Special effects in Blade Runner (Spinners)

Blade runner Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) hunts rogue replicants through the rain-drenched, neon-lit streets of a futuristic Los Angeles in Ridley Scott’s groundbreaking Blade Runner (1982).   

Aside from the influential dystopian setting, Blade Runner is lauded for its striking visual effects, particularly the ‘spinners’ – hi-tech cars that soar through the streets and the sky. Scott was inspired by imagery in several of these books. Futurist and industrial designer Syd Mead also contributed, helping design the sci-fi world around the cars.   

Spinner models were filmed against a black screen and then superimposed on the model shots of LA. Three life-size versions of the spinners were also created. These flew on wires that were later painted out of the shots, while interior shots were filmed against a green screen.