Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1495092
As the project progressed, further differences from the first Avatar would become apparent. Whereas the first film rarely saw humans occupying Na'vi environments and vice versa, the sequels interweave action between humans and the much larger Na'vi at every turn, adding many layers of complexity to design and technical planning. Whereas the division between "organic" and "hard surface" design fell fairly cleanly along the lines of "virtual" and "practical" on the first film, in the sequels both zones of expertise and design exist richly in both dimensions—the world of polygons and pixels, and the world of traditional construction/fabrication. Also, we needed to prep virtual and live-action production not just for one sequel, but for two—Avatar: The Way of Water and Avatar 3 would mo-cap and shoot concurrently. Add to this the stringent demands of Jim's powerful, far-reaching imagination and it becomes clear why we needed a truly exceptional Art Department to help us take on the epic world- building and moviemaking task. This department brought together a mix of Avatar alumni and fresh faces on two continents packing a one-two punch of digital wizardry and intense practical know-how. The creative kinship of such devoted and enjoyable people was the biggest joy of the process that we'll always regard with tremendous gratitude. The design process began in late 2013 with a purely creative phase where the foundational visual ideas of the Avatar sequels were hashed out. This was done at Avatar's Manhattan Beach Studios (MBS) facility in close collaboration with Jim, who was busily working out the scripts for all four sequels with his writing team. Working from verbal briefs or quick sketches from Jim, we proposed and refined countless designs, joined by a small team of some of the best concept illustrators in the business, including Steve Messing, Fausto De Martini, Jonathan Bach, David Levy and John Park. (Messing, De Martini and Bach would later be elevated to A. HIGH CAMP. CONCEPT ILLUSTRATION BY STEVEN MESSING. PHOTOSHOP. B. COVE OF THE ANCESTORS AT ECLIPSE. CONCEPT ILLUSTRATION BY STEVEN MESSING AND DYLAN COLE. PHOTOSHOP AND CINEMA 4D. C. METKAYINA VILLAGE MARUI SKETCHES BY JOHN PARK AND JONATHAN BACH. PEN ON PAPER. D. SULLY MARUI MINIATURE. STAGE PHOTO BY WETA WORKSHOP. EXTERIOR VIEW OF THE 14-FOOT- TALL MINATURE BY WETA WORKSHOP. BENT CANE AND WOVEN FLAX OVER STEEL FRAME. A B C D E