One Man's Trash is Another Man's KING KONG DELUXE EXTENDED EDITION

The King Kong: Deluxe Extended Edition DVD is the best behind-the-scenes DVD I've ever seen and it only cost me five dollars.

I like to browse through DVD bins at places like Walmart and my grocery store for DVDs that are hidden gems. I was sifting through Barney DVDs when u speed king Kong. Col I though and puled it out see which version it was I almost had a heart attack. It was the Extended edition. Not just the Extended edition, but the three disk Deluxe Extended edition. I flipped it over and found the words I love to see: conceptual art gallery.

Besides being a great movie, this DVD is a must have for lovers of film. It chronicles the long journey from Peter Jackson's childhood love of King Kong to its aborted attempt in the 1990s to its final release in 2005.

The film is full of beautiful moments, but what really shines is the work of the art department. With interviews of key artists and model makers to their influence over the final film, it really makes you appreciate the hard work of production designer Grant Major and artists like Gus Hunter, Alan Lee and Miles Teves.

All the features show concept art, but what's really special are the five concept art videos of hundreds of paintings and drawing set to music from the film. Normally i like to watch slide shows so I can focus in on little details and appreciate it but these videos are so well done you don't miss anything. Plus, it would sprain your thumb to have to navigate through all these pictures.

Peter Jackson has a love of concept art and it shows in this extraordinary DVD. My only complaint is that they don't show who created which painting or drawing. When you're looking at a dynamic drawing of king Kong fighting a T-Rex or a lush scene of skull island by Jeremy Bennett, it would be nice if they gave credit where credit is due.

I don't know why someone thought this DVD is only worth 5, but I'd highly recommend buying it.
4 1/2 stars.

First Look: Do the Awesome New CAPTAIN AMERICA Pics Match Concept Art?

We get our first official look at Chris Evans in the amazing Captain America costume thanks to the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly. It looks pretty spot on with the concept art.Of course, we don't see the controversial helmet, but it looks awesome.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers volunteers for a top secret research project that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending America's ideals.
Release Date: July 22, 2011
-IMDB

So, what's different? The colors match and the pattern on his tunic around the star looks the same. The only difference is the straps on his shoulders have more straps and buckles.

Overall, its as functional as you're going to get for a superhero costume. The director, Joe Johnston, said he wanted it to look accidental as a costume and he got his wish.

I'm really looking forward to it. I had my doubts when they cast Evans, but it looks like he's really filling into the character.

Here's some more concept art from the film.

What do you think of the Captain America costume?
Source: Ain't it cool news, EW via firstshowing.net

New GREEN LANTERN Concept Art Shows Oldest U.N. in the Universe

If you've ever wondered what the universe's oldest U.N. would look like can wonder no more. Comic Book Movie has some concept art for the film Green Lantern that features the home planet of the Guardians called "Oa."

"Oa City beams off" by Michele Moen
Michele (Star Trek 2009) managed to make it look old and worn and, at the same time, vibrant and alive. This should be an amazing scene. The almost accidental inclusion of the green in the skyline glow and various crystals really makes it pop. The blast of energy from the Central Power Battery, which gives all the Lanterns their power, is striking.

"Cemetery and Citadel" by Justin Sweet

Fantasy artist, Justin Sweet, has created a haunting painting of the cemetery of Green Lanterns. The scale of these images is fascinating with towering crystal overlooking the landscape. I find it odd that all the figures in the painting are humanoid since one of the hallmarks of the Green Lantern Corp is the inhuman aliens. I mean, one of the core members is a squirrel and another is a giant blob of protoplasm. I especially like how somber and serene the image is. You can imagine wondering these halls with reverence. The citadel is presumably on the hilltop and overlooks the city.

Grant Majors describes the inspiration for the design this way.

"Oa, of course, is at the center of the Universe, and is also an extremely old place. It's been around since not too long after the Big Bang, I assume. And with its function as a sort of U.N.-cum-military-compound in the middle of space, you'd imagine that with 3,600 different sectors, it must have a lot of influence on a lot of different cultures and time. So what I've tried to do is to introduce a plethora of different types of architectural styles and a feeling that, over the millennia, that it's just been building on and building on [itself], and there's just this huge history of culture that's been there."

