“300: Rise of an Empire,” a grand historical action film from 2014, directed by Noam Murro, takes us back to ancient times. It’s a sequel to “300” and tells a fictionalized version of battles between Greeks and Persians.
The film features familiar faces like Lena Headey, Peter Mensah, and Rodrigo Santoro, along with newcomers Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, and others. Critics liked the action and visuals but found the story a bit lacking.
Where was “300: Rise of an Empire” Filmed?
Filming began in July 2012 at Nu Boyana Film Studios in Sofia, Bulgaria. This studio provided the backdrop for many intense battle scenes and dramatic moments. The crew recreated ancient cities and battlefields here. Underwater greenscreen scenes were also filmed at Leavesden Studios.
Green Screen Magic at Nu Boyana Film Studios, Sofia, Bulgaria
Ship Battles
The Greek and Persian ships, crucial for the movie’s intense sea battles, were partially constructed sets. The studio used movable platforms and gimbals to simulate the rocking motion of the ocean. This allowed actors to perform as if they were aboard actual ships in the middle of fierce combat.
Visual effects supervisors Richard Hollander and John ‘DJ’ Desjardin described the process: “The Greek ships could be put on stage in a shooting environment, but for the Persian ships, which were huge, only about a third could fit. We had the front and back third and would swap them out and cheat the mid-ship with set extensions.”
Stage Preparation
Actors performed on these partial sets, with detailed markers on the green screen indicating where their enemies would be, making it easier to blend live-action with the eventual CGI-enhanced backgrounds. “The actors were on platforms,” said Hollander. “We were even writing on the greenscreen ‘Greeks here’ and at the end we said where the Persian or Spartan fleet was coming from and where everyone was.”
Nu Boyana: Creating Epic Sea Battles
Simulation of Water and Battles
For the numerous sea battles, the production relied heavily on water simulation technology developed by Scanline VFX. Their proprietary Flowline software enabled the creation of realistic ocean waves and interactions between the ships. The previsualization team from The Third Floor collaborated closely with Scanline to integrate these simulations into their early animations, providing the director with a clear vision of the finished scenes.
Danielle Plantec from Scanline explained, “We put together a little speed counter so they never went beyond what they were supposed to be going, so the simulations were still viable.”
Unique Battle Settings
Each sea battle had its unique environmental and atmospheric challenges:
Circle Battle: Featured a cliff-like standing ocean wave and a very stormy sea.
Fog Battle: Set on a calm, mirror-like sea with heavy fog, creating a mysterious atmosphere.
Fire Battle: Took place at night and involved simulations of both water and oil, which would catch fire, adding another layer of complexity to the visual effects.
Leavesden Studios: Underwater Adventures
Underwater Photography
A critical sequence involving Themistocles falling into the water was filmed at Leavesden Studios in the UK. The underwater greenscreen shoot was combined with live-action and CGI elements to depict the chaos under the sea, including Themistocles’ dream sequence featuring mystical sea creatures.
Mystical Sea Creatures
Plantec recalled the excitement of crafting this surreal sequence: “We got this concept art and said, ‘We’ve gotta have this shot!’ There’s a bunch of dead characters and debris floating in the water, and blood simulation – it was tricky but a lot of fun for us.”
Halon Entertainment and Scanline: The Horse Jump Scene
Planning and Previsualization
One of the film’s most spectacular scenes is Themistocles’ daring horse ride from one ship to another. Halon Entertainment used previsualization to precisely arrange this intricate scenario. They examined camera movement, motion choreography, and how to keep the audience focused during this dynamic shot.
Motion Control & CGI
On set, a motion base with six cylinders replicated the horse’s movements, allowing for a convincing blend of live-action and CGI. The motion control gear for capturing the horse’s dramatic jumps and gallops was provided by VFXco, and Scanline VFX eventually blended it together with the live-action video.
