Welcome to Weekend Watch, a recurring feature where we highlight some of the best geek-related videos around the web. Whether it’s short films, behind the scenes videos, video essays or top 10 countdowns, the only requirement is that they are about–in some shape or form–our favorite geeky topics!
In this edition of Weekend Watch, we will be taking a look at numerous behind the scenes looks at the making of Aquaman. You can read our spoiler-free review of the film, but suffice to say that it’s easily the most fun and visually exciting of DCEU releases to date. This week, we’ll dig into numerous behind the scenes videos, including another “notes on a scene” with the film’s director. Next, we’ll break up the monotony of things by throwing in a delightful fan created Aquaman short film. Finally, we’ll round Weekend Watch out with two really great B-roll videos, along with a fascinating set visit video during Aquaman’s production last summer. So without further adieu, let’s jump right into it!
Notes On a Scene With James Wan
First up, we have a great video from Vanity Fair that gives a great deal of context of on Aquaman’s directorial approach. In the latest edition of “notes on a scene,” director James Wan breaks down one of the film’s signature action sequences. Aside from taking a look at a ridiculously complicated shot that makes up a significant portion of the sequence, the video also puts an emphasis on how Wan creates a sense of geography in the way he shoots his action. Most surprisingly, the video also reveals how much of this scene was digitally augmented, being largely shot in a parking lot if you can believe it.
Aquaman – Behind the Scenes with James Wan and Sideshow Collectibles
In this Aquaman featurette from DC, Wan further describes his approach to the movie. Although this is video basically a glorified ad for Sideshow Collectibles, it also gives a quick look why this movie is unlike anything that we’ve seen before. Wan’s film embraces everything about Aquaman, bringing a certain sense of levity to Momoa’s performance that this featurette also touches on.
Aquaman Behind the Scenes Montage
Our next video, by FilmArtsy, mashes together multiple featurettes to create a quick, but well-rounded look at the making of Aquaman. Although the video intercuts some footage that we’ve already seen, there’s also tons of footage that we haven’t. Aside from giving us quick looks at some of the more practical sets and locations, we also get further insight from Wan about his overall visual approach to Aquaman.
Aquaman and Mera – Stop Motion Adventure
Brought to us by DC, this fan-created stop-motion short film uses toys to provide a humorous take on Aquaman. Using Arthur and Mera as the protagonists, we get a fun, but inconsequential story that includes the likes of Black Manta, Ocean Master, and of course the dreaded Trench creatures. This short goes against expectations in a really fun way, offering a level of parody that plays into the inherent silliness of the property. Nevertheless, this stop motion adventure is a surprisingly well-produced piece considering that it’s a fan film using what were surely minimal resources.
Aquaman B-Roll
Back to the film itself, we have a series of videos that showcase tons of B-roll from the making of the film. The first comes from Flashback Filmmaking, giving us a fly on the wall approach to the experience of making Aquaman. Using the iconic Wonder Woman theme as a backdrop for the video, this selection of B-Roll gives us a look at several key sequences in the film. We get glimpses of the submarine fight, Orm and Aquaman’s Atlantis battle, the Italy sequence, along with the story’s climactic battle.
The second video from Comicbook.com provides a much lengthier B-Roll experience than the first. Although there’s no sound of any kind, this B-roll mostly plays out in slow motion, allowing us to really take in each of the shots that are presented. Aside from going further into the aforementioned sequences from the other video; this also gives us glimpses into some of Wan’s direction on set, along with some great interactions between the cast when the cameras aren’t rolling.
Aquaman Set Visit
Finally, we have a great video by Jaby Koay that takes us to the film’s set in Australia. This day in particular was one where the crew was shooting a portion of the Black Manta sequence. Aside from this, we also get a fascinating look at how the wire work helped to create a practical underwater swimming effects, We also get a Q&A session with Jason Momoa, as well as looks into the prop and wardrobe departments. The biggest takeaway is a glimpse of the massive production effort that went into making Aquaman a reality.
What is your favorite part behind the making of Aquaman? Sound off in the comment section below!
