'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' Concept Art Shows What Kind of Company Would Make Killer Monkeys

You'd think a company unleashing hordes of killer apes would look pretty evil, but the latest set of Rise of the Planet of The Apes  concept art makes it look pretty nice.

The last batch of concept art showed the horrifying images of killer monkeys on a rampage. I knew the best was yet to come from Weta and they delivered another stunning set of visuals.

The latest set shows the interior and exterior designs of the company that accidentally sets them loose on the world, Gen Sys Laboratories, and a key prop from the film.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Interior of Gen Sys Laboratories Lab Corridor

Nice wide open corridors. 

Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Interior of Gen Sys Laboratories Boardroom where research findings are reviewed.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Gen Sys Laboratories Exterior Lab

Rise of the Planet of the Apes Gen Sys Laboratories accident aftermath

 Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Gen Sys Serum Canister

This is apparently the canister that has the brain enhancing serum. In one of the trailers we see Ceasar learning to open it.

Directed by Rupert Wyatt. Starring James Franco, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto, Tom Felton.

Official synopsis:

Rise of the Apes is an origin story in the truest sense of the term. Set in present day San Francisco, the film is a reality-based cautionary tale, a science fiction/science fact blend, where man's own experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes opens August 5, 2011 in the U.S.
http://www.apeswillrise.com/

Via Comic Book Movie and Hey U Guys

Dinosaurs v aliens concept art beyond Wierd

In the tradition of great films like Cowboys vs. Aliens and Aliens vs. Predators comes Dominion: Dinosaurs Versus Aliens.

Director Barry Sonnenfeld and comic book writer Grant Morrison are teaming up to create a comic book and film of the same name.

Liquid Comics describes it this way:

The story for Dominion: Dinosaurs Versus Aliens is based on a secret world war battle that was never recorded in our history books. When an alien invasion attacks Earth in the age of the dinosaurs, our planet's only saviors are the savage prehistoric beasts which are much more intelligent than humanity has ever imagined.

How intelligent could dinosaurs possibly be? They all died off.

The artwork is amazing, but think about this: They released concept art for a film and comic book that doesn't exist. They don't even have a script. The final product is going to be very different from what we see here.

This one sounds like a great idea, but will fail in execution. The logistical problems with writing a movie about dinosaurs fighting anyone in any kind of organized fashion is a nightmare. Add the fact that the dinosaurs can't talk and it may be as exciting as Meerkat Manor.

Liquid will launch the first graphic novel story for the franchise later this year in print and digital formats for the iPad, iPhone and other mobile devices. Artwork for the graphic novel will be done by Liquid Comics artist, Mukesh Singh (Gamekeeper, Devi, 18 Days) who I'm assuming also did the concept art above.


Via Deadline

Majestic 'Metropolis' Concept Art Shows the Future of Distopia

I'm sharing some rare conceptual paintings done for the classic German science-fiction film Metropolis (1912) by Erich Kettelhut (Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler, U47 - Kapitänleutnant Prien). The visuals for Fritz Lang's film have inspired pretty much every film after it including Batman.

Directed by Fritz Lang. Starring Alfred Abel, Gustav Fröhlich, Rudolf Klein-Rogge.

Synopsis: "In a futuristic city sharply divided between the working class and the city planners, the son of the city's mastermind falls in love with a working class prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences."


A description of the scans is given by Michael Organ "The following page contains reproductions of a series of preliminary drawings prepared by Erich Kettelhut for the production of Metropolis. Kettelhut was one of the production team formed during 1924 to work with Fritz Lang and Thea von Harbou on developing the film and preparing it for shooting."

What's most interesting is to look back at the medium and see that most of these were paintings. Actual paintings. In an age were more and more concept art is generated on computers, its nice to look back and see the roots of the craft as an actual form of art.

1. Opening title of "Metropolis", sketch by Erich Kettelhut. (c) Filmmuseum Berlin - Deutsche Kinemathek. Sepia wash and colour drawing on paper. This image forms the basis for the original opening title graphic.

2. Dawn, oil and gouache on cardboard, 39 x 54.5 cm. Part of opening sequence. (c) Filmmuseum Berlin - Deutsche Kinemathek.

3. Cityscape for Metropolis, Version 1, ink on paper, 30.7 x 40.2 cm. (c) Filmmuseum Berlin - Deutsche Kinemathek.

4. Cityscape for Metropolis, Version 2, gouache on grey paper, 30 x 39 cm. (c) Filmmuseum Berlin - Deutsche Kinemathek.

5. City of the Sons, coloured pencil and grey wash on paper, 30.7 x 40.2 cm. (c) Filmmuseum Berlin - Deutsche Kinemathek.

