The recent indie horror film Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma features a visual effect that has largely fallen out of cinematic use over the past five decades: matte painting. Production designers Brandon Tonner-Connolly and Matt Hyland embarked on a mission to resurrect this “old-school film nerd” technique, aiming for an effect that director Jane Schoenbrun encouraged and which Hyland noted “nobody alive has really attempted this in this way."
The film centers on Kris, an indie director seeking to adapt the slasher franchise "Camp Miasma." Her quest leads her to convince Billy, the reclusive "Final Girl" from the original film, to participate. Billy is found living at the actual camp where the movie was shot, setting the stage for a meta-horror narrative that blends humor and unease. The film's distinctive visuals, however, are a direct result of Tonner-Connolly and Hyland's dedication to matte painting.
Matte painting, also known as glass painting or glass shots, has a storied history in filmmaking, appearing in classics such as Ben-Hur, Black Narcissus, Superman: The Movie, and Titanic. The technique involves painting a scene onto a large sheet of glass, leaving specific areas clear. This glass is then positioned between the camera and the actors, creating an illusion of expansive, real-world settings or fantastical environments without the need for expensive CGI. The final image seamlessly integrates painted elements with live-action footage.
For Camp Miasma, the matte paintings serve to visually represent Kris's emotional journey as she becomes increasingly immersed in Billy's world. "We designed a progression: the first painting, seen outside the hotel room window, feels distant, like a siren call from afar," Tonner-Connolly explained. "Each subsequent one gets closer."
One significant matte painting was created for the scene introducing the camp's movie theater. In this shot, the physical structure of the building is enhanced by a painted backdrop depicting a whimsical, wintry landscape under a colorful night sky. This visual element is crucial, serving as a prelude to the film's blurring of fantasy and reality.
The physical execution of the matte paintings required a blend of artistic skill and practical problem-solving. Hyland described the process: "We had the sheet of glass a few feet in front of the camera, painted with scenery that masks what's really behind it. Leave certain areas unpainted, and you see the real world and real actors seamlessly combined into the final image."
The primary challenge lay in precisely aligning all the elements. "It only works from one vantage point, and the painting has to be made for that exact vantage — lens choice, lens height, relationship to the characters, lighting, all controlled for," Hyland stated. "That was the real nail-biter."
After scouting the location and completing the painting, the team faced the moment of truth. Weeks later, with actors in position and the crew holding its breath, the painted glass was placed before the camera. The shot was successful, a moment Tonner-Connolly recalled with a laugh as "stressful."
The collaborative effort between the designers and director has resulted in a unique visual language for Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, demonstrating the enduring power of practical effects in achieving extraordinary cinematic visions.
The film follows Kris, a rising indie director chasing the rights to adapt Camp Miasma, a dated and sprawling slasher franchise whose legacy has curdled over the years. Kris makes her way upstate, hoping to convince the reclusive Final Girl from the original film, Billy (Gillian Anderson), to sign on — only to find her living in the camp where the movie was shot.
Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma quickly evolves beyond that original premise to spin a twisty, trippy, meta-horror commentary that's equal parts funny and disturbing. But none of that would have been possible without the stunning visuals created by production designers Brandon Tonner-Connolly and Matt Hyland, who set out to revive a film technique so unique it's been in disuse for the past 50 years: matte painting.
