''Ray Bradbury's Chrysalis'' is a 2008 film based on a short story by

Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and r ...

and produced by Roger Lay Jr. The film tells the tale of mankind's struggle for survival in a distant future after the effects of war and carelessness have completely ravaged the environment. The story takes place inside an underground research facility where a group of scientists look for ways to sustain life. When one of the scientist falls ill and a

chrysalis A pupa ( la, pupa, "doll"; plural: ''pupae'') is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their ...

forms around him, a tug of war ensues about the future of the stricken scientist... and ultimately the fate of the Earth.

Production

During pre-production Bradbury was consulted on every element of the film, from script to conceptual art and storyboards. Principal photography began on November 23, 2007 in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, California. Principal photography on the film took place on multiple sets at the Burbank Production Stages where a completely connected and functional environment recreating an underground research facility was built. Each set was connected through a series of hallways and passageways allowing the crew to shoot continuously without revealing any set backings or lights. Everything was built-in allowing the film crew to follow the characters on camera from one part of the facility to another without ever having to cut. The filmmakers decided to go for a look that pays tribute to the science fiction films of the genre’s golden age. For that same reason it was decided to build everything physically and limit the use of computer generated effects. The film does feature special creature effects by Romaire Studios, the FX facility founded by

Emmy Awards The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

winner Lee Romaire. Additional work was done on the FX stage at Vlaze Media Networks in Los Angeles where multiple news segments and emergency broadcasts where shot in order to composite into monitors on the research facility set. Second unit photography was completed at the El Mirage dry lake bed in California, and the rainforest of El Yunque in

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

where the film’s breathtaking finale was shot at 3,800 feet above sea level on one of the rainforest’s highest peaks. The film features an orchestral score by composer Brandon Moore, which was recorded in Los Angeles using a live orchestra combined with electronic sounds, performed on synths by the composer, to heighten the film’s chilling undertone. The film was first previewed in ''Wired'' magazine's November 2008 issue, and premiered at the San Diego Comic Con on July 26, 2008, when Ray Bradbury introduced the clip to a crowd of 5,000 fans. The film premiered in November 2008 in Los Angeles during the Shriekfest Film Festival. Ray Bradbury was present at one of the screenings and spoke to the crowd after the film played.

Release

Lightning Entertainment picked up Urban Archipelago Films' production of ''Ray Bradbury’s Chrysalis'' for domestic distribution. The film premiered November 17, 2009, via On Demand through the Time Warner, Charter, and Bright House digital cable providers. ''Ray Bradbury’s Chrysalis'' was picked up for international distribution by Arsenal Pictures and will begin airing worldwide in the fall of 2009. Some of the initial international territories include Russia and Japan—two of the largest non-U.S. markets for Bradbury's work.

Home media

The film was released on DVD on July 27, 2010 and distributed by E-1 Entertainment.

Festivals and awards

The film has been screened at multiple film festivals and has also won a best feature film award.Internet Movie Database (IMDb)
/ref> * 2008 – WINNER – Best Sci-Fi Feature - International Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival, Phoenix AZ * 2008 - Official Selection - Shriekfest Film Festival, Los Angeles CA * 2008 – Official Selection – Scienceplusfiction Film Festival, Italy * 2008 – Official Selection – Phoenix Comic Con Film Festival, Phoenix AZ * 2009 – Official Selection - Boston Science Fiction Film Festival, Boston MA * 2009 – Screening – Cannes Film Market, France * 2009 - Screening - Fencon Sci-Fi Convention, Dallas TX * 2009 - MIPCOM, France * 2009 - Official Selection - Cinefantasy Film Festival, Brazil * 2009 - LOSCON

References

{{Ray Bradbury, state=collapsed Films based on works by Ray Bradbury 2000s English-language films American science fiction films American post-apocalyptic films 2000s American films

Production

Release

Home media

Festivals and awards

External links

References