6. Tower of Babel, oil on cardboard, 43.6 x 55.2 cm. (c) Filmmuseum Berlin - Deutsche Kinemathek.

7. 'Metropolis - Stadt von oben mit Turm Babel. Bild I.' City from Above with Tower of Babel, Image No.1, gouache on cardboard, 39.2 x 52.6 cm. (c) Filmmuseum Berlin - Deutsche Kinemathek.

8. 'Metropolis - Hall of the Machines: View from Above, gouache and coloured pencil on cardboard, 27.5 x 35.5 cm. (c) Filmmuseum Berlin - Deutsche Kinemathek.

9. In the Elevator, oil and gouache on cardboard, 31 x 41 cm. (c) Filmmuseum Berlin - Deutsche Kinemathek.

10. Underground city. (c) Filmmuseum Berlin - Deutsche Kinemathek.

11. Stadium, in City of the Sons complex. (c) Filmmuseum Berlin - Deutsche Kinemathek.

If you're going to live in a soulless German distopia devoid of feeling I can't think of a better place to do it.

You can watch the movie online for free at or the new DVD Metropolis (Restored Authorized Edition).

[Image source: barbaragambini.com]

Go to Mars and Back With Epic 'John Carter of Mars' Art

UPDATE: The artist is Ryan Church!
Concept art for the film John Carter of Mars (2012) was released on "Hero Complex" and they're pretty sweet.

These are some low resolution images, but I'll keep my eyes open and update this post when I find some better quality ones. Directed by Andrew Stanton, the film is based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs’ science-fiction novels about an advanced race living on the planet Mars.


This one shows a towering city and magnificent bridges. The film is shot in Utah and so some of the rock formations look pretty similar to the Southwest. NASA also uses the Southwest to test the Mars lander because the environment is similar.


A Martian airship hovers over the dusty Martian landscape. Airships are vitally important to the wars between the races on the planet. No doubt this is just one of many designs.

UPDATE: The following concept art was designed for the 2005 John Carter film to be directed by Robert Rodriguez. It was done by the brilliant artist Rafael Kayanan. Whether the new film will follow these designs remains to be seen. Thanks for the update Bill!

This is concept art of the evil and brutal warlord Tars Tarkas. What's really cool about it is the feel of being cobbled together from previous battles using bones and left-over armor. Could be very similar to the Predator. Collider said it came from the Facebook page, but the link is dead and I can't find anymore.

The artists described it this way:

Here are a couple of my armor designs for Tars Tarkas for the 2005 version of the John Carter of Mars film. It incorporated makeshift protection from found objects and salvaged armor parts. I studied some of the Samurai and other tribal knot tying techniques and included them as a way to latch and bind various parts together with sinew, found textile or a kind of plant fiber.

Official Synopsis:

From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, WALL-E), JOHN CARTER OF MARS brings this captivating hero to the big screen in a stunning adventure epic set on the wounded planet of Mars, a world inhabited by warrior tribes and exotic desert beings. Based on the first of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ 'Barsoom Series,' the film chronicles the journey of Civil-War veteran John Carter (Taylor Kitch), who finds himself battling a new and mysterious war amidst a host of strange Martian inhabitants, including Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe) and Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins).

I have my suspicions who the artists are, but I'll keep searching till I find out for sure. There are some amazing artists working on this film.

Production Design by Nathan Crowley.

Art Direction
Ryan Church
James Hambidge
Mark Harris
Phil Harvey
Joseph A. Hodges
Naaman Marshall
Shane Valentino
Dean Wolcott
Robert Woodruff
Scott Zuber

Character Designers
Scott Patton
Simon Webber

Concept Artists
Wayne D. Barlowe
Tim Browning
Seth Engstrom
David Krentz
Mishi McCaig
Ryan Meinerding
Maury Ruiz
Phil Saunders
Dan Walker
Ross Dearsley
Iain McCaig
Christian Huband
Vance Kovacs
Justin Sweet

US release date is March 9, 2012

How was your visit to Mars?

Via First Showing

Jamie Rama Talks About Retro 'Super 8' Concept Art and the Biggest Mistake an Artist Can Make

Jamie Rama has created some amazing visuals and, in this interview talks about capturing the look of a small town in the 70s, what it's like doing a children's book with one of the Farrelly Brothers and the future of 3-D concept art.

Rama is the Swiss army knife of concept artists, working on movies, commercials and even books. Besides conceptual illustration he's done storyboarding, visual effects design and art directing.

You've seen his work on major films like Transformers (2009), Dark Knight and X-Men: First Class (2011).

He took some time out to answer a few questions about working on the J.J. Abrams period horror film Super 8 (2011).

