Behind the Cover: The Future of Oil

Kenji Aoki photographed oil for this week's TIME magazine. In this gallery, he reveals the process of making the images.To prepare for this picture, representing the power of oil, crude oil was poured into a balloon. The balloon was pierced, and at the moment of the explosion, created the splash.

Kenji Aoki for TIME

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The circles in these are meant to express the oil's energy.

Kenji Aoki for TIME

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To create this image, Aoki poured the oil along the inside wall of a clear bowl, and shot it as the oil slid down to collect at the bottom.

Kenji Aoki for TIME

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The same bowl method was used for this image, except Aoki also poured a few drops of water along the wall. He shot the process as the water and the oil collected at the bottom while separating from each other.

Kenji Aoki for TIME

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The oil droplet that made the cover.

Kenji Aoki for TIME

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The cover of this week's TIME magazine.

TIME Magazine

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March 29, 2012 4:00 AM EDT

Environmentalists like to say that we’re addicted to oil, but that term doesn’t go far enough. An addict can survive without drugs or alcohol, even if the withdrawal would be painful. But modern society as we know it would end tomorrow without oil. Oil literally makes our world go, from the lawnmower to the supersonic jet. If coal becomes too expensive, we can generate electricity with natural gas or nuclear or renewables. If beef is too costly, we can eat chicken. But there is no real replacement for oil, which is why we depend upon it so much—and why we hate ourselves for that dependence.

<em>Noah</em> star Russell Crowe <a href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_FILM_RUSSELL_CROWE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT" target="_blank">says</a> his new movie has been getting an unfair rap.

"We have endured 12 to 14 months of irrational criticism and now people are starting to see it and to realize how respectful it is, and how true to the source material it is and how intense of an experience it is in the movie theater, you know, so that's cool," Crowe told the Associated Press in an interview published Thursday.

Some religious groups have decried <i>Noah</i> as an inaccurate and disrespectful portrayal of events in the Bible. The film was also <a href="http://time.com/36564/noah-russell-crowe-movie-banned-by-indonesia/" target="_blank">banned in a number of Islamic countries</a>. Given the criticism, Paramount Pictures has added a disclaimer to its marketing material to note that "artistic license has been taken."

Emma Watson, who plays Noah's daughter in the film, said that she, unlike her onscreen dad, wasn't surprised by the controversy. "To be honest, I expected there to be controversy, I think all Biblical adaptations carry the weight of that because it is something that is so personal to people," she said. "Everyone interprets it differently, but so far, the response has been really positive, and I think the film, when people see it, [they] will realize that it is very sensitive and inclusive. ... I'm really proud of the movie."

Noah, which opens Friday, has gotten <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/noah_2014/" target="_blank">positive reviews</a> from many critics, <a href="http://time.com/38365/noah-movie-darren-aronofsky-russell-crowe/" target="_blank">including TIME's Richard Corliss</a>. Many religious leaders are now <a href="http://time.com/35667/noah-movie-religious-leaders/" target="_blank">urging their congregations to see the film</a>. And the movie's projected to have a massive <a href="http://variety.com/2014/film/news/box-office-noah-poised-to-ride-tide-to-40-million-stateside-bow-1201148965/" target="_blank">$40 million opening weekend</a>. So even though Crowe <a href="http://time.com/30136/russell-crowe-pope-meeting/" target="_blank">didn't get his one-on-one with the Pope</a>, he still may come out on top. (<i>Noah</i> actor Russell Crowe says criticisms about the movie miss the mark, as religious groups have decried it as an inaccurate and disrespectful portrayal of events in the Bible. The film was also banned in a number of Islamic countries)

Noah star Russell Crowe says his new movie has been getting an unfair rap. "We have endured 12 to 14 months of irrational criticism and now people are starting to see it and to realize how respectful it is, and how true to the source material it is and how intense of an experience it is in the movie theater, you know, so that's cool," Crowe told the Associated Press in an interview published Thursday. Some religious groups have decried Noah as an inaccurate and disrespectful portrayal of events in the Bible. The film was also banned in a number of Islamic countries. Given the criticism, Paramount Pictures has added a disclaimer to its marketing material to note that "artistic license has been taken." Emma Watson, who plays Noah's daughter in the film, said that she, unlike her onscreen dad, wasn't surprised by the controversy. "To be honest, I expected there to be controversy, I think all Biblical adaptations carry the weight of that because it is something that is so personal to people," she said. "Everyone interprets it differently, but so far, the response has been really positive, and I think the film, when people see it, [they] will realize that it is very sensitive and inclusive. ... I'm really proud of the movie." Noah, which opens Friday, has gotten positive reviews from many critics, including TIME's Richard Corliss. Many religious leaders are now urging their congregations to see the film. And the movie's projected to have a massive $40 million opening weekend. So even though Crowe didn't get his one-on-one with the Pope, he still may come out on top.

Noah actor Russell Crowe says criticisms about the movie miss the mark, as religious groups have decried it as an inaccurate and disrespectful portrayal of events in the Bible. The film was also banned in a number of Islamic countries

A passenger enters the terminal Thursday March 27, 2014 at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles. Police say six people were arrested Wednesday March 26, 2014, after officers served more than two dozen search warrants after a months-long investigation into baggage theft at Los Angeles International Airport.

Nick Ut—AP

Photographer Kenji Aoki captured the power of oil in a series of photographs shot for this week’s TIME cover. For one photograph, Aoki poured unrefined Texas crude into a balloon, shooting the moment it exploded. In another, Aoki poured the oil along the inside wall of a clear bowl, and shot it as the oil glided down to collect at the bottom. Aoki captures the essence of oil, a substance that all of us need yet few of us see in its pure form, fresh from the ground.