Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/612975
n o v e m b e r . d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 5 c g w 7 V I E W P O I N T department and the construc- tion department, which could then read those drawings and build the sets. We were togeth- er while the sets were being built. The VFX departments, however, still had a temporal disconnect. They were doing work once the production designer was off the job – plus, they didn't understand how the building process worked. They could look at the work of a carpenter and understand it, but wouldn't necessarily know how it was conceived. Back then, movies contained a mixture of miniature, digital, and location sets, and even matte paintings – and in the end, they all had to look seam- less on the screen. But if some- thing was built on a stage, for example, artists had no control in extending it. So the designs were limited in terms of how the environments looked. P R E S E N T L A N D S C A P E O F 3 D T O O L S A N D F I L M M A K I N G Today, it's a completely different scenario. Things are way more seamless than they were at the turn of the millennium. We hand over the tech drawings to the CG guys that we used to give the carpenters, and the draw- ings are now built as 3D models. With the commercial sets I work on, companies on both sides are equipped with 3D tools. For a Calvin Klein project, I didn't do 2D drawings, but rather just handed 3D models to the build- ers and to the post guys. The construction and CG worlds are converging! In general, things are more cost-effective, too. On the filmmaking side, ever since James Cameron made Avatar, we are seeing new technology washing over from the video game world that is enabling filmmakers to navigate through 3D worlds using a camera interface. Before this, directors sat with CG artists and directed these animations. Now they can use an iPad or a real camera with motion sensors to bring 3D worlds to the camera and move within the digital space. The ability for directors to do this has not only revolu- tionized previs, but also enables filmmakers to plan shots in a completely different way. Oen now, animatics are done in previs, and filmmakers can even previs an entire movie. This is especially effective because all the shots can be determined ahead of time, resulting in the streamlining of the set builds. While this workflow is ideal, it is not always followed. That's because film- makers don't want to be limited. However, previs helps minimize potential challenges, especially for complicated shots. Now they can be nailed down beforehand, instead of having to do hun- dreds of takes and reviews. I believe we will continue to see an increasing convergence of the digital and the physical. For example, Joseph Kosinski used a big set for Oblivion. Every thing was a digital exten- sion. The ultimate goal seems to be LED walls with 3D images projected on them. Maybe in the future we will have spaces equipped with new types of LED to perfectly project a 3D world, and the physical set could be inside of that space. Overall, the future will be more immersive and more integrated. T H E ' A R C H I T E C T U R E ' O F M Y C R A F T Without question, my architec- tural background has proved invaluable in the execution of digital sets. It gives me a design foundation to understand proportions and detailing, and how everything works within the space. At the same time, with today's powerful digital tools, branching out into new worlds of filmmaking is possible. They enable previs and animated camera paths to custom-tailor and reshape sets in a specific way, making it possible to look at the set in ways that were not possible in the past. I constantly generate ideas by looking at other people's work, which is the beauty of the Internet and our digital world. An image might spark a completely different idea in someone else. I also read books and magazines, investing in my growing library. Ultimately, I am more of a digital type of person, looking and assembling, seeing a visual clue that sparks a vision and making it your own. The storytelling aspect of my experience working in architec- ture is ultimately why I ended up in film. I have never thought of space as a neutral shape or volume that is outside the dimension of time. I have always thought of space as choreog- raphy. Walking through a series of images is like a film to me, and that is why, on the flip side, I approach architecture with a cinematic eye. Because of that, film was an easy transition for me. Now when I do event design for a cli- ent, like Nike, I look at the story. I'm not thinking about space; I am seeing the consumer journey, and that is the theme that ties together architecture and film – and any other type of spatial design. Creating spaces and visions gives me great satisfaction. I have had great personal and professional satisfaction designing spaces. Here are a few suggestions that may help others in this endeavor. Try to explore. Be open and intuitive. Dive in and create. That's what it is all about, immersing your- self in the process of design. ■ Tino Schaedler, an established production designer, art director, and trained architect, moves seamlessly across a number of disciplines – from event design and architecture to commercials and film, where he has a long list of movie credits to his name. Currently he is head of design and a partner at Optimist Design. THE ART OF SET DESIGN HAS EXPANDED WITH THE USE OF CG TOOLS. " I H A V E N E V E R T H O U G H T O F S P A C E A S A N E U T R A L S H A P E O R V O L U M E T H A T I S O U T S I D E T H E D I M E N S I O N O F T I M E . "