from Sam Shapson on Vimeo.

The short, which is equal parts action thriller and out of this world adventure, was shot at night with no other light source than the moon. Using an incredibly high ISO on the cameras, film maker Sam Shapson was able to create an eerie other-worldly lighting effect without using any special effects other than the capabilities of the camera itself. Simply put, ISO is the level of sensitivity your camera is to light available to it. The higher the ISO, the more sensitive your camera is to light. Shooting at night and using simple reflective bounces on the actor’s faces allow for some incredible looking shots that seem as if they were shot on another planet. Here’s a making of video that explains things a little better with some visuals.

As you can see, it took a little more effort than just cranking up a setting or two on a camera. An incredible amount of know-how was involved in making this look as cool as it does. One also has to consider the actors and crew shooting this in relative darkness. Coordinating a crew in nature is one thing, acting with someone you can’t see despite them being a few feet away is an altogether entirely different impressive feat. The final product is an intriguing short about a possible alien infection with an unnatural looking lighting effect that makes everything seem like it’s bathed in the light of a nearby dying star.

What do you think of Refuge? Let us know in the comments below.

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