In order to achieve greatness it is essential to surround one’s self with great people. Christopher Nolan did just that when he brought on Chris Corbould to do SFX for the mind bending film Inception. Having worked in SFX since the age of 17 Corbould now has behind him an impressive filmography, including work on Nolan’s Batman films, the cult classic Krull, numerous Superman movies, the Lara Croft franchise, a staggering 13 James Bond films and most recently the box office favorite Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In 2014 Corbould was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in Queen's New Year’s Honours List for his services to film. His creativity and practical skills in Inception and countless other quality films are inspiring, and it’s inarguable that any film is better off with Corbould involved.
Corbould brought a lot of experience and expertise to the table, which proved to be handy when constructing a giant centrifuge which would house the famous hallway. Having been in the special effects field for some time, experience was one thing he didn’t lack, and this was essential to pulling it all off. Of his career history Corbould said, “I obtained an opening with a UK special effects company based in Pinewood Studios. I started as a boy and spent eight years learning the disciplines of the engineering side of the business.” He went on to say that nothing can replace that hands on learning and the desire to do hands on special effects and do them well. This passion is evident in all his work, but especially in the final product of Inception.
Since Nolan refuses to shoot with anything but film this further complicated matters for Corbould. Everything had to be perfect, everything had to be real. Of the set Corbould said, "I've built revolving sets before, but nothing as big or as fast." This was an ambitious undertaking, but not one that Nolan or Corbould would shy away from. At first Nolan wanted a 40 foot corridor, then a 60 foot corridor, and finally a 100 foot revolving hallway. So Corbould calculated and recalculated and recalculated again. Using the principle of continuity Corbould created a space where the camera could seamlessly move through the scene and create a very real sense of depth. And as impossible as it may have seemed at the outset, Corbould and his team pulled it off brilliantly, creating an illusion unlike any other and all in real time and in real space.
