The Trick That Makes DUNE Look so Massive

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Dune is one of the biggest movies in recent memory, and that's because the cinematographer has a secret trick up his sleeve. What is it and why does it matter?
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[@caedenschlosser7091]

Elk & Thomas Flight both drop videos on the sandworm riding scene in the same week? We eatin good 🔥

[@EntertainTheElk]

If only I could like this comment ten times.

[@edoardoruini199]

That's exactly what the Dune movies nail the most for me. So many giant epic sci-fi blockbusters tell you things are big and epic but don't make you feel it. In Villenueve's Dune, things just feel as massive as they should.

[@EntertainTheElk]

That's exactly right. You feel it.

[@r99716]

@@EntertainTheElk i don't feel it at all... Dune 2 felt like cosplay to me. the emperor's entourage is like 20 people. very low scale and the opposite of massive or epic

[@casperguo7177]

@@r99716why bring the press when you can bring legions

[@mattlawson714]

@@r99716cosplay? I guarantee it will be nominated for best costume design at the Academy Awards. The emperor had a small elite unit with him, did you miss the part where he was surrounded by his entire army? Movies don’t get any bigger than this.

[@r99716]

@@mattlawson714 Dune 1 felt way bigger than Dune 2. #2 really felt like cosplay to me. well-made costumes but they were too clean and clearly not "lived in". everything felt contrived and not like a real movie world. watching any of the individuals fighters in the fight scenes was very disappointing, they were just dancing around cosplaying, no sense of real fighting (the 1v1 fights weren't as bad but still nothing to write home about). the only thing this mediocre movie will be remembered for in a couple years is the "lisan al gaib" meme (which is barely even a meme)

[@Will_Parker]

Same reason LotR is so incredible. A lot of LotR is "just" walking, but they pull back to show the scenery enough that you can feel how far they've travelled and how much further they have to go. Thematically Dune and LotR are polar opposites but from a film making point of view they're essentially the same imo.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Such a great example!

[@williamchamberlain2263]

Very true. And _The Hobbit_ doesn't do it.

[@tylociraptor8131]

I'm a huge fan of the Lynch films, but Villeneuve definitely pulls off the scale of Arrakis and the worms so much better. My heart dropped into my stomach and my skin got goosebumps when I first saw the short of the worm sign, Paul silhouetted in the foreground as this impossibly massive organism rushes towards him. Chills. Absolute chills.

[@EntertainTheElk]

I know! The blocking is so much better and gives the audience information. Adds so much to the tension.

[@keith6706]

There's an additional brilliance in that shot: when you first see the actual sandworm, the audience (and Paul) believe it's going to pass right beside him, but he suddenly realizes he's misjudged how big it is, and thus how far away it is, and has to start sprinting to intercept it. And that's a real thing. People constantly misjudge the size and and distance to objects when they don't realize just how big they are.

[@opart]

Visually its amazing, but I think the characters in Lynches story are so much more relatable. At some point constant grandeur becomes tiresome - so if they learned from cinematography trick and juxtaposed intimate moments with these grand shots the film would be so much better. Thats a flaw with lots of films nowadays, and Hans Zimmer soundtrack is not helping haha

[@reef363]

Exactly like Gareth Edward's Godzilla movie, every shot of Godzilla is always framed with a human to emphasize the scale of Godzilla & the MUTOs.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Exactly right!

[@SolidGoldHedgehog]

That and their motion. They move like they're the size of sky scrapers... because they are. They lumber.

[@williamchamberlain2263]

​@@SolidGoldHedgehogthat scene with the tail flicking by overhead and moving the fog around

[@muffinman3052]

Forever a defender of Godzilla 2014!! Love that movie to bits

[@kenetik13]

This movie single-handedly inspired me to start making music again

[@EntertainTheElk]

That's awesome!

[@AzaleaJane]

Care to elaborate?

