Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1072449
A Q U A M A N | P E R S P E C T I V E 5 3 As soon as Production Designer Bill Brzeski came aboard DC's planned Aquaman franchise, he knew that he would be taking on challenges that were wholly unprecedented, even in the span of his wide-ranging and storied career. With a considerable portion of the scripted action taking place underwater, his tasks would be twofold— first, to design the many kingdoms of Atlantis in a way that seemed both grounded and otherworldly, and to find a way to bring those kingdoms to life. Reuniting with director James Wan after a fruitful collaboration on Furious 7, it became quickly apparent that the latest entry in DC's shared universe would be unlike anything that had come before. The vision that Wan set forth was one of grandeur and beauty—of vibrant colors and sprawling vistas—and seemed in many ways as boundless in energy as the man behind it. "Right from the start it was decided that this was going to be a 'blue sky' movie," recalls Brzeski; "it was a beautiful world that the story took place in, and he wanted the design to reflect that." It was early in the fall of 2016 when Brzeski and Art Director Desma Murphy set up shop in a small office on the Warner lot, where they worked closely with Wan to develop the look of the film. With a script already before them, they were able to discuss the movie from beginning to end, which helped to ensure that a cohesive sense of design was maintained across all of its numerous locales. Knowing how important it was to make a movie that appealed to the fans, Brzeski took his initial cues straight from the panels of the "New 52" Aquaman comics. This initial investigation was crucial for gaining a sense of the world, and while many echoes of the comics can still be found in the final designs, it was clear that he would have to cast a much wider net if he wanted to bring it to life on the screen. Bringing on researcher Susie Pilzninski next, they worked to get an idea of what life in early Atlantis might have been like. "It was all based on Plato's original myth," he reveals of their findings, "so we started with the idea that it was a Hellenistic society, maybe five or six thousand years ago." Influenced by classical architecture, an image of a magnificent A. CONCEPT ILLUSTRATION BY CHRISTIAN SCHEURER. A VIEW OF ATLANTIS COMING IN OVER THE WALL SHOWING THE MAIN PALACE. THIS EARLY DIGITAL SKETCH WAS USED TO SHOW HOW THE CITY WAS POWERED AND LIT FROM THE ENERGY WHEEL.