Science fiction movie Gravity, which clinched the award for Best Visual Effects at the 2014 Oscars, created the movie’s lighting effects with a custom made LED light box, according to a report by Digital Trends. 

Sandra Bullock and George Clooney in the movie "Gravity." (Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros)

The movie, which features Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, depicts two astronauts stranded in space after an accident destroyed their space shuttle. The two astronauts floating in the void of space try to find a way back to Earth.

To create realistic lighting resembling outer space, the movie’s visual supervisor Tim Webber and photography director Emmanuel Lubezki created a LED light box comprised of an interior box of 196 panels and 4,096 LEDs. The exterior of the box and lighting is controlled by computer and VFX technicians.The light box was inspired by LED lighting effects seen at concerts, according to Lubezki.

An image of the LED light box (left) used in Gravity. (Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros via Digital Trends)

The box with a dimension of 20 feet (6.90 meter) wide and 10 feet tall (3.05 meter) was capable of casting different shades of colors, and even used to project images of Earth and the space station.

According to Bullock, who plays astronaut Dr. Ryan Stone in the film, isolation in the light box also helped her performance.“There was no human connection, other than the voices coming through my little earwig, which helped because it made me feel so alone,” she said. 

Sandra Bullock in the movie Gravity. (Photo Courtesy of Warners Bro.)