Building the Film Set
Born from Rust and Imagination
We had the great fortune of being allowed to film at a place that felt like it had been waiting for us: an abandoned industrial site, still in use as a sand depot and material storage, but full of forgotten corners, rusted metal, and mysterious towers.
We found ourselves between very old buildings with peculiar silos, tangled scrap heaps, and more than a few stumbling hazards. It was perfect. Perfect for a story about time, and perfect for our steampunk-style robot.
The plan was to improvise
Our idea was to transform one of the silos into the robot’s workspace. But, in true honesty, we had no detailed plan. We like to build with what we find. The process is always part invention, part improvisation, and full of surprises. Just like the whole movie process was.
It took us three intense days to bring the set to life.
And by us, I mean myself and Diego — my patient, skilled, and endlessly dedicated partner. He was a true gem throughout this phase, collecting pieces with me and crafting structure out of chaos.
Our foundation? Fire show tools like staffs, chain and dragon staffs — pieces that would later return to the screen as part of the dance choreography. We added a mountain of hoops, and whatever rusty treasures we could find lying around the courtyard and forgotten corners of the factory.
The space in the silos we chose was tiny, and the camera crew needed their own area too. So we had to close off some zones while keeping others open for movement. I had imagined it all would be simpler — but then again, isn’t that always how it starts?
Everything had to feel old.
Brownish-red tones. Rusty textures. The smell was heavy — musty, metallic. We wore gloves at all times to avoid injuries from the many sharp corners and layers of decay.
We used wires, glue, spray paint, and lots (and lots) of duct tape to make it all work. The real challenge was this: the robot had to move. And the set had to move with him. So we needed both fixed elements and flexible, functional parts — especially where the fire tools were involved. It wasn’t easy to find that balance, and we spend lots of time trying…
We also got lucky with some borrowed tech — screens on loan from the Literature Archive in Marbach am Neckar. I had originally envisioned using three green screens, but in the end, we ditched them. Best decision ever. The more screens, the more post-production. A single iPad was more than enough for our story.
The heartpiece
A swinging pendulum — driving the robot faster and faster. But that’s a story for another time. Let’s just say: it ended up being powered by human hands. And oh, we laughed a lot.
Bringing it alive!
But the real magic happened when the film crew from Eugeniusfilm arrived.
They brought the lights. The smoke machine. And suddenly… our rusty scrapyard became a breathing machine room. It was alive.
Seeing it lit up for the first time, through the lens — gave us chills.
We were proud. Really proud.
Watch this clip the see some insights of the transformation:
No big things are achieved alone!
A huge thank you to Matthias Junginger for offering us this strange, beautiful space for such an experimental vision.
And to Diego, for being the calm in my storm.
And to Eugeniusfilm and all our helpers, who brought the final touches and made this whole mad dream ready to shoot ! 
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