Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1514626
"SABER" Space Station was also a new addition to the MCU that was designed for the film, which is an intergalactic space station positioned outside of Earth and run by Avengers leader Nick Fury. As a workplace for a multitude of alien races and a "space elevator" that rode a laser down to Earth, I didn't really concern myself with making sure the design of the station was realistic. Instead, we referenced high-end airports and futuristic commercial buildings in Asia—architecture that aspired to more of an idea of what a space base would look like as imagined by a billionaire tech mogul. The chunky window mullions reference Zaha Hadid's Morpheus Hotel in China. Metal panels and molded lightweight concrete reference a contemporary transport interchange in Sydney. The entire command center was also designed as a circular set—a design decision that, as of right now, I have no idea what I was thinking! I put the whole team through the wringer designing and building this circular set with me—which was scheduled almost first up for the shoot. Thang Le, Yujin Choo and Fae Corrigan worked with me to create conceptual images, with Fae creating comprehensive Unreal walk-throughs of the space. Surrounding the set a curved 60-foot-wide by 30-foot-high LED volume screen was built. ILM Stagecraft worked with us on developing animated digital matte paintings of Earth, which were tracked to the movements of the camera while filming, making a lot of the footage in-camera. Colie Wertz became an integral part of the SABER concept team, working with me on other SABER sets such as the spacecraft bay, emergency pods, the space station hanger and the space station exterior. Assistant Art Director Hollie Cleaver developed and oversaw the spacecraft bay set build. A. SABER SPACE STATION. CONCEPT ART BY COLIE WERTZ. B. SABER COMMAND CENTER CONSTRUCTION DRAWING BY ART DIRECTOR LUKE SANDERS. C. MONICA RAMBEAU'S SABER LAB. SET PHOTO. A C B