[@kenetik13]

@@AzaleaJanethe score is some next level music production

[@jaycie5021]

To be fair to Linch's Dune He did try to establish scale with people. The famous scene of the worm eating the crawler was set up first by the crawler next to a few workers . In that shot the tire dwarfed the people . But then the following scene the entire crawler was dwarfed by the worm. It's not as effective as seeing someone in the shot with worm but it does get the point acrossed.

[@EntertainTheElk]

You're definitely right. There are some shots for scale in there, but there seemed to be just as many that didn't offer any insight or scale. Just an easy comparison to the 84 version, but Lynch tried his best the technology of the time to show scale in some shots.

[@deebugger]

The problem with Lynch is that he decided that showing something once was enough, and the audience will keep that frame of reference in mind. Villeneuve, on the other hand, understands that current audiences need constant reminder of the scale of stuff, so he shows it endlessly even though some of us got the point, and would like to see other stuff in the movie (like character development, a coherent story or some exploration of ideas about politics, religion and society). But no, we must see the scale every 5 minutes or we forget where we are. It’s an issue with today’s Tik-tok-induced low attention span.

[@litjellyfish]

@@deebuggersadly yes. Also it creates another issue. Maybe the distance and scale of the worm and Paul makes it so realistically there will not be any people in the shot. With that angle. Just throwing people into the shot assuming they don’t remember the reference before is often due to bad world building or emotion tie in. If the people are just people then people forgot about them. But if you connect a emotionally to a person that is then shown referenced in scale to another person and something emotionally strong happens to that person for sure the scale / context is etched in your brain for a longer time. = no need to put scale red props in every scene. So in that sense maybe i aotld say lynch was the one who really succeeded.

[@thePavuk]

Lynch had main probelm that he didn't get enough screen time and secondary he get low budget for this type of movie. Nowdays he would make it in 3x3 hours epos. What a sahame. I like his version in many ways more.

[@hurleymacfar]

Couldn't agree more about scale. Watched a clip of Godzilla x king Kong, the scene where Kong meets scar and those apes could have been a few inches tall or several hundred feet tall... There was no reference in frame

[@shmookins]

There was an ape tooth that falls on the streets. I was shocked how massive it was, and thus how massive those titans were. As for the screen you mentioned, I don't think it is a problem because the movie already established Kong's size and now we see Kong amongst those aforementioned apes.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Exactly right!

[@hurleymacfar]

@@shmookins obviously we're aware of how large Kong is and therefore the titans. I just meant in that scene their size had no context because there was nothing in the frame. Not just people, no buildings vehicles etc and that relates to what was being pointed out in the video. In the original dune we know how big the sandworms are but if there's nothing in frame for reference then the perspective changes. If we didn't need in frame visual reminders to indicate size then the above vid wouldn't be necessary

[@goodial]

the true strenghth of Godzilla 2014, something that the subsequent Monsterverse movies did not achieve in equal measures. The foot stomp at the airport just being one of the many memorable examples! :)

[@markli6763]

​@@shmookinsEven in the Lynch movie it's clear the worm is big. But knowing its big and seeing its big are two different things. Lynch's Dune also had a scene of the Atredies family arriving on Arrakis, and that scene looks grander because we are seeing the contrast of people against the backdrop of the huge landing ships.

[@mollywoodshots6503]

This movie is tailor-made for big screens, and the reason why you should watch it like that is because people, trees and other familiar objects are reduced to points by placing them near gigantic structures and space ships. You watch it on a laptop screen, you don't see most of the things that the shot is made to convey.

[@EntertainTheElk]

You're totally right. You miss necessary information on smaller screens. You can't feel the massiveness

[@Manospondylus]

That Harkonnen sniper on top the rock at the start. That shot after he takes out the thumper is the most gorgeous shot in the movie for me.

[@wstine79]

"He who controls the Ekster, controls the universe!"

[@EntertainTheElk]

:)

[@shmookins]

The Dune trilogy will be an epic one. It is amazing what they did in the first two releases.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Completely agree.

