Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/990311
SCIENCE FICTION DESIGN CHALLENGES The biggest challenge designing in the sci-fi genre is that most everything must be custom made. In the season two finale, a giant alien stone monolith that escapes from a high-security containment cell consumes one of the characters. On a contemporary show, I can just buy a door and doorknobs, but this calls for an imaginative set piece that makes our audience say "cool." The stone monolith is carved from foam and covered in a polyurethane coating for rigidity and fire safety. The containment cell was built using one-inch thick clear acrylic since the alien monolith is monitored in a lab and must be seen. The frame and base were built from wood and MDF, with forklift holes in the bottom for moving due to its weight. All parts were painted with Modern Masters metallic silver paint and custom metal steps were ordered from McMaster-Carr. It's A B amazing how effective miscellaneous industrial items can be in creating an uneasy sci-fi feeling. The frame has metal details that are actually roll- up garage door hinges and the glass bolts are self- adhesive clear rubber furniture protectors. STRANGE SCI-FI DEVICES The S.H.I.E.L.D. characters use a lot of technology and strange devices to complete their missions. Season one called for a comic book-inspired machine known as the "Overkill Device" which was described as a giant wild-looking pipe organ with a large sonic gun at the center. The scene is set in a region between Russia and Georgia, so it was shot at an inactive power plant in Redondo Beach. The device was assembled from salvaged aerospace engine parts rented from Norton Sales in North Hollywood. They had twelve-foot long rocket exhaust pipes, and after measuring each, I created a 3D model in SketchUp. Greg Melton and I designed the radial pattern at more than sixteen feet tall. I did not want to have any changes during A. THE ALIEN STONE MONOLITH. TURNAROUND AND GRID AIDED THE FOAM SCULPTOR. B. THE CONTAINMENT CELL CONSTRUCTION ELEVATION BY JOHN VERTREES C. & D. SALVAGE AEROSPACE EXHAUST PIPES RENTED FROM NORTON SALES, SOURCED BY ART DIRECTOR ROLAND ROSENKRANZ. C D