How Independence Day’s Iconic White House Explosion Was Filmed Without CGI

Independence Day’s iconic White House explosion shot harks back to the glory days of blockbuster practical effects. The 1996 film, directed by disaster movie titan Roland Emmerich, follows numerous perspectives as it tells the story of a terrifying alien invasion. One such perspective is fictional president Thomas Whitmore, who witnesses the terrifying might of the otherworldly invaders first-hand when one of their ships destroys the White House. It’s an iconic moment, one that established Roland Emmerich as a master of destroying landmarks on film. The director has even gone on to wreck the White House two more times, in The Day After Tomorrow and White House Down.