For Production Design in Year 1, our only major tasks were to break down a short script and design one of the sets. We also had to build a model of said set.
I began by doing a brief design of the first 2 locations / sets.
Scene 1 was set on a moor
I started by defining what a moor was.
Then deciding on the colours / aesthetic. I did this by reading the mood and situation. It was dirty, scary and mysterious. I went with muddy, uncomfortable colours.
Then I took excerpts from the script that described the location. I also included descriptions of costume.
And finally I did a sketch of the scene.
Scene 2 was set in a mortuary
Exact same process again.
Scene 3 was set in a bar
I put a LOT more detail into this sketch as it was the location I was most interested in designing in depth for my model. You can see below the sketch the plans for the model.
I went down a somewhat winding road to come across this production designer, as I often do, browsing the internet. An amazing building called ‘Desert House’ by Kendrick Bangs Kellogg made me think of all the awesome production design seen in the James Bond films. I went looking and found some really gorgeous sketches by the British-German production designer, Ken Adam. He has won 2 and been nominated for 3 oscars.
The Conference Room – Concept art by production designer Ken Adam for ‘Thunderball’ (1965)We can see here that Adam’s vision was brought to life, almost exactly how he drew it.
This room screams espionage to me. There’s something very Soviet Union-esque about it.
The Pyramid Conrol Room – Concept art by Ken Adam for ‘Moonraker’ (1979)The Pyramid Control Room – Brought to life
I have to say that I’m not really a fan of the Pyramid Control Room as it appears on-screen. In the concept art, it looked futuristic and modern with the typical glass and steel aesthetic. The abundance of screens makes it looks quite messy.
Also, the over-reflecting floor makes it difficult to feel the space and the layout, and simply reflects the already copious screens.
The Iconic War Room from ‘Dr. Strangelove’ (1964) – as drawn by Ken AdamOnce again, Adam’s vision is brought to life with incredible accuracyBlofeld’s Volcano Lair – ‘You Only Live Twice’ (1967)
Something different about this concept art is that 1) it’s in colour, and 2) it’s less like an engineer’s drawing as the other’s are, and has quite an odd quality to it – where the perspective is a little off. Notice the stairs leading up on the left side of the drawing.
Another interesting concept of Blofeld’s LairBlofeld’s Lair brought to life
Another incredible set brought from imagination to the page, and finally, to real life, by the magnificent Ken Adam.
The sheer scale of this set is really awesome. the stone detail merger with the smooth concrete and bits and pieces of metal fits the aesthetic of the ‘villain lair’ really well. It also adds to the hidden quality of the operation.
Bullion Store, Fort Knox – ‘Goldfinger’ (1964)
Fort Knox is of course a real place, but the public, and even US Presidents don’t know what it looks like on the inside. Ken Adam had the task of designing part of it himself.
The final product
Once again, Adam adapts his concept art almost exactly as it was drawn.
All of his drawings are very similar in style, yet the final sets all stand apart as their own unique works of art. I think that is a feat worth mentioning.
EthanButler • ProductionDesign 