Since using a blue screen for filming is never simple, it appears that many well-known actors had to face challenges while pretending to see aliens and UFOs. Consider the science fiction movie, Independence Day starring Will Smith, which narrated the story of various groups of people coming together in the Nevada desert after a major extraterrestrial race attack.

Actors like Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Margaret Colin, Randy Quaid, Robert Loggia, James Rebhorn, and Harvey Fierstein were among the ensemble cast.

The film was released in 1996, and it eventually became the second highest-grossing film of that year. But the 1996 classic had its fair share of difficult shooting situations. Smith claimed that the Independence Day movie set presented a variety of challenges, particularly with regard to the blue screen.

Will Smith
If you are not familiar with the term, a blue screen background is a backdrop that actors act in front of, which is monochromatic and evenly lit.

The desired background is then added in place of the blue (or green) using chroma-keying. Even nowadays, blue or green screens are widely used in many modern movies.

Will Smith Discussed The Problems Shooting With The Blue-Screen

Acting in front of a blue screen has become a fairly common practice in modern times as technological advancements make it simpler to create realistic backgrounds during post-production. The process was significantly more difficult for actors in 1996 because the technology was still in its infancy. Thus, it was a difficult task that required creativity and accuracy, according to Will Smith, who played Captain Steven Hiller in Independence Day.

Smith stated that the most “difficult” aspect of filming was pretending to see and communicate with aliens. In a 1996 interview conducted after the release of the movie, the 54-year-old actor-rapper talked about what it was like to film Independence Day.
Will Smith
He explained:
“It’s so difficult to act with nothing, to be with a blue screen, and then they’ll tell you, ‘OK, well, don’t worry about it. There’s going to be an explosion on your left and then there’s gonna be some aliens out on the right side, and then your plane is going to dive down into the Grand Canyon …’”
He further joked:
“I’m just sitting in a chair and I’m like, ‘Wait, I’m supposed to act all of that with nothing?’ That was a little difficult. With Jeff Goldblum sitting next to me, I’m supposed to do all that.”

Did it Take Just 72 Days to Film Independence Day?

No one could have predicted Independence Day’s success when it was first released in the mid-1990s, especially given how quickly it was shot. The script was written in just three weeks, according to Entertainment Weekly, and was sold the day it was finished.

20th Century Fox made an offer for the script for $7.5 million following an “intense bidding war.” After it was sold, the production crew finished shooting in 72 days.

On the first day of filming, 340 days before the movie’s premiere, the cast and crew “set up shop on the highway beside Manhattan’s East River.” The temperature rose to 85 degrees on the first day. Additionally, the 20 extras on the movie set were told to “appear horrified” while gazing upward as if they had spotted a huge UFO.
Will Smith
In addition to the 1996 classic, the movie made a comeback in 2016 with Independence Day: Resurgence, though Will Smith was not in it. Furthermore, it didn’t appear that the writers have any plans for a third.

When the 2016 sequel was released, co-writer, Dean Devlin was questioned about his plans for a third movie, and he responded:
“I don’t know. I don’t know. Currently, I personally have no plans on doing another one.”
However, Roland Emmerich, the director, might not agree, as he stated:

“The next one will be an intergalactic journey. It’ll be [set] maybe a year or two later, not 20 years [on]. I want to maintain this group of people, especially the young characters, and Jeff [Goldblum] and Brent [Spiner] will take part in it.”

Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum in Independence Day
Well, mixed reviews were given to the movie; they praised the acting, music, and special effects but criticized the characters.

Both parts of Independence Day are available to stream on DIRECTV.