THE SUBSTANCE

We started filming 3 years ago, but this adventure remains vivid in my memory…

A talented director :

As an assistant, it was first and foremost a real encounter with a hardworking and passionate director, demanding and persevering, driven by a strong creative energy. The attention to details was everywhere, from the simplest prop to the more general issues. Trying, testing, and weighing options was the usual process before any decision, which sometimes led to exceeding deadlines for the fabrication of certain effects or elements, and consequently, of course, to reorganizing the schedule. But her tenacity often led the team to say, “She was right! That’s what needed to be done.”

100% Prosthetics :

“The Substance” is a striking artistic project, led by an enthusiastic filmmaker.
Even though I had read the script several times, my very first reading with Coralie and POP (Pierre-Olivier Persin – Makeup FX artist) lasted over 3,5 days, with Coralie explaining her movie in detail, scene by scene, shot by shot : It was a real shock !
POP and I often exchanged glances : ‘but how are we going to do all this?’
FX makeup was omnipresent, even where you wouldn’t expect it (Sue’s breasts are prosthetics).
Many scenes were cut in the final editing; the original script had about 220 sequences and 150 pages with very few dialogue scenes.
The challenge was that Coralie wanted an ‘organic’ movie with as less VFX as possible. This is why almost all prosthetic effects were shot live, considerably slowing down the shooting.

Technical Shots :

We experimented with many effects during an intense and meticulous preparation involving all departments.

Several memories come to mind:

• The Birth of Sue in the bathroom : We used an inverted bathroom set for the mirror scene.
• The final scene in the theater : 400 extras sprayed with blood from a fire hose, a iconic carnage scene. We were able to do 2 takes with fantastic extras, stunt performers (it was very slippery) and with very professional actors.
  I remember, after the first take, I approached Dennis Quaid, still dripping with blood, his phone in hand :
  Me : “Sorry Dennis, I think we’re going to do another take…”
  Dennis: “No problem, I’ll just finish this call and I get changed”
• The scene of Monstro’s escape, running through the long corridor while spilling blood. A very complex scene to achieve, requiring numerous tests. We also had to do a second take. In total, nearly 24,000 liters of blood were used for all the film’s bloody scenes.
• The final fight sequence between Elisabeth and her double. A lot of preparation involving: MFX, Stunts, VFX, Art Dpt…

It was a grueling experience. A long and intense shoot (108 days).

But also an atypical and sometimes extreme adventure that could never have been accomplished without an AD team that was not only experienced but, above all, united and dedicated.
I believe that part of the honors bestowed upon this film goes to this fantastic AD team.
Thanks to : Olivia, Benoit, Anne, Alex, Agathe, Joséphine, and all those who came to join us as additional AD.

Matthieu de la Mortière, 1^st AD