Lisberger elaborates: "Everybody was doing backlit animation in the 70s, you know.

There, backlit animation was finally combined with the computer animation and live-action.

Most of the scenes, backgrounds, and visual effects in the film were created using more traditional techniques and a unique process known as "backlit animation".

To produce these effects, the animators used different techniques, such as drybrush, airbrush, charcoal, grease pencil, backlit animation or, during shooting, the cameraman used multiple exposures with diffusing screens, filters or gels.