Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1529668
A. THE WIZARD'S MECHANICAL HEAD. PHOTO BY TRIIN VALVAS B. THE WIZARD'S THRONE ROOM. PHOTO BY PHILLIS LEHMER C. THE MAP ROOM. PHOTO BY SCENIC PAINTER DAVID PACKARD. D. THE MAP ROOM. PLAN AND SECTION. E. THE MAP ROOM. STILL BY DP ALICE BROOKS. The Wizard's Throne Room: A Modernist Spectacle The Wizard's throne room wasn't just a place to meet the great Oz; it was an intimidation chamber. Early on, we envisioned a massive, puppeteered mechanical head dominating the space, a technological marvel that could truly interact with the characters. This throne room, however, couldn't be pure fantasy. It needed to reflect the whimsical realism of the Wizard's world, a bizarre blend of Oz's magic and his own modernist future. Think cathedral soaring toward a vast skylight, but reimagined with layers of architectural rings that slowly ascend, creating a dizzying illusion of vertical distance and perspective. Our talented Art Directors and SFX teams tackled the challenge of designing a fully expressive mechanical head. To heighten the complexity, we conceived of the head pushing through layers of cascading curtains, a living string sculpture that would breathe life and movement into the giant visage. This "man behind the curtain" effect was crucial—the Wizard, after all, was a mere carnival illusionist at heart. The Map Room: A Magical Illusion To create the illusion of an endless landscape and sky, a forced perspective model of the Land of Oz would be built. Model makers would construct Oz at varying scales, depending on its location within the space. This space would be an egg-shaped inner half-dome, with a scenic sunset painted on the hard top interior. During the dance number, the hydraulically lifted sky would reveal a moonlit scene painted on a gauze behind which the Wizard could make a final, silhouetted appearance. All this would be achieved in-camera. ADG A B C