"I looked to the comics, of course [for design concepts for Oa]. I also wanted to give it a sort of broader aspect. I really wanted to make it the sort of place where, just from the glimpse that we have of it, that you'd really want to go back there and have a really big look around, and in the interest of the film, maybe give birth to subsequent films."  

Green Lantern opens June 14, 2011

http://greenlanternmovie.warnerbros.com/
Source: Comic Book Movie

Robert McKinnon Shares the Secrets of Rampaging Terminators and the Secret Ending of TRANSFORMERS III

Robert McKinnon has been a visionary concept artist for such high profile films as Live Free or Die Hard and Terminator: Salvation. He agreed to share his wit and wisdom about his life as a concept artist.

Thank you for doing this interview. What led you to become an artist? Was it a lifelong dream?
What led me to become an artist? The money! Nah, just kidding.

Actually, I've always been an artist. I've been drawing and designing as far back as I can remember. I was attracted to films like Star Wars, Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Singing in the Rain....Just kidding....I hate Star Wars......(yeah right!)

These films influenced me tremendously. They spawned this creative energy that I just had to release whether it was by drawing, sculpting, writing, and designing. You name it, I did it! I wrote scripts and submitted them to studios (complete with my illustrations scotch-taped into the margins). Bet Paul Haggis doesn't do that!

I drew and designed sets, characters, vehicles. I experimented with visual effects causing my parents to increase their home owners' insurance. In school, I drove my teachers crazy because I never paid attention in class and sketched in my books and folders all the time. I had no time for Math or English. I had to design parachute rigs for my GI Joe action figures!!!

 I mean, in my warped twisted adolescent world, I was the Production Designer on the Star Wars sequels (little did George Lucas know).I was the youngest Production Designer in motion picture history. I wasn't getting paid, and my art department was my bedroom, but that's irrelevant!! I was creating!!! I couldn't let down the fans. It was a tremendous amount of stress for a nine year old LOL! But seriously, being an artist wasn't a lifelong dream because I've always lived it. I believed it.

How did you become a concept artist?
I've always been a concept artist ha ha! Being a “paid” concept artist is another issue entirely. Actually, I started like most out there.

I went to college, graduated with honors, receiving a BA in Illustration (very useful in showbiz, you'll soon find out). After a 3 month job hunt, I started out designing for theme park rides and show attractions which opened a door into doing work in videogame, commercial, animation design. Then one day, I got a call to work on a film project with the amazing designer and director Patrick Tatopoulos which started me on this really great adventure in designing and illustrating for film. That initial project sparked a friendship and collaboration that continues to this day.

I now work in various industries. I work mostly on motion pictures in various stages of production, but I take on commercials, music videos, and videogame projects from time to time.

You teach classes on digital art at Concept Design Academy. Why did you decide to teach?
As a professional, I've been fortunate to have found success at what I do, and have achieved my goals. A lot of that is credited to the people who helped me get there. Teachers and colleagues played a significant role in my development. They were a tremendous inspiration to me.

One day I subbed a class for a friend and something just clicked. I started to teach and out of my mouth came the knowledge of great teachers like Gary Meyer, Dave Luce, Bob Kato, Tom Thordarson, Bryan Jowers, Norm Schuremann (rest his soul). Just when I thought my dreams came true, I uncovered another. It was to be like those great teachers that came before me and inspired me.

It's important to me to give back to these young artists what these people gave to me.

Do you see the digital medium as the future of conceptual design?

Absolutely, without a doubt. As artists of the 21st Century, we're part of a new renaissance that's bridging the traditional and digital mediums.

We have to adapt to technology trends and be open to new ways of tackling projects. However, what always remains constant are story and ideas. Concept design is all about great story and ideas. The digital medium is just another tool to communicate ideas.

Ten years from now, who knows what we'll be embracing.

Where do you get your inspiration from?
Depending on the project, I'm inspired by many different sources.

Sometimes, it's the movies I watch or a book I read. Often, inspiration comes from accident or from something unplanned. When I was working on Die Hard, I had to design “America's ATM Machine” basically.

