What if JACK THE GIANT SLAYER Had Been Darker? An Interview with Concept Artist Dominic Lavery

Check out Jack the Giant Slayer concept art and interview with Dominic Lavery!

Bryan Singer's Jack the Giant Slayer is a box office failure and cost the studio millions. One source said the problem was the confusing mix of dark and light elements. "The director started out making an edgy R-rated film with violence," explained one talent agent to Vulture, "And the studio changed mid-stream and tried to make it a family film."

Unfortunately, a rival studio’s vice-chairman said, this was "real ratings confusion: Its DNA is 'kids' despite its cast or director, and it ended up PG-13."

I personally thought it could have been a little darker, but didn't need an R-rating. Dominic Lavery, one of the concept artists, had some of his work rejected because it was "too dark."

Could it have saved the film?

Lavery is a professional freelance concept artist and director who's worked on Hollywood films like Hugo (2011), The World Is Not Enough (1999) and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003). He agreed to do an interview and allowed me to share his artwork from the film.

Check out the rest of the pictures after the jump (click to enlarge).

Thanks for the interview Dom. Tell us about your journey to working on Jack the Giant Slayer.
I have worked with Gavin Bouquet the production designer, on a number films over the years and he got me started on the project more or less when he started. I was involved with the film for over a year in the end. Even managed to squeeze in working on Hugo in the middle when Jack was put on hold for a few months.

In that time I concepted many elements of the film. As with most films, a lot did not make it onto the screen but many did. At first I worked solidly on the beanstalk. I think it was about three months just sketching and refining it as both physical and digital elements would have to be built.

What's the best thing about being a concept artist on a film like this?
One of the best things about being a film concept artist is that you get to work on many different aspects of the film. Whether it is a large set, creature, vehicle or a small knife (in the giants case a large knife) that sits on a table. A film like Jack the Giant Slayer needed allot of concepting.

Is there something you really liked that didn't end in the film?
Well, as you could imagine, in the time we all worked on the film, there was many items, sets etc that never made in onto the screen. There was allot of work done on the giant's world of Gantua that unfortunately due to screen time, cost and script changes had to fall into the great bucket of concept waste. Many very talented artists had a part to play in visualising Gantua.

Some of the architecture designs were great fun to sketch out. With Gavin's guidance we all worked out how the giants farmed and stored their food (mainly piggies) and also transported it around on huge pulley systems.

I also did some work for a few weeks on the giants but that was taken over by the VFX guys. My visions were maybe a bit too dark and 'icky' for the final feel of the film.

The biggest challenge must have been the beanstalk. It had to work on so many levels. Scale, texture colour, density of leaves, thickness of stalks etc The way the physical build would match the digital model. It really was a Giant undertaking. So many people in many departments were involved. Just so you know, the whole base of the beanstalk and the farm as well as the sections of beanstalk used for action sequences were built full scale on location and in studio...amazing.

This is only a sample. See more of Dominic Lavery's incredible work at krop.com/domlavery

Click on the links if you want to see more of Dominic Lavery's work and Jack the Giant Slayer on my blog.

What do you think of the illustrations? Should Jack the Giant Slayer have been darker?

Official Jack the Giant Slayer Synopsis
Jack the Giant Slayer tells the story of an ancient war that is reignited when a young farmhand unwittingly opens a gateway between our world and a fearsome race of giants. Unleashed on the Earth for the first time in centuries, the giants strive to reclaim the land they once lost, forcing the young man, Jack, into the battle of his life to stop them. Fighting for a kingdom, its people, and the love of a brave princess, he comes face to face with the unstoppable warriors he thought only existed in legend—and gets the chance to become a legend himself.

Directed by Bryan Singer
Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Eleanor Tomlinson, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Ian McShane, Bill Nighy and John Kassir
Cinematography by Newton Thomas Sigel
Production Design by Gavin Bocquet

Official Site: jackthegiantslayer.warnerbros.com

Release date: March 1, 2013

What do you think of the illustrations?

