The Fifth Element called for many combinations of digital and practical effects techniques, frequently combined with elements from live action shooting. Miniature sets, digitally extended and enhanced, were populated with a combination of digital and model vehicles, as well as both virtual and actual actors.

"We organized our art department, headed by Ira Gilford and Ron Cress," says Stetson,"to further interpret the look of the production art, to flesh out the sketches and to fill the occasional gaps in the established designs. There were a lot of sketches and drawings being traded back and forth, particularly for the cityscapes, flying vehicles and similar things." Notably, Stetson headed the model shop for 1982's Blade Runner - a film that has defined the look of the urban future for the last 15 years. "One of the most gratifying aspects of working with Luc on this picture is the fact that it's not another Blade Runner," says Stetson. "The look of this film is very different and fresh. Because of the involvement of Moebius and Mezieres, the design is rooted in the traditions of the French graphic novel, combined with a photorealistic approach that is entirely new and different." To realize Besson's vision of the future 261 years from now, Digital Domain's model shop produced more than 30 major models.The largest of these represented the city of Manhattan in 2259 A.D. - a single model incorporating 22 buildings - each building about eight feet around, and averaging a height of 16 feet.The Manhattan model alone filled two of the five stages in Digital Domain's facilities in Venice, California, where four stages were dedicated to The Fifth Element during its 18 weeks of shooting miniature effects."Mark has delivered some incredible work," says Dan Lombardo, Digital Domain's Visual Effects Producer on the film. The Fifth Element, designed to immerse the viewer in a unique vision of t he future, offers a view of the urban landscape that is both expansive and intimate, as miniature shooting cameras often moved as close as a half-inch from Digital Domain's detailed models. "Few models withstand that kind of close-up scrutiny," says Lombardo."That's a real testament to the diligence and detail that Mark applies to his work." The diversity of effects techniques used for the film is a point of pride for Stetson and crew. "Mixing it up -showing digital cars literally bumper-to-bumper with model cars - has been a lot of fun on this picture," says Stetson, "and the freedom that gave certainly multiplied the number of elements and enriched the shots." Work for The Fifth Element doubled Digital Domain's record for most elements in a single shot, with over 80 elements combined for each frame of one shot. The average for the picture was approximately 25 elements, in a total of 225 effects shots. With the project well into development at Digital Domain, the principal shoot began. Throughout the shoot, Digital Domain maintained a visual effects plate unit headed by Stetson and VFX director of photography Bill Neil, to assure the accuracy of the color keys and to advise Besson on what could be achieved in the final compositions of the 125 live action shots.