I worked for a few days developing sketches for this thing and was just not happy with what I was coming up with. I remember tossing a worthless comp in the trash, when I spotted an apple core in the can. The shape was awesome. It was the basis for the design of the machine. The final design was a cross between a cutaway of a nuclear missile and..... an apple core.

Go figure......

What was it like working on Inception?
I work on a lot of different shows with a lot of amazing and talented people. Inception was no exception. I worked on it briefly between shows, but I had the opportunity to work with some of the top minds in this business and see them in action.

It was a difficult concept to wrap around, but it's to be expected when you work with someone as talented and original as Chris Nolan. It was a very challenging project to be a part of that's for sure but rewarding because of the professional relationships I established on that show.

Did you have the feeling you would be a part of something as monumental as the film?
It's always great to be a part of something special, but I feel even more fortunate to have worked with the best and brightest in this business. Every time I see a great movie on the screen past or present, I feel incredibly humbled and privileged to be a part of this creative industry. That means so much more to me than a particular film.

Wouldn't mind seeing Inception win some Oscars though. Ha ha.

You did some amazing designs for the film Terminator: Salvation. How did it feel having your Terminator Hydrobot featured on the cover of Empire magazine?
Thank you, I had a blast workin' on Terminator: Salvation. I remember the Hydrobot was in development hell. Many artists tackled it, but it just wasn't workin' for the director. Must have been a year or so of development. All fantastic designs, but just not clicking for the director.

I remember takin' my kids to IHOP for breakfast one morning, and sketching the Hydrobot on a napkin before work. I scanned the sketch in and cleaned it up for presentation. Thought I'd take a shot at the design (a long shot at best). 1st shot, it was approved. One of my proudest professional moments.

And yes, even more than seeing it on the cover of Empire Magazine.

What is the biggest challenge that concept artists face today?
There are various issues Concepters deal with daily.

There are pitfalls in business decisions, contract haggles, lack of work out there, outsourcing, technological shifts, among other things. But we survive because we are a part of a network of good talented men and women I'm proud to call my friends and colleagues.

We're always helpin each other out whether it be recommending each other for projects or simply just being available to chat.

What's the next project we'll see your work on?
This December Tron: Legacy comes out. I'm incredibly excited about this film. I really think people are going to be blown away by it.

Next year, Transformers: The Dark of the Moon (Transformers III) and Part I of the new Twilight movie Breaking Dawn. Beyond that, I can’t talk about the projects I'm on now.

But I can tell you, they are big! A lot of cool stuff coming up.

Ok ok....wanna know how Transformers III ends? Ok here it is......yeah right!

Robert is a prolific blogger. Check out more of his amazing work at http://robertmckinnon.blogspot.com/

What do you think of Robert McKinnon's work?

I'll Be Back With TERMINATOR: SALVATION Concept Art

I haven't updated the blog in a while, but have returned with new art and designs. To start off, I'll show Robert McKinnon's Terminator: Salvation sketches.

Here's how he discribes his inspiration: "The designs were inspired by old beat up motorcycles and a picture I saw of a young boy standing in front of this giant old locomotive. I saw that and said....'that's the terminator!' "

T-6003

Come back soon for an exclusive interview with the artist.

Source: http://robertmckinnon.blogspot.com/

Take A Ride In the Secret Avengers Heli-Carrier

Concept art, reportedly from the Marvel comics 2012 Avengers movie, has surfaced and it looks pretty cool.
The Indian artist George Hull, who also worked on the Matrix sequels, is credited with the designs.

The Heli-Carrier in the comics is a flying aircraft carrier built by Tony Stark and serves as the mobile base of operations for S.H.I.E.L.D.

Here's the original post translated from Russian:

Before the movie "The Avengers" ("The Avengers") still far away, but already we can now look at concept art of the famous USS Sch.ITa (SHIELD Helicarrier) by artist George Hull (George Hull).

It was the supposed originally to appear in the Film "Iron Man 2" ("Iron Man 2"), but over time things have changed and the idea shelved for later.