@ Copyright 2013 New Line Cinema, Legendary Pictures, Original Film. All rights reserved

Interview with PACIFIC RIM Concept Artist Guy Davis

Learn more about Pacific Rim movieconcept art by Guy Davis!

Pacific Rim had a soft opening and has only made $84 million in the United States, but it's made $224 million worldwide and still hasn't opened in China, Spain and Japan. So, there's still hope for a sequel.

The movie is amazing and has incredible visuals. One of the artists that helped bring the film to life is Guy Davis.

Davis is a Eisner award-winning comic book artist known for his work on Sandman Mystery Theatreand various Hellboy-related comics. He transitioned to Hollywood and worked on major projects like The Amazing Screw-On Head (2006).

Read on to learn what it's like working with Guillermo del Toro, the number of monsters he helped design and see some of his amazing artwork.

Check out the rest of the pictures after the jump (click to enlarge).

All images are from the Pacific Rim: Man, Machines, and Monsters artbook.

How did you get the invitation to be on Guillermo’s core concept team for the film?
I had worked as part of Guillermo’s concept team before on Mountains of Madness, that was the first production he brought me in on, along with concept for his InSANE video game project. When Mountains unfortunately didn’t go forward, he brought the concept team from that to work on Pacific Rim.

What was it like working with director Guillermo del Toro?
We pretty much worked directly with Guillermo who is always really amazing and encouraging to work with. He’s an artist himself and can easily explain what works or doesn’t in the designs, very hands on throughout every step of concept. He’s always open to ideas but also knows what he’s looking for in the designs and would work with us till it was to a design point where he’d show it to the art dept.

I worked on the film for 11 months, when concept was done I moved onto helping out with storyboarding and any remaining designs needed (like the Jaeger bomb backpack) with Francisco Ruiz Velasco. Throughout it was just an incredible experience seeing everything progress and come to life through production and learning how that worked while also getting to work with the amazing concept team that Guillermo brought together.

He certainly made a powerhouse team of concept artists. You jumped around a lot on the film Guy. What took up most of your time?
I mostly worked on the creature concept starting with lots of different ideas and designs for possible Kaiju after Wayne Barlowe’s “Knifehead” was locked in. From the ones that made it to the screen, the two that I did concept for were Otachi and Slattern.

I also worked on some different Kaiju organs for Newt’s lab and the 2nd brain interior of Otachi, the baby kaiju with Francisco and David Meng, the Kaiju “Karloff” with Simon Lee and a Precursor “Bishop” with Keith Thompson.

For props I designed the early Jaeger arm and user control from the film’s intro, the welding back-pack for Raleigh’s construction scene and a few vehicle props that were in the background of the Shatterdome.

Early on I also did a bunch of keyframe line art for other artists to paint over and then helped out with the remaining storyboarding with Francisco Ruiz and Rob McCallum.

From props to Kaiju. What a journey. Was there any design that you found challenging to complete?
I can’t really think of one design that was too difficult to get past, usually if the initial idea/sketch wasn’t working I’d throw it out and try to tackle it from a different direction. I guess just getting the final Kaiju designs locked in was what we worked at the most, lots of sketches for different shapes and types of creatures before Guillermo chose the ones to go forward with.

So where will we see your work next Guy?
Aside from concept for a few unannounced productions, after Pacific Rim I was thrilled to work with Guillermo again on his version of PINOCCHIO and also the upcoming STRAIN.

The Pacific Rim: Man, Machines, and Monsters artbook reprints a lot of the concept from the team, everyone did so much it would be hard to reprint everything but it’s a good overview.

See more of Guy Davis' work at guydavisartworks.com/, guydavisartworks.wordpress.comand guydavisart.tumblr.com

Click on the links if you want to see more of Guy Davis' concept art and Pacific Rim concept art on Film Sketchr.

What do you think of the designs?Would you watch a sequel to Pacific Rim?

