Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/765720
Opposite page, top: Roberto Castro drew this sketch of the Kamar-Taj courtyard where Doctor Strange (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) journeys to find a cure for his damaged hands. Center: A white model of the Kamar-Taj courtyard. Bottom: The finished courtyard set was built, like all the film's constructed sets, at Shepperton and Longcross Studios in London. This page, top: Roberto Castro's illustration of the Kamar-Taj sanctuary. Above: The completed set on stage. Below, left to right: Mr. Castro's sketch of the street in Kathmandu, and the finished set on location in Nepal. The other major part of the design of the film, and sometimes the hardest, was illustrating the surreal, totally complex, mind-bending dimensions that Strange hurtles through. I didn't really know how far is too far, but I was always encouraged by Scott and the studio to go further than one would think. I worked closely with visual effects supervisor Steff Ceretti, who headed the team of artists who ultimately executed all of this, and I was always amazed by the brilliant ideas that he had and how he brought it all to life We worked for many months, sometimes in hard meetings trying to accomplish artwork that would befit the twisting, Escher-like world of the New York chase sequence. This film was a glorious journey for all of us, and we all knew how lucky we were to be part of it. I was always greatly supported by producers Stephen Broussard and Charles Newirth, who helped to get the very complex sets realized. Finally, I would just like to thank everyone in the Art Department, including Supervising Art Director Ray Chan, whom I have worked with for many years, for getting us all though it. I couldn't have done it without him. ADG