Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1529668
1 0 4 P E R S P E C T I V E | N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 4 As I delved deeper into the task of taking on Wicked, a realization dawned, gentle yet profound: Designing this film wasn't simply a fresh endeavor, it was a reimagining, a reorchestration of the very fabric of The Wizard of Oz. It was a challenge that promised to be on par, if not greater, than any project I'd ever undertaken. This wasn't just one film, but two, intricately woven narratives traversing the epic journey of Elphaba and Glinda, from reluctant rivals to kindred spirits, forever marked by their profound influence on each other. But where to begin? The whimsical land of Oz, a canvas both familiar and unknown, awaited. Munchkinland, with its boundless cheer, beckoned, its vibrant hues and playful details demanding careful consideration. Shiz, shrouded in a veil of mystery, whispered of forgotten grandeur and hidden secrets, necessitating a delicate balance between the fantastical and the ominous. KiamoKo, a forgotten former seat of a great family primarily seen in the second film, pulsing with an old energy that needed to be captured in its architecture and landscapes. And lastly, the Emerald City—the ultimate design conundrum. How could one surpass the iconic image of the green-hued metropolis, a mere painted backdrop in the original 1938 film? This A W h i m s i c a l C a n v a s f o r O z W I C K E D B Y N AT H A N C R O W L E Y, P R O D U C T I O N D E S I G N E R A. THE EMERALD CITY. ARTWORK BY GERARD DUNLEAVY DONE WITH BLENDER, UNREAL AND PHOTOSHOP. B. THE EMERALD CITY BACKLOT BUILD. AERIAL PHOTO. A