Cinematography technique · used in 2 films
Designing machines and creatures from visible gears and older-looking parts, sometimes joined with living forms. The mix of old and new makes them feel both handmade and alive.
Examples
Hayao Miyazaki · 1986
The film's machines draw on 19th-century designs, and it is often cited as an early steampunk work. The air pirates' flying machines, animated with drybrush strokes to suggest fast-beating wings, are a good example. They feel old and futuristic at once.
Where to see it: The opening: Dola's air pirates attack the airship carrying Sheeta to seize her crystal necklace.
Guillermo del Toro · 1993
The device is described as scarab-shaped, with spider-like legs and clockwork inside meshed with a living insect. You never see it as pure machine or pure animal. That mix is why it feels both creepy and fascinating on screen.
Where to see it: The statue: Gris winds the device, and it grips him with its legs and inserts a needle.
Questions