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Use Fresh Viewers Then Small Test Screenings
- Nolan recommends watching work-in-progress cuts with individuals who haven't read the script to regain a fresh, empathetic audience perspective.
- He then tests with larger groups in screenings to feel the collective audience response without over-relying on scored research.
The Atmosphere Ignition As Story Entry
- Nolan's initial hook to Oppenheimer was the Manhattan Project's calculation that their first test might ignite the atmosphere.
- He wanted to move beyond using that idea as analogy (as in Tenet) and actually place the audience inside that room.
In-Camera Abstraction Over CGI
- Nolan cites 2001's Stargate sequence as foundational for portraying abstract, tactile visualizations in-camera rather than relying on CGI.
- He wanted confusion of scale—micro to cosmic—so effects feel "real" and threatening.