Q: Could you explain, to those who don't know, what a concept artist is?

Somebody who generates artwork for movies, commercials or games. Typically for movies we are hired on for pre-production by the production designer to help establish the look of the film.

Q: Could you give your background as an artist?
I grew up just outside of Detroit and went to an art college there called "Center for Creative Studies" where I was a product design major.

I promptly moved to Los Angeles and started out in visual effects working at "Sony Imageworks" for a couple years. I eventually went freelance and transitioned over to film pre-production.

Q: J.J. Abrams described the film Super 8 as being "about suburban America with ordinary people going through extraordinary circumstances when either hyper-real or supernatural things came into their lives." What was the challenge of bringing that vision to the screen?
Well, for starters, it's a period movie that takes place in 1979.

So primarily for the art department it was all about capturing the look of a small suburban town from that time period.

In terms of illustrating the exterior stuff it was key to get the vehicles, signage and clothing correct because all that stuff sells it.

And for the interiors like the camera shop, the set dressing and props had to be accurate and authentic.

Q: What did you draw on for inspiration for the designs?
Google image search and whatever books I have laying around.

Q: What is one hard-to-spot pitfall that is critical to avoid when doing conceptual design?

Image: X-Men First Class
I think it's important to try and not redo stuff from other movies. I spend a lot of time researching what has been done already so I don't fall into a derivative zone.

Q: You illustrated a beautiful children's book called "Abigail the Happy Whale" written by Peter Farrelly (Dumb and Dumber). What was it like working with him on the book?
Image cover art "Abigale the Happy Whale"
Thanks. Yeah Farrelly was a pleasure to work with. A lot of people have said that he is one the nicest and most generous people in Hollywood and I'd definitely have to agree.


Q: Where do you see the conceptual design industry five years from now?
Who knows. But everything seems to be headed towards a 3D viewing experience with people like James Cameron pushing it in that direction. I can see having to do 3D illustrations where the glasses are needed to view them and image elements like bullets and swords and vehicles pop off the screen.

I'm not a fan of 3D or wearing the glasses. I've spent the last year working on Dark Knight Rises and am happy to report it's all about IMAX and none of this 3D nonsense.

Q: Name three artists that inspire you every day.
I have always been a big fan of Syd Mead. I really like the insane detailing that Geoff Darrow puts into his comic books. I like almost all of David Fincher's movies.


Q: What's the next film we'll see your work on?
As soon as I'm done with Batman I will take a nap and watch some TV for the summer.

Check out more of his detailed and emotive work at JamieRama.com and the ecological children's book Abigail the Happy Whale.

Thanks for the interview Jamie!
To read some of my other interviews with artists check out the full list here.

What do you think of Jamie Rama's work?

Enjoy the Marvellously Nostagic Chaos of Super 8 Concept Art

The beauty and terror of the 1970's has been immortalized by Jamie Rama in concept art for the thriller Super 8.

Director J.J. Abram's latest film is full of imagery of youthful exuberance and childhood innocence. It's a perfect complement to the terror and mayhem that is promised. Jamie Rama has released some concept art on his website and it looks marvelous.

Official synopsis:

"In the summer of 1979, a group of friends in a small Ohio town witness a catastrophic train crash while making a super 8 movie and soon suspect that it was not an accident. Shortly after, unusual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take place in town, and the local Deputy tries to uncover the truth -- something more terrifying than any of them could have imagined." - Paramount

A young boy eats breakfast cereal and watches a cheesy horror movie. Notice the sheriff in the background discussing recent horrifying events.

A typical 1970's ranch home. I like the little metal lunch box on the counter. Reminds me of one I had as a kid.

Two boys look inside the torn remnants of a freight train. Whatever was inside was behind some pretty thick broken glass.

A typical Air Force Base...Where is everyone?

Jamie Rama creates some amazing visuals. His work has been seen in the X-Men: First Class
Check out more of his work at http://jamierama.com/

Super 8 comes out this Friday (June 10, 2011) in the U.S.

Does these illustrations bring back memories?
Update: Corrected typos

George Hull Shows off His Concept Art for Speed Racer [Video]

CGSociety has a great interview with George Hull (The Island, V for Vendetta, The Matrix Reloaded/Revolutions, Speed Racer) talking about his decision to leave his career path as an industrial designer to pursue his dream of becoming a concept artist.

He left the huge special effects company Industrial Light and Magic to work with the Wachowski brothers. George Hull himself is a pretty laid back guy.

The video has some amazing concept art for Speed Racer and Matrix though, so its worth checking out.

YouTube - Interview with George Hull - Speed Racer Concept Artist

Do you think George Hull made the right decision?