Official PACIFIC RIM Synopsis
When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity’s resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes-a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi)-who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse.

Directed by Guillermo del Toro.

Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Ron Perlman, Robert Kazinsky, Max Martini, Clifton Collins, Jr., Burn Gorman, Larry Joe Campbell, Brad William Henke, Diego Klattenhoff 
Cinematography by Guillermo Navarro
Production Design by Andrew Neskoromny, Carol Spier

Official Site: http://pacificrimmovie.warnerbros.com/

Release date: July 11, 2013

© 2013 Copyright Legendary Pictures

14 Gorgeous THE WOLVERINE Concept Art Set Designs by Wayne Haag

Check out The Wolverine concept art by Wayne Haag!

Wayne Haag just released brand new concept art for the Hugh Jackman film The Wolverine (2013).

"François Audouy was the Production Designer and all round mad man!" Haag said, "Just wait till you see the Yashida compound and house set he designed, awesome! I had the privilege of working with some very talented artists and artisans on this project that blew me away with their skill and creativity! Watching the sets go from concept art, through set drawings through to finished set pieces was great to see, something I never saw working in VFX."

Haag is a professional concept artist who's worked on Hollywood films like The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Fifth Element (1997) and Superman Returns (2006).

Check out the rest of the pictures after the jump (click to enlarge). 


All descriptions are from his blog.

1. "This first image shows the POW camp and it was the first painting I worked on. I painted over a very simple 3D rendering of the huts and guard towers which were placed accurately to the set layout as shot in Kernell, Sydney.

2. "This was the first go at an exterior shot of the Love Hotel which is a famous capsule hotel in Tokyo (the script has the hotel in Osaka). This painting was based on a day time shot of the hotel supplied by production which I extended out both sides and turned into a night scene.

Location Photo

3. "This was my second painting of the Love Hotel exterior as the first idea was scrapped due to the inability to shoot that sequence in Tokyo. So the location moved to Brisbane Street, Surrey Hills in Sydney. This painting was to show how a Sydney street could be made to look like a Japanese location. I shot the street in daylight, positioned a 3D model of the hotel into the frame and painted it for a night scene.

Location Photo

4. "This was similar situation in that a Sydney location had to be set dressed to look like a Japanese location. This was meant to be the Red Light District. And yes for the keen of eye, that is a homage to Chew’s Eye Works from Blade Runner in there!

5. "The last image for this post is of the Yukon Airport. I built the basic layout in Maya, placed a 3D jet into the scene and painted everything from there. The actual scene was shot at Bankstown airport here in Sydney and so the hanger details and design had to match.

6. "First image is the scene where Logan enters the Yukon township. This was shot in a small town here in NSW, Australia called Picton. The concept art is based on photo’s of the main street supplied by production that I stitched together and turned into the Yukon town. For comparison I have included the final shot as shown in the film.

7. "The next image shows the bombed ruins of Nagasaki. I don’t have a before image for this as I basically let it evolve from a straight digital painting, then adding photo textures into the painting as I went.

 


8. "The Funeral Pagoda was the one image I worked on several times. The first image here is my first final version. The second image shows the pagoda re-designed as it was deemed too expensive to build the first one. There was another version which was to show the pagoda 30% smaller, again for cost considerations. The 3D model had been built prior by the set designers which was in turn designed around the Chinese Gardens here in Sydney.

9. "The Love Hotel Interior was another location designed a couple of times. Here are three versions of the interior based on 3D modeled sets. The final set was built to the third image here. I preferred the second one.

10. "The overhanging balcony of the Yashida Estate was an interesting image in that the balcony had already been designed but I hadn’t seen it. What I came up with was befitting a man of Yashida’s position and also inspired by the house in North by Northwest. The original design was small and claustrophobic with very odd curves. Most everyone loved the design I came up with but the set was almost finished. Seems they removed part of the existing set and made allowance for this cleaner design. I have yet to see the film so I don’t know how it turned out.