[@mafeuk]

Nice essay, gives me a different view on perspective and how directors and cinematographers use it on film.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@turbobus4983]

I think the 80s scene actually looks pretty epic, too, but that's mainly due to the sandworm. Also, do you know about sunscreen?

[@EntertainTheElk]

Don't need sunscreen cause I never bring my Norwegian skin into the sun. Just using saturation so I don't look like a ghost.

[@rikk319]

I saw Lynch's Dune in the theater after reading the novel 3 times before my 18th birthday. It was better than nothing, but still a disappointment. The new films actually show the capacity to embrace the epic feel of the book.

[@teslainvestah5003]

But remember, having the human in the shot will work against you if the human appears larger in the frame than the thing that's supposed to look big. It doesn't matter that the audience _knows_ how perspective works, just like it doesn't matter that they _know_ the giant sandworm can reach 400 meters in length. Jurassic world screwed this up so badly it's hilarious. Especially because they had Jurassic Park to take notes from.

[@kniter]

I havent even watched part 1 and 2, but I will always watch the Elk

[@EntertainTheElk]

I salute you! Though watch out for spoilers...

[@pikadasgalaxias306]

There are many shots on David Lynch's Dune showing the scale of the sandworms and spaceships by doing precisely that! Even in the sandworm riding sequence.

[@btones]

Yeah, maybe not as successfully as a movie made nearly 40 years later, but I can clearly remember several scenes in the '84 original where scale is the entire point of a given shot. One of my favorites is Paul's first worm ride where, after he gets his maker hooks in and the music swells, there's a shot of a **tiny** group of Fremen all running toward the passing worm. And it looks enormous. Theres several others too (the attack on Arrakeen, the worm charge against the Sardaukar, the rain scene with the Fremen standing in front of the palace at the end, etc.), but again I think it was a limitation of technology and not intent.

[@Jolfgard]

Ha, this is the first time ever where I see a critic who points at David Lynch and goes "You screwed up!".

[@EntertainTheElk]

I'm a trailblazer.

[@deebugger]

Amazing! Why did no one else ever think of placing a human in frame? I mean, in every single movie up to Dune, humans have never appeared in the frame, let alone next to something big. They were always outside the frame. I can’t believe cinema exists for 120 years but only now someone came up with this idea. Bless you, Mr. Fraser - you’ve completely turned cinema around.

[@user-dv6zd9zl2w]

I want Warner Bros to release the IMAX version of the two movie so badly.

[@EntertainTheElk]

That'd be awesome. Why wouldn't they do this?

[@sentinelav]

A more specific technique I learned from the talented painter Noah Bradley, is to have small things in the foreground, and large things in the background. Even better, put a large object in the foreground, and make it small. Whatever appears in the distance will appear to be utterly colossal. I recommend checking out Bradley's work if you want examples of this technique.

[@ramsaymayka9978]

They did a related trick for the spacecraft in part 1. Big ship with tiny dot, dot goes down to each and its the size of a large building next to the people exiting. Damn, that must be a really big ship.

[@asimpleguy2730]

This is common to many Villeneuve films. Blade Runner 2049 and arrival feel massive too, and it's probably the thing I like the most about his films. It feels like even the giant cinema screen is not big enough to show them properly

[@veramae4098]

Those 3 sandworms charging the Sardaukar ... unforgettable!

[@bummers]

Reminds me of Chinese paintings of mountains and lakes, there's always a few tiny people getting on with their life, giving contrast to the massive scale.

[@brunotvrs]

One of the first things I learnt in Architecture school was that a drawing is nothing without scale, both to itself (proportions of its parts) and to humans. There's always at least a human silhouette to make us understand the sizes and proportions.

[@captainfatbat9557]

Same goes for Godzilla 2014. He looked soo much massive cause they way cinematography was done. Dune felt like an otherworldly place.

[@leobien0717]

I try to make this comment in everyone of your videos. your videos are great. Keep them up.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Thank you so much. That means a lot. I’ll gladly take that comment in every video! :)

[@charlespatton3136]

Huh? There is no secret trick. Dune just IS massive.

