Pages of Note

Saturday, 30 April 2022

The Journey Inside (1994)

A very hard to find edutainment science-fiction film made for IMAX theaters, thus requiring a high level of polish and detail. From what I can read up about it, the film was trying to teach children about the value of computer technology (whilst also involving a plot by aliens trying to prevent it from being made), The Journey Inside had its costumes designed by Durinda Wood (costume designer for Battle Beyond the Stars, as well as the second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, where she notable was responsible for the creation of the Borg) who I contacted for this entry specifically due to the elusive nature of this film, and was deeply kind enough to provide me with various photos and costume sketches, such as these ones below (which also who the film's original working title).




The costume sketches were adhered to for the final design of the mysterious aliens, which come in two different versions - the leaders (I assume) have an open helmet, with long trailing capes that resemble the wings of insects, with the workers being in sealed jumpsuits and concealed helmets. The aliens in general have a very insect-like look, with the organic helmets and the iridescent material of the costumes, which according to Wood, were constructed out of spandex which had acrylic paint slathered on, in order to prevent the spandex springing back (as it is wont to do). These costumes were partly brought to the screen (and required to be have an impeccable level of detail thanks in part to being shown on IMAX) thanks to the costume supervisor Charmaine Simmons (who had a long career, notable working on the famous sitcom Seinfield), and assisting Wood was costume design assistant Abram Waterhouse, who notably had also been 'co-costume designer' with Robert Blackman on various episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space 9.
Again, I would like to thank Durinda Wood herself for her help in sending me these costume sketches and production photos, and has many more images on her own website's page on the film!

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