Thursday 5 December 2013

Wicked The Theatre Production

I saw this amazing production 5 years ago and still remember the set, it was great even before the musical started!







This man's paper model of the stage is so detailed, I came across it when trying to find the design process, I like to see the initial ideas not just the final piece.

Spider-man: Turn Off The Dark Theatre Production

My friend told me to check out this stage set from the new Spider-man production running in New York that she got the chance to see. She didn't reckon much to the play but the sets were amazing and I have to agree! They are so dynamic, it's hard to imagine they're all used the same space. They had 58 scenic set ups, world record? I wasn't expecting so much variety; most of the productions I've seen have had a key piece of scenery and added or taken away bits which is also pretty impressive to do but they have gone all out for this, (they spent 6 weeks digging a seven foot deep hole in the cock pit for 3 elevators) no expense spared! All the colours are so eye catching and fit the scenes perfectly although I do believe more than 1,800 focusable fixtures, 157 automated fixtures, 554 LED fixtures and over ¼ mile of linear LEDs had something to do with this.







The Chrysler Building reaches out from the stage and unfolds into the audience it is first stored in the hanging position where it is pointing vertically down and folded in half. As it flies in, it actuates and opens to a total length of 50’ in a horizontal position and it extends over the fourth row of the audience. Adding to the effect of the web-slinger’s bird’s-eye view, the stage floor rises up on an angle, revealing lightboxes built-in to the ramps that are digitally printed with stylized Art Deco building elements. Associate Scenic Designer Rob Bissinger explained, “That particular scene shifts the audience’s perspective so they view the stage as if they are standing on top of the Chrysler Building looking down onto the street, it is absolutely breathtaking.”






  Even though I've not seen the play I feel I know the production after researching just the sets, they really do everything for the audience to feel part of the action which I feel is very important!

Tuesday 3 December 2013

Tim Burton



Just a few models and sets from Tim Burton films that I liked the look of!

Les Miserable Set



Apparently some of the Harry Potter sets were rebuilt for Les Mis.

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events







    All sets are done inside!


Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events- The sets are amazing, all thought out so well I love the colour pallets. They used different neutral colours for different sets and very clever lighting.
The set designers were C. Scott Baker, Roy Barnes and Jackson Bishop.

Inception Film Set


The film had some really interesting wacky mind tricks when it came to the sets although this is the only 3D set I can find at the moment.


Alien Set 1979



I'm not a big sci-fi fan but I can really appreciate the work that has been put into this set, it is truly amazing especially to say it was built in the late 70's. The production designer for Alien was a man called Michael Seymour who also known for his work on Beverly Hills Cop III.

The Eye of Sauron in the Lord of The Rings Trilogy


One day hopefully I'll be able to make models this well, my cardboard models have a long way to go at the moment. 


"Concealed within his fortress, the lord of Mordor sees all. His gaze pierces cloud, shadow, earth, and flesh. You know of what I speak, Gandalf: a great Eye, lidless, wreathed in flame."
—Saruman
Definitely captured that after the C.G.I for the eye!

Wedding reception from Harry Potter

I had no idea this scene from Harry Potter was filmed inside, they definitely fooled me! All the grass and plants and sky are fake, I just don't know what to believe any more, maybe magic.

Room of Requirement

To create the Room of Requirement in Harry Potter, production designer Stuart Craig built a set consisting of thousands of real chairs, and then used C.G.I. to make the set much larger. I love all the different chairs, I would of liked to be the person to go out and select them and construct it all.