[@antoinericquebourg3131]

Excellent video and explanation, thank you!

[@nomansblog2025]

Great video, I’ve always been into how film creates an exaggerated portrait of the human experience

[@EntertainTheElk]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@PotentialEnder]

Love your videos. Never miss them. Keep it up.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Thank you so much!

[@ferrous3869]

Great point that I hadn't considered. Such a simple concept but so effective.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Glad you liked it!

[@danielmcelroy4505]

I felt how much they linger on faces, even with everything else happening around them, if it isn't just a closeup, so this definitely confirms my initial emotional response

[@lincolnsmithtbp]

They use long lenses with meticulous composition of light and shadow. That’s the only answer. That’s how movies appropriately sell massive scale. They make you feel dwarfed by not allowing you to have a distorted wide angle context like many Bay-type action films.

[@allendrake6960]

Hey! Happened upon your channel years back when you were more or less starting out. I remember saying that I enjoyed the "elk noise" that opened your videos, but thought it was just a hair too long and a little too piercing to be comfortable. 😅 Anyhow, I slipped up lately on consistently watching, but really enjoyed this essay and seeing how much your channel has grown! Makes me feel hopeful of the idea of making my own channel to analyze different topics. :) Great job! Any other essays on how certain cinematographers either pioneered or greatly enhanced achieving a particular effect could be a fun watch! But ofc you've got your own video ideas. :P

[@EntertainTheElk]

Hey! Happy that you stumbled across my channel again. Subscribe so that way you’re not a stranger.

[@allendrake6960]

@@EntertainTheElk Apologies, I should've mentioned I've been subscribed since. :) Really like the variety of different topics you cover.

[@obviouslyPSM]

It’s amazing how much scale you can create when you aren’t shooting on a sound stage and digitally adding in the background isn’t it? Who knew….

[@EntertainTheElk]

Right?!

[@kyrectx2]

great video that explains what i want to know about dune - i’ve seen it 6 times i don’t want analysis on paul, i want to know why my brain was scratched so well

[@robertgee4540]

Your videos are so articulate and insightful, that I was shocked to find out that you are an American.

[@viceroy7792]

GREAT essay!

[@gasjet2000]

Greg Fraser was being modest, what were the specific influences on him, that resulted in those iconic shots?

[@marchukD]

A banana for scale would do just fine tbh

[@deebugger]

Finally someone who doesn’t pour over this essay. Nice! 👍

[@marccountry]

"The three most important things in abstract sculpture are scale, scale, and scale again" -Sir Anthony Caro

[@c4burst]

It's no secret. Any Director worth their salt knows how to shoot for scale. Ridley Scott, Peter Jackson, Spielberg, Nolan, Garreth Edwards and so on.

[@danielshults5243]

I would add that the use of DEPTH enhances this effect a lot. When there is a tiny human in the foreground, that massive object in the distance feels even larger, because it is huge by compariosn _even though it is far away_.

[@Johnoplata]

Great video, can't wait to see more

[@EntertainTheElk]

Thank you!

[@aryanajo2809]

Scale. Gareth Edwards know how to use this as well, as all filmmakers should.

[@kburke13]

You’ve done it once again 🎉

[@JoshMobleyMusic]

This was a great video. People equals scale. I never thought of it that way.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Thank you!

[@OllieSach]

Absolutely loved this video. I’d maybe consider a title change though… feel like the current one doesn’t really represent what the video is about. “Why the World in Dune feels so real” or something might work better? I don’t know 😅

[@EntertainTheElk]

Thanks! I appreciate that. Yeah, I'm playing the thumbnail/title roulette game right now trying to find the best combo. I'll keep playing with it!

[@alecmallmann]

Excellent as always. However, as much as I enjoy the Lynch version, it's definitely has more wrong with it than just the scaling in scenes. As always, great work on the video!

[@MePeterNicholls]

You know they’ve invented microphone stands?