Probability of occurrence of an Aircraft carrier in the new movie Joss Whedon (Joss Whedon) is very high, Given that representatives of Marvel Studios and Kevin Faig (Kevin Feige) want to make a big surprise for everyone and build up an Aircraft carrier to the top Comic-Kona to San Diego (San Diego Comic-Con 2011). [sic]

None of this is confirmed of course, and Hull isn't even listed as one of the artists on the film. So, this is probably bogus, but you never know. IMDB has been wrong before.

For reference, here are the artists listed.

• Darrin Denlinger     ....     storyboard artist
• Michael Meyers     ....     concept artist
• Candice Muriedas    ....     art department coordinator: Los Angeles
• Raj Rihal    ....     concept artist
• Phil Saunders    ....     concept artist

Artist Link: http://www.ghull.com
Source: spidermedia.ru via comicbookmovie.com

STAR TREK's Snow Monster Was Two Parts Lobster One Part Rectum

Concept artists get inspiration from many sources including loathsome diseases. When concept artist Page was assigned the task of creating a monstrous snow creature for the 2008 J.J Abrams film, Star Trek, Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) Big Red, a lobster-hued snow-planet scourge that shows up to attack James T. Kirk. "The brief was, it needs the most disgusting mouth," Page says. He considered crabby, finger-like oral appendages, then decided there's nothing ickier than the sight of a prolapsed rectum.

Ah, the glamorous life of a concept artist.

Read More: Star Trek's Beast Master Reveals How to Create a Monster

Visit his website at http://www.nevillepage.com/

How Close Is GREEN LANTERN'S Kilowog To Concept Art?

The upcoming Warner Bros' superheo film Green Lantern has a big brutish buddy named "Kilowog." The concept art looks like this:

Now, an image of Kilowog from the film has been released and it looks like this below:

It actually looks surprisingly close to the artwork. Except for the costume change and an addition of a thick set of shoulders it looks the same. The concept artist must be proud. Whoever it is.
[Image source: CBM]

Cyberpunk NEUROMANCER Concept Art A Virtual Reality

Years ago, director Joseph Kahn was going to direct a movie adapted from the classic cyberpunk novel Neuromancer. That didn't happen. Since it's been announced a new director has taken over the project to bring William Gibson's vision to life, he tweeted this concept art to give us a tease of what might have been.

I honestly have no idea what this is supposed to be, but this spider-like creature gives me the willies.
[Image source: io9]

Would Guys Lust Over The Freaky Na'vi From AVATAR Concept Art?

Would the blockbuster movie Avatar have been as popular if the Na'vi looked as freaky as the concept art below?

It's interesting to see the things that changed. The bio-luminescence of the flaura of Avatar's Pandora was eliminated. The faces look much more alien. and the hair look more like tendrils.

Ney’tiri looks like the kind of girl you could take home to Mom. In the concept art she looks more like the kind of girl you'd wake up with after a night at a bar.

there's some controversy as to whether this is really concept art for the film at all. Marketsaw posted the images. The artist, Jonay Bacallado, contacted them and told them they weren't real after all. Either way, they're pretty good.

Conan Goes Medieval in New Concept Art

Is this concept art for the upcoming Conan movie? ConanMovieBlog seems to think so. The upcoming film, which has a tentative release date of 2011 is a reboot of the popular comic book character “Conan the Barbarian” created by author Robert E. Howard in the 1930s.

Alex Tornberg was a concept artist for Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer at Funcom. Two character pictures at his portfolio have a distinctly familiar look to them. The two pictures bear the watermark “CONAN™ and © 2010 Conan Properties International LLC”–not, say, Age of Conan™, which is watermarked in other images–and so it could be construed that this is concept art not for the game, but for the film.

The first picture, “Conan the Panther,” has a few touchstones of the current look for the character: what might be the waistband of the red skirt/kilt can be seen in the bottom, as well as the belt supporting it. The necklace is a bit different from the design Momoa’s sporting, but such elements go through many permutations by different artists before a final look is decided upon, so that isn’t too surprising. Conan’s stance and posture are rather surprisingly similar to that of the most recently released publicity still, if in a mirror image.

