How Did 'Sinners' Pull Off Those Twin Shots?

I love a movie that stars one actor playing two roles. I always think that gimmick really plays well in genre movies, where an actor can have fun being two totally different people. It says something that in a movie where everyone is talking about its controversial ending, fun villain design, and this amazing juke joint scene, we haven't really touched on just how they shot two Michael B. Jordans. Well, the Academy just released a short video showing the cinematography behind it. Let's dive in. How They Did the Twin Effect in Sinners I'm a big fan of what Autumn Durald did with her cinematography in Sinners. She really is able to convey scope inside and outside of the juke, while also giving the town and surrounding area a lot of personality. In order to get the twin shots, they relied on the split-screen approach, which is sort of the classic way to do this stuff.To do it, you film the actor twice, performing each cousin's part separately. These two takes were then masterfully combined in post-production to create the illusion of two distinct individuals interacting on screen.But that's not all they did, there was also some innovative stuff I have never seen before. When the characters interacted with each other, they used a halo rig to capture it. Imagine a harness equipped with a ring holding an array of 10 to 12 cameras that wraps around the face of an actor. It allowed the crew to record the actor's entire head performance from multiple angles. Then, this comprehensive 3D capture of the head was superimposed onto a stunt double's body, enabling believable and complex physical interactions that would have been impossible with traditional split-screen methods alone.The combination of these two techniques allowed them to shoot some of the more intense scenes in the movie, and then allowed Jordan to add nuance to his performances as each of the brothers. The use of time-tested techniques and cutting-edge technology like the Halo rig is what brought the unique character dynamics of Sinners to life and showcased the ever-evolving artistry and ingenuity of filmmaking.So, kudos to all involved, and everyone else, you better take note. Let me know what you think in the comments.

May 9, 2025 - 01:39

How Did 'Sinners' Pull Off Those Twin Shots?

I love a movie that stars one actor playing two roles. I always think that gimmick really plays well in genre movies, where an actor can have fun being two totally different people.

It says something that in a movie where everyone is talking about its controversial ending, fun villain design, and this amazing juke joint scene, we haven't really touched on just how they shot two Michael B. Jordans.

Well, the Academy just released a short video showing the cinematography behind it.

Let's dive in.

How They Did the Twin Effect in Sinners

I'm a big fan of what Autumn Durald did with her cinematography in Sinners. She really is able to convey scope inside and outside of the juke, while also giving the town and surrounding area a lot of personality.

In order to get the twin shots, they relied on the split-screen approach, which is sort of the classic way to do this stuff.

To do it, you film the actor twice, performing each cousin's part separately. These two takes were then masterfully combined in post-production to create the illusion of two distinct individuals interacting on screen.

But that's not all they did, there was also some innovative stuff I have never seen before. When the characters interacted with each other, they used a halo rig to capture it.

Imagine a harness equipped with a ring holding an array of 10 to 12 cameras that wraps around the face of an actor. It allowed the crew to record the actor's entire head performance from multiple angles.

Then, this comprehensive 3D capture of the head was superimposed onto a stunt double's body, enabling believable and complex physical interactions that would have been impossible with traditional split-screen methods alone.

The combination of these two techniques allowed them to shoot some of the more intense scenes in the movie, and then allowed Jordan to add nuance to his performances as each of the brothers.

The use of time-tested techniques and cutting-edge technology like the Halo rig is what brought the unique character dynamics of Sinners to life and showcased the ever-evolving artistry and ingenuity of filmmaking.

So, kudos to all involved, and everyone else, you better take note.

Let me know what you think in the comments.