Benjamin finds himself in Murmansk as a member of the Merchant Marines. A plate of Benjamin and his crewmates was shot in Paris. The road leading to Murmansk Harbor is created as a 3D scene with painted textures. Layers of falling snow and smoke were added in composite.  The director requested a sense of "perpetual twilight" for the shot.

Back from the war, Benjamin renews a friendship with Daisy. This plate was shot on location in New Orleans. Location night shooting is always difficult. Off-camera lights can illuminate the foreground, but lighting an entire city-block bright enough for a camera exposure is usually not an option. The matte painting shows many neon signs and a brighter city beyond.

1923

A real location stood in for the Button Factory. We then added the Button's Buttons sign, illuminated windows and added other digital enhancements. Background details such as rooftop water towers and belching smokestacks were created at far right.

In an act of compassion, Benjamin takes his estranged father down to watch the sunrise one last time at the lakefront house. The covered structure (seen on mouse rollover) served as a placeholder for the CG version of the Button lakefront home. The final shot was cast in predawn darkness.

The sunset at the pier combined with a live-action plate of father and son.

The practical light at the end of the pier (seen on mouse rollover) served as a stand-in for the sun and provided interactive lighting on the actors.