Oppenheimer’s 'real' bomb sequence was created using balloons – and an aquarium

Oppenheimer
(Image credit: Universal)

澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Oppenheimer may have blown away all expectations at the box office, but its climactic scene – involving the atomic bomb being tested for the first time at Los Alamos – is something that’ll likely li✨nger for far longer than opening weekend.

Now, Oppenheimer director of photography Hoyte van Hoytema has revealed how that incredible sequence came to life. Partially revealed, anyway – he’s still keeping some of Nolanꦰ’s secrets.

Van Hoytema outlined the process, which featured everything from balloons to🙈 ping-pong balls – and camera t🍎ricks.

"We created science experiments. We built꧂🥀 aquariums with power in it. We dropped silver particles in it. We had molded metallic balloons which were lit up from the inside," Van Hoytema said. 

"We had things slamming and smashing into one another such as ping-pong balls, or just had objects spinning…We had long shutter speeds, short shutter s🅠peeds, wide negative color, ne✃gative overexposure, underexposure. It was like a giant playground for all of us."

Nolan had 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:previously told Total Film that🐈 he and his team recreated the Trinity test "without the use of comput𓂃er graphics," something which he admitted was a “huge challenge.”

The director explained: "Andrew Jackson – my visual effects supervisor, I got him on board early on – was looking at how we could do a lot of the visual elements of the film practically, from representing quantum dynamics and quantum physics to the Trinity test itself, ꦉto recreating, with my team, Los Alamos up on a mesa in New Mexico in extraordinary weather, a lot of which was needed for the film, in terms of the very harsh conditions out there – there were huge practical challenges."

For more on the biopic, 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Ch🦹ristopher Nolan talks the R-rating, we 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:chat to Matt Damon, and look into why Oppenheimer isn't coming to✨ streaming anytime soon

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, War💯zone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.