Translating the sci-fi classic Ender’s Game to the big screen required tackling iconic locations and sequences in a way that honored fan expectations while still playing to audiences that were new to the material. To accomplish that goal, writer-director Gavin Hood joined forces with Digital Domain, the visual-effects powerhouse originally founded by James Cameron and Stan Winston.

In the years since its inception, Digital Domain has worked on a wide array of projects, handling everything from Titanic to the remarkable reverse-aging Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. But when it came to Ender’s Game no single location proved to be more of a complex challenge than the infamous Battle Room.