The Battle of Marathon: From Sofia to Ancient Greece
Sofia’s Green Screen Sets
The Battle of Marathon, the film’s opening flashback, was filmed on several greenscreen sets in Sofia, Bulgaria. The production reused and redressed these sets to represent various battle terrains and perspectives.
Visual effects
MPC, the visual effects firm, helped bring the conflict to life. Their ALICE crowd creation technique, as well as Flowline models for water and blood, enhanced the scenes’ depth and authenticity. Desjardin acknowledged the difficulties of mixing slo-mo and speed-ramps, particularly with elements such as rain, lightning, and blood: “The rain was cool because we liked seeing the long streaks turn to refractive droplets.”
MPC and Cinesite: Burning Athens, Mystical Transformations
Constructing and Burning Athens
Cinesite created establishing shots of Athens utilizing old maps and museum references. MPC produced complex landscapes and included CGI components for the city’s fire scenes, including a fallen statue and atmospheric effects like as flames and smoke.
Xerxes’ Transformation
MPC also handled Xerxes’ transition into the ‘God-King,’ with Flowline providing the golden liquid that covered him. This animation included combining various plate parts and recreating how the golden liquid interacted with Xerxes’ motions.
Cinesite: Spartan Landscapes and Greek Encampments
Fully CGI Environments
Cinesite developed fully CGI landscapes for Spartan scenes and Greek encampments. These included detailed fields of wheat and rocky shorelines, crafted using tools like Peregrine Labs’ Yeti for realistic vegetation effects.
Lighting and Atmosphere
The Greek encampments were shot on minimal sets in Bulgaria and extended digitally. Cinesite added suns and moons to create dramatic lighting, following Zack Snyder’s directive to have big, sexy glows in every shot.
Gener8: The Stereo Conversion Process
Stereoscopic Immersion
Gener8 was responsible for converting the film into stereoscopic 3D, enhancing the immersive experience of the battle scenes. Their proprietary tools, including StereoComposer, helped integrate depth effects, ensuring elements like blood splatter and ocean spray appeared to pop out of the screen.
Paul Becker from Gener8 explained, “Depth-wise we broke a lot of rules and placed lens schmutz far negative as though it landed on your glasses forcing you to look past it.”
Official Trailer
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – 300: Rise of an Empire
Q: Where was “300: Rise of an Empire” filmed?
A: “300: Rise of an Empire” was primarily filmed at Nu Boyana Film Studios in Sofia, Bulgaria. This location was used for most of the green screen work and partial set constructions for the sea and land battles. Additional underwater scenes were filmed at Leavesden Studios in the UK. Visual effects and CGI were extensively used to create the film’s stylized ancient landscapes and battles.
Q: What filming techniques were used in “300: Rise of an Empire”?
A: The film utilized green screen technology extensively to combine live-action performances with CGI backgrounds. Nu Boyana Film Studios provided the primary filming stages for green screen work. Scanline VFX created realistic water simulations for the sea battles, while MPC and Cinesite contributed to the film’s elaborate visual effects, including battle scenes and character transformations. Motion control rigs and previsualization were also employed for dynamic sequences, such as Themistocles’ horse jump between ships.
Q: When was “300: Rise of an Empire” filmed?
A: Filming for “300: Rise of an Empire” began in July 2012 and concluded in early 2013. The production took several months, and the filmmakers used both practical sets and significant CGI to achieve the film’s unique style.
Q: When was “300: Rise of an Empire” released?
A: “300: Rise of an Empire” was released on March 7, 2014, in the United States and in many other countries around the same time.
Q: What are the notable visual effects companies involved in “300: Rise of an Empire”?
A: Several major visual effects companies worked on the film, including Scanline VFX, MPC (Moving Picture Company), Cinesite, and Gener8. Scanline VFX conducted water simulations for the sea fights, MPC worked on character transformations and ambient effects, Cinesite generated CGI landscapes and Greek encampments, and Gener8 oversaw the stereoscopic 3D conversion. Their combined efforts brilliantly depicted the ancient world and epic conflicts on television.
