Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

“There are two types of beings in the universe: those who dance, and those who do not.” — Drax

The joy is in the details. And there is no shortage of detail in the bombastic, toe-tapping opening to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. The two-time galaxy savers – Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and, of course, Baby Groot – are at it again, this time battling the Abilisk, a giant interdimensional beast.

Baby Groot, mischievous and distracted and utterly in his own world, dances to music from Star-Lord’s second mixtape while the Guardians throw down in the background, out of focus. The focus on Groot instead of the main action is the first comedic thrust of the film, a hilarious stroke of wit that dumps audiences in medias res but with the major action just beyond reach.

Although Baby Groot is voiced by actor Vin Diesel in the film, the tiny tree character’s dancing is actually based on director James Gunn’s own movements. Gunn’s love of music was directly translated to the screen by visual effects company Framestore, who used a video recorded by associate producer Simon Hatt on an iPhone in Gunn’s home office just after he’d written the opening scene. In the video, Gunn dances freeform, with moves “made up on the spot” but clearly in character as Groot. “I’m trying to move my body that [sic] works for a little tree more than what I’d be dancing like in a nightclub in L.A.,” said the director.

The custom typography developed by Sarofsky for the first Guardians of the Galaxy film returns here, this time in rusty gold and glowing blue neon, providing familiarity and brand consistency. The title card freeze-frame puts Baby Groot in a Matrix-like pose, impervious to – and ignorant of – the mayhem around him. As the camera buzzes between laser blasts and flailing tentacles the film’s credits appear wherever there’s room. Meanwhile Groot continues his dance, adorable and oblivious to the events around him, losing himself to the music.

Like Rob Gordon says in 2000’s High Fidelity, “The making of a great compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do and takes ages longer than it might seem. You’ve got to kick it off with a killer to grab attention.” The killer song here is Electric Light Orchestra’s infectious “Mr. Blue Sky,” a soaring Beatlesque composition penned by songwriter Jeff Lynne in 1977. It’s been used in a handful of films including Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Invention of Lying, but perhaps the most interesting place it’s been played is in space. In 2011, the song was played as a wake-up call for astronauts on the final mission of Space Shuttle Atlantis. The opening of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 recalls that usage, giving the Marvel film a jump-start, juxtaposing the bright and irresistible “Mr. Blue Sky” with something truly out of this world.

A discussion with Executive Creative Director ERIN SAROFSKY of Sarofsky and Animation Supervisor ARSLAN ELVER of Framestore.



So Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is Sarofsky’s sixth Marvel project to date. How do these projects typically come to you at this point?

Erin: Every time we’re like, “Please call us sooner in the process!” But they don’t. The only people who do are the Russos – and it’s motivated by the Russos, not by Marvel. They are just such a machine. There’s a certain point where they’re like, “Oh, we should start thinking about main title or graphics!”



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