"I built the basic environment and the balcony in Maya adding the Yashida Estate model from the set designers."

There's more to come, so make sure you check out his blog next week!

See more of Wayne Haag's illustrations at Ankaris.com and François Audouy's work at Audouy.com.

Click on the links if you want to see more of Wayne Haag's work and The Wolverine on my blog.

Via Comic Book Movie (Nailbiter111)

What do you think of the illustrations?

Official The Wolverine Summary
Based on the celebrated comic book arc, this epic action-adventure takes Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), the most iconic character of the X-Men universe, to modern day Japan. Out of his depth in an unknown world he will face a host of unexpected and deadly opponents in a life-or-death battle that will leave him forever changed. Vulnerable for the first time and pushed to his physical and emotional limits, he confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own immortality, emerging more powerful than we have ever seen him before.

Directed by James Mangold
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tao Okamoto, Rila Fukushima, Famke Janssen, Will Yun Lee, Svetlana Khodchenkova, Haruhiko Yamanouchi, Brian Tee

Release date: July 26, 2013 (USA)

Official Site: http://thewolverinemovie.com/us/

© Copyright 2014 Marvel Entertainment, The Donners' Company, Seed Productions, Hutch Parker Entertainment, 20th Century Fox. All rights reserved

Breath-Taking SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE (1978) Krypton Prologue Storyboards

Check out Superman: the Movie(1978) Krypton prologue storyboards!

Check out the rest of the boards after the jump (click to enlarge).



I have no idea who the artist is, but my guess would be Ivor Beddoes since he was the illustrator on the film.

See more Superman (1978) storyboards at http://superman1978.com/STM_STORYBOARDS.php

Click on the links if you want to see more Superman artwork on my blog.

What do you think of the storybo?

Official Superman: the MovieSynopsis
A box-office smash, an Academy Award winner* and a fan favorite since it first flew into theatres in December 1978, Superman: The Movie assembles a cast and creative contingent as only a big movie can. At its heart (just as in three sequels) is Christopher Reeve's intelligent, affectionate portrayal of a most human Man of Steel. Watching Superman again isn't just like being a kid again. It's better. Reeve, Marlon Brando (Jor-El), Gene Hackman (Luthor) and Margot Kidder (Lois Lane) give indelible performances that fuel the film's aura of legend. Looks like a swell night for flying. Why not come along?

Release Date: Dec 15, 1978

Directed by Richard Donner

Starring: Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder

Official Site: http://www2.warnerbros.com/superman/home.html

© Copyright 1980 Copyright Dovemead Films, Film Export A.G., International Film Production, All rights reserved

Grand AFTER EARTH Concept Art by Jason Dunn

Check out After Earth concept art by Jason Dunn!

Jason Dunn is a professional concept artist and matte painter who's worked on Hollywood films like Cloud Atlas (2012) and television shows like No Ordinary Family (2011) and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008). He just released some concept art on his blog of futuristic technology, weaponry, and FX sequences for the film.

Check out the rest of the pictures after the jump (click to enlarge).

All quotes are from his blog.

"We designed a 'wormhole' effect, with the idea that the ship itself remains still relative to the viewer, but space in front it gets compressed into a singular point, and then expanded back to full size behind the ship, propelling it forward. Entire galaxies get crunched into the size of a pinhead, pass through the ship, and then explode to their original size in its wake." - Jason Dunn

"The weapon of choice in this future is something like a transforming Swiss army knife;  an expandable, double-edged staff which can reconfigure itself for different functions, including a blade, a taser prod, and a water purifier. It is made of some kind of living fiber which can change size and shape on command." - Jason Dunn

"For a probe design, we experimented with different types of exotic biotechnology, which could be economically grown on demand and infused with robotic implants." - Jason Dunn

"These sketches explored the various nuts-and-bolts of the sensory equipment. " - Jason Dunn

"And some otherworldly plant life." - Jason Dunn

See more of Jason Dunn's work at http://www.robotrumpus.com

Click on the links if you want to see more of Jason Dunn's work and After Earth concept art on my blog.

