Tremors

How Steven Shaw made the unbelievable ring true

How do you make the unbelievable ring true for audiences? That was the first question Steven Shaw, ASC, answered when he was asked to photograph Tremors, a new television series that airs on the Sci Fi Channel in the United States.

	Tremors, episode Graboid Rights.

The second question was how do you create compelling aesthetic values on a limited budget? The television series is based on Tremors, a 1990 film, set in the decrepit and isolated desert community of Perfection Valley, Nevada. One day, the ground starts shaking. A Graboid, which is a 30-foot long, earthworm-like creature, causes the tremors.

Creators and writers S.S. Wilson, Brent Maddock and Nancy Roberts subsequently created two sequels that were only released in home video formats. The television series features the Graboid and an array of new sci-fi creatures.

“Tremors is a reality-based story with characters who are artistically developed,” says Shaw. “It’s not a voyeuristic experience about the monster of the moment. It has to be believable and draw the audience into the stories. There are side stories that are character-driven. It’s all about staging and making sure the monsters are in back cross light, so you don’t see too much of them. We frame so the shadow sides of the creatures are towards the camera most of the time. The audience fills in the blanks.”