The second picture, “Conan Ambush,” is more interesting, as it shows not yet another image of the titular character, but of other characters in the film. Judging by the gloomy, glum colours and the barbaric accouterments of the figures, I’d wager this is an image of Cimmerians. The central figure may be Conan–in another nod to cross-media artistic homogeny, he is wearing a livery collar very similar to the one the king sports in Age of Conan–but given how much older the
character depicted appears to be, I’d suggest this might be Corin, with the ambush in question being Khalar Zym’s. There’s a definite air of Vladimir Kulich in that image (I wonder if he was ever in talks for the job of Conan’s dad?)

This guy's work is amazing. The colors so good, I thought the first one was a photograph.

The upcoming film stars Jason Momoa (Stargate Atlantis) as Conan, Stephen Lang (Avatar), Rose McGowan Machete, Red Sonja) and Ron Perlman (Bubba Nosferatu: Curse of the She-Vampires, The Hobbit: Part 2). The synopsis is "the tale of Conan the Cimmerian and his adventures across the continent of Hyboria on a quest to avenge the murder of his father and the slaughter of his village."

Author website: Alex Tornberg

Exclusive: Tim Flattery Talks About His Organic Concept Art And The Batmobile That Almost Was

Tim Flattery is an amazing conceptual artist and took some time out to give me this exclusive interview.

His career spans two decades and has worked on some of Hollywood's biggest films from Back to the Future to Transformers.

What's it like for you being a concept artist?
It's rewarding creatively and a great way to make a living!

How would you describe your style and approach to your art?
The first half of my career was more traditional... using paint and markers. Now, my approach relies on the computer along with 2d and 3d software. I will still sketch with a pencil but all my painting and rendering is done in the computer now. As far as style, I generally rely on nature as my influence when it comes to design. I refer to everything from bugs to sea life to microscopic bacteria, etc.

Could you tell us the path you took to become a conceptual illustrator?
I went to art school and studied industrial design in Michigan but I knew I wanted to work in the film industry so I worked on a separate portfolio geared for that. Once I graduated I moved to California and started knocking on doors. I got a break when I met John Dykstra and he gave me my first job. From there it was a matter of doing good work and getting known in the Hollywood community.

You've done a lot of work at all types of concept design from clothing to vehicle and weapon design. Is there a type of design that you find most rewarding?
I love doing it all but I would have to say, coming from an Industrial design background, designing hardware fulfills the geek in me the most. Nothing like the challenge of a new spaceship or vehicle!

Your drawing of the Transformers aircraft character "Tidal Wave" took the Internet by storm. Do you think the fan support of the character will translate to the big screen?

"Tidal Wave" was great fun but was eventually cut out of the script. I have seen how the Internet can influence production in the past but I think in this case we would've seen him by now... but you never know.

Could you explain the design of the organic-looking Batmobile that you did for the 1995 Joel Schumacher film Batman Forever?
I initially did five designs and Joel picked a very faceted, stealth looking design. Here is a picture of the model not seen before.

After thinking thru it farther, he decided he wanted something more organic so it was back to the drawing board. The reference I used was everything from bats, bugs and crustaceans to Giger. Once the design was finalized, we did another scale model (see below) and from there began construction on the full-size vehicle.

You mentioned in an interview that the vehicle molds of the Batmobile were made of clay while the design of the Fantastic Four Fantasticar went closer to development. How do you see technology moving to bring designs to the screen?
It's a much more efficient process now. Until 10 years ago we were sculpting everything in clay and molding it from there. Now we mill the mold directly eliminating the clay stage. The hardware and software has changed how we go about everything now. From the design concept to the construction of the design is executed totally different now and dependent on computers. It's a great process but I miss the days of amazing talent sculpting by hand.

You graduated from the College for Creative Studies. How do you feel this education helped you in your industry?
It helped me considerably. I was taught key design theory along with many different techniques for rendering with different media like gauche and markers. I had to turn that into an appropriate portfolio for the film industry because there was no Entertainment Design curriculum in those days. From there I learned the rest in experience from the industry.

Are there any artists that inspired you in the past and today?
Oh yes, too many to mention all of them but some are Robert Taylor, Ralph Mcquarrie, Syd Mead and Raymond Loewy.

So, what can we look forward to from you in the future?
I just finished Real Steel (2011) [a film starring Hugh Jackman training a robot prize fighter] doing some of the robots and am currently working on Mission Impossible 4 (2011).

Check out his gallery at timflattery.com