Joy or terror when aliens invade?

“We were going for something grounded and naturalistic. At the same time, we wanted to use the light and camera to tell a compelling story visually,” says cinematographer Martin Ahlgren about “3 Body Problem,” an absorbing series from D.B. Weiss, David Benioff and Alexander Woo that explores an alien invasion through a scientific lens. A stirring example of the immersive visual language is seen in Episode 5, “Judgment Day,” where the distant beings reveal their presence on Earth with a colossal eye in the sky. For some, it’s nightmare fuel, but for others, like Tatiana (Marlo Kelly), who’s been a loyal ally to the aliens, it’s a blessing. To create the surreal sequence, shots of character reactions were intercut with visual effects of a world flipping upside down on itself, all culminating in a shot of a woman seen from behind, limping with crutches. The camera then flips, revealing an emotionally charged Tatiana before slowly pushing down on her from the sky. Ahlgren used a telescopic crane to bring the overhead perspective into focus. “Part of it is sort of how the terror builds and builds, and then it lands on her and it’s not terror. For her it’s salvation,” he says. The alien’s message is clear: You are bugs.