Geekscape Interviews: Jabbar Raisani, Director of ‘Alien Outpost’

Military action and sci-fi are two film genres that have gotten along pretty well over the years. From Aliens to Mass Effect, it’s not difficult to imagine throwing a bunch of square-jawed marines up against a horde of savage creatures.

Yet, as cinema and art continue to evolve upon the shoulders of giants, there’s always a new spin to be had on old methods. Sometimes an old dog won’t just learn a new trick, that fella might just show off a whole new routine.

Jabbar Raisani, who has built a name for himself in the VFX world for his work on Game of Thrones — a small show you may have heard of — has directed his first feature film, the sci-fi/actioner Alien Outpost from IFC Midnight. Taking cues from meditative, modern war films like The Hurt Locker and Restrepo and combining it with epic, original sci-fi, Alien Outpost just might be one of the most unique action movies in recent memory.

Decades into a dwindling conflict between humans and an advanced extraterrestrial species, the soldiers of an understaffed, underfunded military outpost are pushed to the brink and take the fight to the last remaining alien stronghold to desperately end things once and for all. Along the way, a skeleton documentary crew follows them and chronicles what could be their last days on Earth.

I recently spoke to director Jabbar Raisani about the challenges of making his first feature film and how his VFX knowledge have prepared him to be a more efficient director.

What influenced the form of the film — a fictional documentary? Why did you want to tell this story in that style as opposed to traditional narrative formats?

Jabbar: With the documentary, the documentarians can have an angle in terms of why they’re making the film. And that to me was more interesting than doing a found footage film. There’s no intent on the part of the filmmakers in the film itself. And I really wanted it to feel like these guys had an intention in putting together a documentary together which is to bring attention and awareness to a world that people aren’t really thinking about as they did a decade ago when the attacks and invasion first happened.

There’s a level of cinema violence and access that, safe to say, probably wouldn’t be in a real documentary. There are limbs flying, people dying on screen, and you film rather private conversations. As a director, how did you decide to deviate from the documentary form and become a sort of fly on the wall?

Jabbar: It’s one of those things where you’re always trying to find that balance between telling the best story and maintain the style. On occasion, as we get into the action in the end of the film, to depart a little bit from style to allow for a little better storytelling was what I opted for because I wanted the best viewing experience. As opposed to being completely rigid with the documentary style.

You didn’t want to be attached to just one style. You wanted liberty in form, so to speak?

Jabbar: Exactly. And I felt that, as you got to that point in the movie, it was very well-established and maintained, especially when it comes to the actors and the interviews and getting to know the characters, that when it got to that level of action I felt the story would be better served and the audience would enjoy it a little bit more if it loosened up.

You’re well-known for your special effects work, notably on HBO’s Game of Thrones. In what ways has your special effects background influenced your directing? For example, do you decide camera framing by how you want the VFX shot to look?

Jabbar: Yeah, absolutely. One of the benefits of spending years on set as a special effects supervisor is that part comes really natural to. Where I have to spend very little [time] thinking of how a frame is, what to shoot, what’s going to work best in post, and that part comes second nature. So it allows me to really focus on the actors and the performances and the story that’s being told without being bogged down by the technicalities of the visual effects.

Alien Outpost is your first time feature, but you’ve directed shorts like Watermelon Seeds and Speed Stack. What were some of your biggest challenges in bringing your first feature-length vision to life?

Jabbar: The challenges are really throughout the entire process. When you’re directing a film, you’re not only the creative force behind it, you’re really the driving force behind everything. From the first draft of the script, we had written a bigger movie, a more expensive movie, and the first thing you really have to come to terms with is the budget. You’re never gonna get the budget you want the first time. Once you expect that, you realize that it’s a lot of just making comprises, but you’re trying to make the best compromises that result in the best product. And it really goes from the very beginning when you’re writing the script all the way until the last VFX shot. You’re trying to figure out who to best send out the resources that you have.

Who were some of your influences growing up? What directors made you want to pursue filmmaking? Who specifically influenced Alien Outpost? Personally, I sensed a heavy The Hurt Locker and Restrepo vibe.

Jabbar: Yeah absolutely! I watched a lot of military documentaries and Restrepo was definitely high on my favorite flicks. I really wanted to make something that felt real, but have elements that I really like, which is the sci-fi/action stuff. In regards to directors, James Cameron and Ridley Scott as far as feature films go, you know? I’ve watched Alien probably thirty times, Terminator 2 maybe more than that. [laughs] And there’s another guy, David Nutter, he’s a television director. He’s excellent. He’s done a lot of work on Game of Thrones. I did Thrones with him, season three, and he’s one of the guys that I’m like, “Man, that’s the kind of director I want to be.”

You know, I should have figured you’re a big James Cameron fan. I should have seen the Alien influence.

Jabbar: [laughs]

In Alien Outpost, you’ve changed our world in a bit of a bizarre fashion. You’ve had the aliens destroy Brazil, there’s a new North Korea, but design-wise, the year of 2033 doesn’t look that much different from 2015. What was behind the decision to keep the future world of Alien Outpost looking like it does now?

Jabbar: Going back to the invasion, these creatures, when they landed, really prevented us from progressing. The idea is that they’ve destroyed the way the world currently works, and for years we just struggled to get by. And then finally we’re rebuilding to get back where we are now, as opposed to just having flying cars in the distant future.

Can you describe the world-building elements in some further detail? What dictated their design? We don’t get to know the aliens — the “Heavies” — very well at all. What led you to shroud them in some mystery?

Jabbar: Story wise, in terms of why we don’t go into great detail about who the Heavies are, is that in the world the documentarians are making a film, that’s common knowledge to people of that world. So, when this film comes out, they’re very familiar with the Heavies. So that’s why the film tries to describe everything about them. And again, that leaves us open for a quadrilogy, to me, with two subsequent films and a prequel. And that gives the audience something to look forward to.

In terms of design, Eddie Yang and Steve Wang are responsible for the design of the creature. They both worked at Stan Winston Studios, that’s where I met Eddie, and worked with him on films like Iron Man and Man of Steel at his own company. So I had a long, working relationship with Eddie, and I knew that he would be able to bring this thing to life in a way that was really beyond anything I could imagine myself. He and Steve co-designed it, between those two guys — Steve most famously credited for designing the Predator at Stan Winston Studios. So I knew they could achieve anything I could imagine.

Damn it, I knew I saw a little Predator in the Heavies. I should have picked up on that.

Jabbar: [laughs]

I would get beat up if I didn’t ask this question, so I apologize ahead of time, but: What is happening this season on Game of Thrones? Can you tell us anything at all what’s going to happen?

Jabbar: Luckily I do know. But I’m sworn secrecy, and more than that I would be breaking contract with HBO if I said anything. But I will say, the books are out there, the books are fantastic, and start reading them.

What ultimately want to tell the story of Alien Outpost? Were you trying to draw parallels to the recent Iraq War? Or is this just a classic tale of heroism and bravery?

Jabbar: It’s definitely a classic tale of heroism and brotherhood, of bravery, between these soldiers that are out there, fighting these battles that may not be like World War II where there is a clear enemy and a clear bad guy. And things, much like today, are not as black and white as they used to be. I really wanted to draw on some similarities and conflicts we’re experiencing today, while telling a bigger story of just men that are banded together against a common enemy.

From IFC Midnight, Alien Outpost is out now in theaters and Video On Demand.