What do you think of the illustrations? Did you see After Earth and what did you think? 

Official After Earth Synopsis
One thousand years after cataclysmic events forced humanity's escape from Earth, Nova Prime has become mankind's new home. Legendary General Cypher Raige (Will Smith) returns from an extended tour of duty to his estranged family, ready to be a father to his 13-year-old son, Kitai (Jaden Smith). When an asteroid storm damages Cypher and Kitai's craft, they crash-land on a now unfamiliar and dangerous Earth. As his father lies dying in the cockpit, Kitai must trek across the hostile terrain to recover their rescue beacon. His whole life, Kitai has wanted nothing more than to be a soldier like his father. Today, he gets his chance.

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan
Starring Will Smith, Jaden Smith, Isabelle Fuhrman, and Zoë Kravitz

Official Site: http://www.afterearth.com, https://www.facebook.com/AfterEarth

© Copyright 2013 Columbia Pictures, Overbrook Entertainment, Blinding Edge Pictures

Interview with PACFIC RIM Concept Artist Keith Thompson

"The Epiphyte"

Check out my interview with Pacific Rim concept artist Keith Thompson!

There are many artists and designers that worked together to create the look of Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim.  One of the talented artists working on the film is Keith Thompson and he agreed to a short interview about his time on the film.

Keith Thompson is a professional concept artist who's worked on major motion pictures like Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010)

Check out the rest of the pictures after the jump (click to enlarge).

"Kaiju Onibaba" by Keith Thompson designed by Wayne Barlowe

Maurice Mitchell: Thanks for joining me Keith, tell me what you worked on for the film?
KT: I was lucky enough to jump around a fair bit and explore a few different things.  The official art book is actually a really great cross section of the type of work that went into everything, both in the movie and in the extended universe.  Some of the bigger things I spent a lot of time on were the Shatterdome, the Wall, the cockpit screens and the beings and places revealed at the end of the movie.

MM: Those are some great set pieces. What was the trickiest part of designing ?
KT: Probably the Shatterdome took the most finessing and repeated visits.  It had a whole host of complicated concerns.  It had to be believable in its setting but also have a dynamic and engaging form and silhouette.  It had to be completely unique and an iconic feat of architecture in the world of Pacific Rim, but it also was built into an area of real world topology. 

If I made it too believable and technically thought out it started looking dull and somewhat unengaging (a massive bunker mostly hidden in a mountainside isn't much to look at no matter how well structured and conceivable I tried to make it!)  Working at those scales has a whole host of fun and challenging concerns.

MM: You have a very unique steampunk style. How did your particular art style affect your design on the film?
KT: It changed which things I'd gravitate to.  Sometimes I would work on some parts of the movie and del Toro would realise the aesthetic wasn't quite right for that part of the world and he'd have me take new shots at other things.  Worlds this big almost grow organically. 

Pacific Rim Russian futurist style propaganda poster (one on the right). via http://psycho-ming.blogspot.com

MM: It must have been great working with him. Where can we see your work next?
KT: A few unannounced next-gen games, some upcoming books, a new feature film, and Guillermo del Toro's upcoming TV series The Strain on FX.

See more of Keith Thompson's work at http://www.keiththompsonart.com

Click on the links if you want to see more of Keith Thompson's work and Pacific Rim on my blog.

What do you think of the illustrations?

Official PACIFIC RIM Synopsis
When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity’s resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes-a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi)-who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse.

Directed by Guillermo del Toro.

Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Ron Perlman, Robert Kazinsky, Max Martini, Clifton Collins, Jr., Burn Gorman, Larry Joe Campbell, Brad William Henke, Diego Klattenhoff 
Cinematography by Guillermo Navarro
Production Design by Andrew Neskoromny, Carol Spier

Official Site: http://www.pacificrimmovie.com

Release date: July 11, 2013

© 2013 Copyright Legendary Pictures