Production: From Previsions to Afterthoughts

Advances in FX have enabled the evolution of SF cinema, ranging from the early experimentalism of George Méliès to the digital “synthespians” of contemporary CGI. Many breakthroughs in FX have occurred within the genre. Distinguished by bleach-bypass cinematography, Minority Reportwas the first film to have a fully digital production design and charted new ground. Spielberg consulted a group of experts in science and technology. He held a ‘Think Tank Summit’ in order to achieve a plausible futuristic setting; the result was a “2054 Bible” that screenwriters, art directors, and FX technicians used as a guidebook. The long road from story to screen took years. The screenplay went through several iterations while Spielberg tried to align his schedule with star Tom Cruise, whose box-office marketability enhanced the film’s monetary success. Minority Report was a critical success, too, symbolising another stage of Spielberg’s maturation, according to many reviewers.