Check out Jack the Giant Slayer concept art by Dermot Power!

Last week I showed you some of the brutal designs for Jack the Giant Slayer by Dominic Lavery and this week I wanted to show some more great work on the film by Dermot Power.

Power is a professional concept artist and set designer who's worked on big budget films like Batman Begins (2005), Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002) and V for Vendetta (2005).

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

Power said the following, "I'm proud to say that not a single one of my designs was chosen by the director  Brian Singer or the VFX art director for that matter. It was this project that made me realise I had to learn zBrush and 3d modelling - a lot of directors go for the most realistic illustrations as opposed to the best designs.  Frustrating, because I love drawing but I don't want to be like King Canute."

See more of Dermot Power's work at www.dermotpower.comand his blog dmoxia.blogspot.co.uk

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

What do you think of the illustrations?

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

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

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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

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Learn what it was like storyboarding the big budget film Jack the Giant Slayer and see the storyboards for a deleted scene from the film.

Nicholas Pelham is one of the artists on Jack the Giant Slayer and sent me these exclusive storyboards. He's a professional storyboard artist that worked on films like AVP: Alien vs. Predator, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) and Wrath of the Titans (2012)

Nick was one of the UK storyboard artists on Jack the Giant Slayer for "approximately 5 months." He was one of several in LA, but once Bryan Singer was over for pre-production and filming, he took over duties. Although Doug Lefler in LA still contributed during filming.

Check out the storyboards after the jump and click to enlarge.



"I got the job by having friends on the production and also knowing the production designer so it was just a case of calling up and throwing my hat in the ring." Nick said, "It was a great job as I already knew many people in the art dept and production so it was nice to catch up with friends. Drawing wise it was quite intense somedays, having to draw fast to get the boards out .. usually by the end of day, but that's okay ... a little bit of pressure never hurt anyone."

While he loves the end sequence in the palace, Nick's favorite scene was the giant's attack on the castle. "That was when things were super busy as it changed day by day ( sometimes hour by hour ) as is always the way with these big action scenes." He added.

His biggest challenge on this film was keeping up with the demand and hitting his deadlines, but he said, "Years of experience in pacing yourself is how you overcome that."

"This was an early version when Jack has to rescue Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson) and Elmont (Ewan McGregor) from the giant's kitchen .. as you can see they were down to be boiled in a stew but it all changed over time to what you see in the film, although the knife in the back of the giant's head kinda remains." Nick said.

The storyboards below show them being made into soup instead of "Pigs in a Blanket."



See more of Nicholas Pelham's portfolio at http://nickpelham.co.uk/.

Official 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.

Official Site: jackthegiantslayer.warnerbros.com

What do you think of the illustrations?
 
@ Copyright 2013 New Line Cinema, Legendary Pictures, Original Film

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Last week I shared some concept art for Jack the Giant Slayer (2013) by Brian Matyas. Now you can see more of what you didn't see if you watched the movie.

Nick Ainsworth is a freelance prop concept artist for films like X-Men: First Class (2011), and TV shows like Game of Thrones, based in London.

Check out the rest of the images of the beanstalk, General Fallon's mace, Foom's slingshot and his favorite design that didn't make it into the film: The horrific "Man Catcher."

As always, click on the images to enlarge. In Japanese, それらを大きくするために、写真をクリックしてください.

Nick joined the production in early 2010 as a graphic artist doing some of the more illustrative graphic design work while it was still called Jack the Giant Killer.

Although the Production Designer, Gavin Bocquet, knew him primarily as a graphics person, he knew Nick wanted to do more concept work and gave him some props to design. "He liked what I did," Ainsworth said, "So I joined the props department and ended up doing the giant's weaponry, furniture and technological bits and pieces that inhabit the world of Gantua."

"It was [my] first fully fledged concept job on a studio film." Nick said, "I had done little bits on other films such as painting up technical drawings for colour and texture options and I had done some illustrations for prop posters and books but not straight up design."

"The transition from graphics to concepting was fairly smooth. I started on giant weapons which were supposed to be irregular and crude so that  was a good way to ease into it. I resolved the designs by initially doing them in elevation and just making sure they had a strong silhouette.

