“We were looking for something grounded and naturalistic. At the same time, we wanted to use light and camera to visually tell a compelling story,” says cinematographer Martin Ahlgren of “3 Body Problem,” an absorbing series from DB Weiss, David Benioff and Alexander Woo that explores an alien invasion. through a scientific lens. A poignant example of immersive visual language is seen in Episode 5, “Judgment Day,” where distant beings reveal their presence on Earth with a colossal eye in the sky. For some, it's nightmare fuel, but for others, like Tatiana (Marlo Kelly), who has been a loyal ally to the aliens, it's a blessing. To create the surreal sequence, shots of the characters' reactions were interspersed with visual effects of a world turning on itself, all culminating in a shot of a woman seen from behind, limping on crutches. The camera then pans, revealing an emotionally charged Tatiana before slowly pushing her down from the sky. Ahlgren used a telescopic crane to focus the aerial perspective. “Part of this is how the terror grows and grows, and then it falls on her and it's not terror. For her it is salvation,” he states. The alien's message is clear: you are insects.
