Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1109293
F E A T U R E T I T L E G O E S H E R E | P E R S P E C T I V E 1 5 F G Signs of a dragon-influenced culture were added everywhere. Houses were adorned with large sculpted dragon heads, totems, stone carvings and tapestries; everyday life utensils were all "dragonified." Wood-based architecture was designed for the living quarters (houses, docks), while all that defined the culture, such as places of worship or centers of tradition, were made out of stone (i.e., Stonehenge), and seen in the movie in such locations as the great hall or the training ground. The Hidden World In the middle of the series' production, director Dean DeBlois introduced me to the idea of a hidden dragon world. He had this vision of a gargantuan hole in the ocean. Knowing how important logic was for him and to avoid anything magical from challenging the credibility of our world, I proposed the concept of a giant sleeping volcano rising from the sea floor—its caldera just reaching the ocean surface, with its volcanic chimney leading to a massive magma chamber. A subterranean network of tunnels and caves would lead to the endless spaces of the hidden world. If at the end of the movie one has to let go of the dragons, it better be for a place that is worth it, where they seem to belong, where they can fly free. D E