CROMAESCOPE is a comedy web series made up of 8 episodes. Each one is inspired by different B-series science fiction films from the 1950s, imitating their aesthetics and themes in a comic tone, with fast-paced dialogues and funny situations. The clumsy practical effects, combined with an obvious use of 'chroma' technology and the sober creation of backgrounds using AI, reinforce the idea that it is a production made in a more modest time.


EPISODES

THE HUMONGOUS TERROR

  When Professor Willfort Spencer III suffers a heartbreak, he decides to test a serum of his own invention on himself in order to become a superior human being. The test is a success except for the adverse side effects of gigantism and massive dementia. Only the knowledge of Dr. Night, with the help of Lieutenant Colonel Delaware, can put an end to the chaos and destruction that has been unleashed on the city.

THE DAY OF THE
OUTRAGEOUS VISITOR

  While the eyes of the entire planet are focused on a mysterious flying saucer that has landed on the White House lawn, failed actor Buster Wilson is brought before the President of the United States. The latter seeks the actor's collaboration in a sinister deception whose purpose is to hide the terrible truth that would be revealed if an agreement were to be reached with an alliance of planets in the galaxy.

ROCKET TO THE PLANET MORTAL

  Professor Mortimer, discoverer of the planet Mortal, along with his daughter, Commander Johnson and Corporal Smith, embark on a journey to take possession of the astronomical object. However, their happy adventure turns into a fight for survival when they face the terrible dangers of a hostile environment.

BORTO THE TERRIBLE ROBOT

  In the middle of the Cold War, a United States military man contacts a robotics expert with the delicate mission of entrusting him with the construction of a combat automaton that will establish the country’s supremacy in the imminent arms race in the field of robotics. Although he is unable to face such a task, the scientist is forced to continue with the creation of BORTO, the robot.

THE LAST MAN SITTING ON EARTH

 The placid and monotonous life of the inhabitants of the small town of Royalville is suddenly and for no apparent reason turned upside down from one day to the next. Only the employee of a local garage, Walter Jenkins, seems to be unaffected. For this reason, the extraterrestrial invaders responsible for the change in personality of the rest of the citizens, violently abduct the mechanic to try to find out the reason for his immunity.

THOSE!

 A tragic plane crash leads, in the most unexpected way, to the appearance of gigantic snails. Only Dr. Gill is aware of this danger and she will have to convince the skeptical Mayor Farm of the threat that these creatures pose to a population immersed in its most popular celebration, the Palo Verde Lettuce Festival.

THE CURSE OF
THE NAMELESS CREATURE

  In various locations, each one more terrifying and abandoned than the last, we will be able to witness the confrontation between Kate, Bob and Professor Clayton against the terrifying Nameless Creature. As you will see in the film of the same name, and its subsequent sequels, beneath the creature's monstrous appearance there may well be some intelligence.

BORTO vs.
THE HUMONGOUS TERROR
IN 3D

  The President of the United States, seen in THE DAY OF THE OUTRAGEOUS VISITOR, joins forces with Dr. Night and Lieutenant Delaware, whom you may remember from THE HUMONGOUS TERROR, to confront a gigantic Soviet robot created in the image and likeness of BORTO THE TERRIBLE ROBOT on the streets of New York. An epic double chapter that brings the series to a close and in which part of its footage takes place in 3D, with the viewer wearing glasses with red and blue cellophane.


  These eight episodes are independent stories and have a duration of around 12 minutes, except for the last one, which is a special double episode concluding the series. The total footage adds up to 106 minutes of projection. Throughout the months that the production of the series has lasted, a team of more than 50 people have participated, either as actors or as collaborators.

  The 1950s turned out to be one of the most characteristic periods of science-fiction cinema, largely because it reflected the fears and paranoias resulting from the Cold War, the atomic age and UFO sightings. Its new audience was teenagers, in double-bill matinees and drive-in theaters stocked with low-budget black-and-white films.

 

  The name CROMAESCOPE refers to filming systems such as Cinemascope or Cinerama, which in the 1950s tried to compete with television by offering new experiences in cinemas. In this case, the term “chroma” is used because the entire series has been made using this system, which consists of recording the actors against a green background that is later replaced by the corresponding set. Due to the complexity and enormous variety of these backgrounds, artificial intelligence generation has been used to create them. In one episode, a virtual 3D set has also been designed to obtain the necessary images.

  At the same time, and to achieve the B-movie feel of that time, miniatures and practical effects have been used for all the props and vehicles that appear on screen. UFOs, rockets or planes are models that are never hidden from view. Similarly, 3D filming was very popular in the 1950s, using the well-known cardboard glasses with two-colour cellophane. This format has also been used in the last episode of the series, for which these types of glasses will be distributed among all the spectators attending the screening.

 

CROMAESCOPE is an independent project, without any type of subsidy and completely self-financed, inspired by a way of making films from another era that faced the lack of budget without complexes, with the sole purpose of telling stories that were entertaining for the public. For this reason, the direction is intentionally simple, but not simplistic, so as not to clash with the style of the time. Beneath this apparent lightness lies a moral and social commitment narrated through fantasy and humor. Each shot required detailed technical and artistic planning to fit together different elements without losing the perfect composition and precise emotional content. All this while maintaining the narrative coherence of the episode and the series. Special care was therefore taken in directing the actors to achieve appropriately hammy performances and a tight narrative rhythm at the service of comedy.

 

  Álvaro Beltrán is the author of the series, director and scriptwriter of all the episodes. Among his works are the short films Ecos, Stop a la hipnosis, El fenómeno OVNI vive, Tubular Head, the trilogy of short films 5, 10 and 15 minutes in time and the series of short films Bonus Track. His involvement over three years in the development of CROMAESCOPE makes this project a passionate author's work.

 

“A passionately retro-filled project that celebrates modern filming techniques while maintaining the style of the bygone.”
―THE MONKEY BREAD TREE FILM AWARDS

 

"Cromaescope (because each episode is shot in 'glorious CROMAESCOPE!') is hilariously entertaining,

a joy to watch for any fan of 1950s bug-eyed monster movies."
―HOLLYWOOD INVESTIGATOR

 

"The work in black and white is challenging because colors and grayscale are very different things—they can blend, and different colors may merge into the same gray shade. However, we can still perceive differences in tones and materials of gray. The creation of a costume design that looks like a future imagined in past decades is really interesting."

―ALL THAT MOVES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL



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