9/11

9/11 is a 2017 American drama directed by Martin Guigui, adapted from Patrick Carson’s play Elevator. Set during the September 11 attacks, it stars Charlie Sheen, Whoopi Goldberg, Gina Gershon and Luis Guzmán as strangers trapped in a World Trade Center elevator as the towers burn above them.

Staging a real historical catastrophe from inside a stalled lift car puts the weight on effects the audience is never meant to notice. Work of that kind means rebuilding a vanished skyline through matte painting and CG environments, extending a stage-built shaft into a tower that no longer stands, and simulating the dust, smoke and falling debris that convey scale without tipping into spectacle. Rotoscoping and cleanup strip modern intrusions from every window and reflection, and compositing keeps grain, haze and colour consistent across archival-feeling material. Terminal FX provided visual effects and animation for the production, part of its film, television and commercial portfolio.