Ex Machina A sci-fi thriller directed by Alex Garland

'For Ex Machina I required very specific and practical futuristic props made to a high level of detail and finish. This was achievable because of  the expertise, hard work and flexibility of the team at Artem. It was great that working together we were able to meet my requirements and budgetary goals.'

Mark Digby, Production Designer

Ex Machina tells the story of a computer coder (Domhnall Gleeson) who wins the chance to spend a week at a house in the mountains, belonging to the CEO (Oscar Isaac) of the company he works for, only to find he has to participate in an experiment involving a new brand of artificial intelligence (Alicia Vikander).

Artem produced a number of gadgety props for the film, including:

ID cards - two of which displaying images of the two main characters

Card readers - the sides and a 4mm strip around the edge of the front face were internally lit by a red/blue switchable diffused LED, in conjunction with the image appearing on the inbuilt screen

Security cameras - we made four pan and tilt camera mounts which were able to be secured to walls or the ceiling of the set.  Control of the head was facilitated by a 20 metre cable and control box.

Phone - incorporating a card slot, inlaid circuit detail and blue/red indicators, which were remotely signalled. 

We also made a computer ID box and razor blades.

The props feature throughout the film - our card readers and surveillance cameras, for example, are a fixed part of the set - all adding to the film's sense of claustrophobia and control.

You can view the trailer here. Look out for our props - especially the card readers and cameras, which are in most of the shots!

You can also read more about Ex Machina on our blog page.

Industry

• Film

Discipline

• Electronic Design
• Props

Share This