Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1109293
and his friends hang out here. We blocked out the width and length of the slum district plaza to ensure it could accommodate skate ramps for the stunt sequence/Motorball pickup game Hugo and his friends play. Todd Holland worked with stunt coordinator Garrett Warren to refine the details, plotting space for cranes and wire work. Across town is the neighborhood where Ido's clinic is found, a cornerstone in the manga. Story-wise, all sinews and limbs in Iron City radiate from that geographic heart. Doc Ido's clinic would be part of a grand, historic city center; its stature fading under the grind of time's pestle. I was keen on a flatiron plan. Eliminating hard edges will create a welcoming environment, a concept I learned from Disney's animation philosophy. Arches, columns, colonnades, porticos, all these architectural elements would imbue a sense of community to the streets. As Iron City was built, crew congregated in spots we'd pinpointed as social hubs. They sat on curbs, under arches, on the slum district steps, ate lunch in the taqueria. Watching people interact provides all your visual cues. The crew lit Iron City's soul. G. IDO'S EXTERIOR— INSPIRED BY A BEAUTIFUL OLD HAVANA BUILDING. H. DESIGNING FOR PRODUCTION. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW GOOD IT LOOKS IF IT DOESN'T WORK ON THE DAY. HOW TO MOVE CREW AND EQUIPMENT THROUGH THE STREETS, BUILDING HEIGHT (MATTE LINES), ACCESS POINTS. ALL THIS WAS CONSIDERED CAREFULLY. E F G H