SCENE STEALER

Building a believable oil rig that actually erupts before catching fire was only half the challenge faced by special effects supervisor Steve Cremin on Paul Thomas Anderson’s “There Will Be Blood.” The other 50% was making it environmentally safe. The derrick was constructed in Marfa, Texas, near where James Dean’s “Giant” (1956) did its own drilling. Back then, it was common to shoot gasoline skyward, then light it at the director’s command. These days, what goes up better not come down. “Spilled gas requires a toxic cleanup,” says Cremin. “That’s a no-no.” Here’s how he created the scene without drawing environmental ire.