[@Gnomable]

Kinda wild the only thing you need to add to make something big is to just add a little guy in the frame

[@lordcrunk4790]

Now, for an extra bonus point, which version more precisely matches the passage from the novel?

[@EntertainTheElk]

Great point! I've never read the book so I wouldn't know, but I'd be interested to find out.

[@deebugger]

Books are hard.

[@rikk319]

Perfectly matching the novel isn't possible because novels are written media that you imagine scenery in your head. No matter how well described in a book, a director still has leeway to convert that scene into film. Not to mention that there is no inherent virtue in perfectly copying a novel when making a film. It isn't possible, since the two media are so different in their basic approach to storytelling.

[@lordcrunk4790]

​@@rikk319 thanks for playing but I'm afraid you cannot be awarded a bonus point.

[@lordcrunk4790]

​@@deebugger thanks so much for playing but I'm afraid you cannot receive a bonus point.

[@litjellyfish]

Secret? This is like second week of film school or in energy “the basic of film making” I grew up in the 80s so maybe it has gone lost I don’t know

[@aeliusdawn]

So basically Banana for scale

[@slimpunk]

-Banana- human for scale.

[@Yoctopory]

People should stop treating Dune as if it was the new revelation 🙄

[@brianlbeck]

Dune is to David Lynch as Alien 3 is to Fincher

[@EntertainTheElk]

Ooh. Good comparison.

[@litjellyfish]

And yes both are still pretty ok movies. Not the best but not bad

[@EbonyPope]

Can't agree about the David Lynch movie. It does not convey the scale as effectively in most scenes but the sandworm looks massive when it swallows the carry-all because you know the approximate size of it. I think he does a fine job. Villeneuve just is a little better but no fundamentally so.

[@EntertainTheElk]

For sure. Not trying to poop on the 84 version but it's just an easy comparison to the newest films.

[@litjellyfish]

I will say the new is more play it safe just in case. Again I can only go from my own impression of the old one where the scale was great. Then it was more the monochrome lighting that put me off in that. On the other hand it happening later on the day was for me a lot more dramatic than the day light new version.

[@ubahfly5409]

Imagine being a human & not understanding this. Now imagine you're a highly paid / esteemed Hollywood director. Sorry, Dave, I know you're not the only one to have failed at this, & you have created some compelling images over the years. Heck, "Wild At Heart" is my favorite movie ! But for me, sadly, growing up meant realizing that the Great David Lynch is a bit of a hack. There, I said it.

[@litjellyfish]

I don’t agree. Some of the framing is better in the new bit for sure we have frames of reference in the old. THE DUNES themselves.

[@jestagoon8408]

Imax screen.

[@rafaelc.c.]

Most good films do that. No need to say it's just Dune.

[@Kssysiek]

framing is everything huh?

[@theloverlyladylo9158]

As a non-dune fan, I cannot look at the sandworms without thinking of the popcorn bucket and it’s , ahem, off-label uses. It removes a lot of the tension that would otherwise terrify me.

[@EntertainTheElk]

hahaha

[@michaelangelo8117]

Tom Cruise

[@user-pv4ze2gu1b]

This is nothing new. Basic principle of composition.

[@maxtubb8560]

This channel is a mixed bag because on one hand I really enjoy your essay videos but on the other hand I do find some of your letterboxd reviews kind of pretentious.

[@reinereine1896]

Another word for it is developed cinematics 🙄

[@randomrey6568]

Yes

[@EntertainTheElk]

Hope you enjoyed it!

[@randomrey6568]

@@EntertainTheElk I did

[@dgmt1]

I'm going to have the disagree here. The overuse of CG tends to make the wide and action shots look like a game rather than a real scene. The 80s movie was flawed and far lower budget but it still doesn't look nearly as cheap as Villeanueve's version.

[@AmirMak]

Ok

[@eugenolsen]

😂

[@litjellyfish]

CG don’t make I look like a game. Bad CG makes it look like a bad game. Same as bad practical FX make it look cheap

[@donjohnson2758]

1st

[@EntertainTheElk]

Well done!