"I was also getting more confident in 3D at the time as well. So, when some of the more complex bits of giant tech needed resolving, I found that an invaluable tool to help get my head around the design."

"My favourite design was the 'Man Catcher' - which was like a smart gun crossed with a bear trap but unfortunately that was cut from the script so I never saw it get made which was a shame as it could have been quite terrifying."

See more of Nick Ainsworth's portfolio at www.krop.com/nickainsworth.

Click on the links to see more concept art for Jack the Giant Slayer (2013) and Nick Ainsworth.

Official 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.

Official Site: jackthegiantslayer.warnerbros.com

What do you think of the illustrations?

@ Copyright 2013 Warner Bros Entertainment Inc., New Line Cinema, Legendary Pictures, Original Film 

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Feast your eyes on concept art of the massive world of the giants for the film Jack the Giant Slayer.

"It’s a very traditional fairytale, probably the most traditional thing I’ve ever done." director Brian Singer said describing the film, "But it’ll also be a fun twist on the notion of how these tales are told... Fairytales are often borne of socio-political commentary and translated into stories for children. But what if they were based on something that really happened?.. What if we look back at the story that inspired the story that you read to your kids? That’s kind of what this movie’s about."

Jack the Giant Slayer (2013) has been out in the US since March 1 of this year, but it's just opening now in the UK. This means the embargo on concept art has been lifted and I can share interviews I've had with the concept artists that worked on the film.

The first one is from Brian Matyas who just updated his website, www.bmaty.com, with new illustrations.

Brian Matyas is Senior Cinematics Illustrator at Kabam and works on video games and on films like Mars Needs Moms and Beowulf (2007) . On Darren Aronofsky's Noah (2014), he worked closely with Costume Designer Michael Wilkinson designing costumes for key characters.

Check out the rest of the illustrations and find out the most challenging part of designing a world of giants. As always, click on the images to enlarge. In Dutch that would be "klik op de foto's om ze groter maken."



Brian worked with the Production Designer Gavin Bocquet as a concept designer. He primarily did concepts for the Gantua (Giant World) environments. In fact, he says he recognized some of the root bridges he designed in the trailer.

Jack's Journey

Root Bridges

When envisioning the world of the giants in Jack the Giant Slayer, Singer said he imagined a world "more ancient and primitive, crudely built, with lots of stone. It’s a culture based on eating, because these beasts require a lot of food, so we focused on large areas where they could feed, primarily a converted throne room with massive, long tables"

Matyas said the scale of Gantua was a challenge, but a fun one.

"Jack had to appear as tiny as a doll except it had to be clear he was a normal sized human being and not Indian in the Cupboard." Matyas said, "A lot of what sold this concept was crazy camera distortion for scale. I used google sketch up quite a bit to make crude models of these environments to establish these camera shots."

Gantua City

"I worked on the film relatively early on and worked in several different versions of Gantua before the settled on the final on for the film." Matyas said, "A challenge for me would be getting attached to certain scenes and locations in the script, doing some concepts I was proud of pertaining to these, and then an executive decision was made to cut them in the later version of the script. It one of the many challenges a concept artist has to face when a script changes. You can marry your images and you have to reset yourself and start over."

These are only my favorites, so make sure you check out the rest of Brian Matyas' portfolio at www.bmaty.com.

See more concept from Jack the Giant Slayer and Brian Matyas on my site soon.

Official 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.

Official Site: jackthegiantslayer.warnerbros.com

What do you think of the illustrations?

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

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The upcoming Bryan Singer retelling of "Jack and the Beanstalk" called Jack the Giant Killer (2011) looks pretty amazing. One of the artists helping to shape that vision is Justin Sweet (Chronicles of Narnia).

Here's what he said about the illustration.

Here's a piece of concept art I did for the film "Jack the Giant Killer". Much of the work I've done over the last couple years can't be shown. I saw that this one was released on line a while back.

I couldn't find it anywhere else, so I decided to post it.

Official Synopsis: Jack the Giant Killer 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.

Trailer:


Read more at muddycolors.blogspot.com

Justin Sweet's website is justinsweet.com/

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