James Gunn’s highly anticipated Superman movie flies into theaters this July, shepherding the Man of Steel into a new era of the DC Universe. The new film has had superhero fans buzzing since it was first announced, and it’s sure to be one of the big blockbuster hits of the summer.
Massive-budget summer blockbusters like the Superman movie are a great place to pull inspiration for your own video projects.
Superhero movies focus on themes of transformation, power, and the tension of good triumphing over evil — universal storytelling techniques that will resonate with all types of viewers. Superman-inspired characters can be easy to write into a short film, a commercial project, or a promo reel. But even if you aren’t making a Superman fan film, there are plenty of things you can learn from the franchise.
The new Man of Steel
The $225 million Superman film is going to be one of 2025’s big summer movies. 2025’s Superman is the first film of DCU’s Chapter One: Gods and Monsters — a soft reboot of the entire DCU franchise. It’s being produced by James Gunn’s recently formed DC Studios. Gunn was also the director of huge blockbuster hits like Guardians of the Galaxy and Suicide Squad.
The new Superman film stars David Corenswet as Superman/Clark Kent and explores the character’s journey to reconcile his alien origins from Krypton with his upbringing by his adoptive family in Smallville, Kansas. The 2025 film is primarily focused on Superman’s life as a young reporter at the Daily Planet, giving a chance for characters like Lois Lane to play a bigger role in the story. Based on interviews and early buzz, Gunn’s Superman will be bringing back some of the good-guy charm that Christopher Reeve brought to the role in the late ‘70s.
“I think, in some ways, he can be seen as a little old-fashioned, but I think that old-fashioned is something that’s really beautiful and, in its own way, the most rebellious thing about that character,” Gunn said in an interview with EW about the film.
The film’s extended trailer indicates that the project will be a glossy, high-budget production that places our hero in the modern era, while still bringing in a ton of classic superhero grandeur. He’s flying, he’s saving kids, he’s surviving brutal falls, battling monsters, and looking good in his blue suit while doing it. But, as his girlfriend Lois Lane points out, he violated some international laws and treaties when he decided to stop a war in another country.
Great writing, dynamic camera work, plenty of action sequences, moody color-grading, high-quality SFX, and incredible VFX help bring it all together.
While creating the Superman movie took a huge team and a massive budget, creative assets can be a great way to bring the look and feel of the Superman movie to your own project.
Recreate the Superman look
Lighting
To recreate the look and feel of the shots from Superman’s Kansas home, you should aim to shoot outside during golden hour. Shooting right before the sun goes down will give your on-location shots a warm, soft glow with a cinematic film look. If your production schedule doesn’t line up with that magical hour of outdoor light, you can recreate it in the studio.
Color grading
LUTs are an easy way to bring the look of the Superman movie to your videos, and can also help achieve that golden hour glow. For a classic Superman look, we suggest LUTs that emphasize blues and reds. Notice how in any frame, the blue and red on Superman’s suit always stand out? Using LUTs that slightly desaturate the other colors in the backdrop will help those colors pop. Experiment with different LUT intensities to dial in the effect without overdoing it.
Motion Graphics and VFX
Adding kinetic titles for opening and closing credits on your project can serve as a storytelling tool here. Use an opening credit sequence to build drama and keep your viewers engaged. Using VFX for transitions within the project is another way to add superhero-style movement. Experiment with light flares, smoke, fire, or breaking glass as storytelling tools.
Music and sound design
Superhero movies tend to be backed by big, epic sound design. A superhero-inspired project is a great time to use expansive orchestra tracks with tons of layered sounds. Look for music that builds suspense and features big swells — check out the options in the Motion Array catalog.
Sound effects can be added into the mix of the final project to add emphasis to the action on screen. Adding a swooshing sound can help sell a character in flight or a solid thud when your superhero lands a punch on their enemy.
Voiceover
Using voiceover tracks will help bring disparate parts of a superhero story together. Make sure the sound and feel of the VO match the mood of the story that you are trying to tell. Voices that are confident, motivating, and articulate work well for superhero stories.
Gear recommendations
Superhero movies look and feel so epic because of the care taken during production. Although there’s a lot of heavy lifting that happens in post-production, getting it right in camera makes the final project sparkle.
Using professional-quality gear when shooting your project will be a major help once it’s time to edit.
Cameras
We recommend using a camera capable of shooting at least 4K video. If you’re looking to get your project screened at film festivals or have aspirations to sell it to a streaming platform, make sure that you are using a camera that’s compatible with their requirements.
Cameras like the Blackmagic, RED, the ARRI Alexa, and Canon’s Cinema line all offer pro-level quality that would work well for a superhero film. We’d recommend using a camera that can shoot in a Log format. This will make it easier to apply color grading LUTs in post-production.
Lenses
Lens choice plays a big role in superhero-style shoots. Anamorphic lenses can provide an undistorted wide-field-of-view, which is great for establishing shots. They are also known for creating cinematic flair, a common visual characteristic in superhero films.
Prime lenses in a variety of sizes are a great tool for isolating subjects in a frame and are known for being extremely sharp and accurate. 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm are three popular choices favored by action filmmakers. The specific brand of lens that you choose will depend largely on what camera you’re shooting with. Cine lenses allow you to record continuous motion and offer more precise focusing controls than a traditional camera lens.
Lighting
A continuous lighting kit will help you dial in what a scene looks like in-camera, regardless of where or what time of day that you are shooting. Superhero films often rely on a combination of very bright lighting and moody, dark lighting. Lighting modifiers can help you achieve these different vibes during your shoot.
Audio
Cleanly recorded audio is essential to give your project a blockbuster feeling. For this style of storytelling, audio should be crisp and clear so it matches the epic visuals. Use directional mics to cut out background noise. Adding a few epic sound effects from the Motion Array catalog will help sell the on-screen superhero action.
Superhero themes
Bring the style of the upcoming Superman movie to your own projects with assets from the Motion Array catalog. Some of our favorites are highlighted below.
This After Effects template features a similar atmospheric glow to the official Superman trailer. It features a cosmic effect, neon lights, and the colors are customizable. This template would be a great choice for building title cards for an opening sequence of a video project.
These dynamic light-flare effects would be great for transitioning between moments of action in a project. Try using one when your superhero flies out of frame at the speed of light.
This pack of motion graphics includes fire, smoke, and explosions — effects commonly seen in superhero stories. Try layering the different motion graphics on top of one another to increase the drama in your scene.
Using stock footage can be a great way to keep your project’s budget reasonable. The Motion Array catalog has lots of stock footage that you can pair together in your superhero stories. This drone shot of a city street can help set the scene if your superhero lives in an urban area like Superman does.
Pairing a wide overhead shot like the city intersection with a tighter stock shot of people crossing a busy street will expand the sense of place in your superhero story before you introduce your main character into the scene.
Music plays a big role in superhero stories. This epic royalty-free track, Chasing the Dream, has a slow, hopeful build that would work nicely in a film’s opening sequence or as the background music for the moment the hero of your story accomplishes whatever it is they’ve set out to do.
Adding well-placed SFX into the mix will enhance all of the fantastic things your superhero is doing on screen. The Superhero Action sound pack features a variety of flying wooshes, lasers, and the thuds of powerful punches landing.
Up, up, and away
The upcoming Superman movie combines dynamic camera angles, moody color LUTs, and epic sound design. Including these elements in your videos will elevate your summer projects to a super level. For this and more, check out the full Superman collection on Motion Array.
