Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1546606
In the early drafts of the script, we designed around forty-five original characters. We knew that if we could perfectly execute these character designs, it would convince fans that Eternia is real. When Barrie Gower came on as our makeup- effects designer and Richard Sale joined as costume designer, they brought their own considerable visual flair, expertise and interpretation to the characters, ultimately helping to transform the designs into the living, breathing characters seen onscreen. Travis and script writer Chris Butler were cleverly using the early character design process as casting sessions, figuring out which characters had the potential to become bigger players. Goat Man, for example, is a relatively minor character in the MOTU mythology, but his enormous size and intimidating design made him such a formidable opponent for He-Man that he earned himself a much bigger role in the story. Other characters, such as Pig Boy and Karg, were affectionate nods to the 1987 film, appearing as special cameos. As in all my Art Departments, we built a detailed visual compendium, which grew and eventually split into two. One for environments, landscapes and transportation, and a second for characters, costumes and all the key props and graphics featured throughout the story. It was a massive document on first viewing, but a valuable shared reference for the world we were creating, and it was referenced by every single department. The Art Department compendium contained more than four hundred and sixty images to help establish our visual language and break down our set build methodology, from practical construction through to digital set extensions and virtual sets. The magnitude of Chris Butler's screenplay was daunting at first. The story moved through an enormous range of environments, and before concentrating on individual sets, I found myself thinking about the geography of the entire world. I sketched plans to visually understand the relationship between one location and another. Where were the mountains, forests, cities and A. MAP OF ETERNIA BY GUY H. DYAS. 8.5" X 11" COLOR PENCIL SKETCH OF GEOGRAPHICAL LAYOUT SHOWING SCRIPT LOCATIONS. B. CASTLE GRAYSKULL ILLUSTRATION BY JAKUB VYOUKAL. ATMOSPHERIC DIGITAL ARTWORK OF CASTLE GRAYSKULL AND JAW BRIDGE APPROACH. C. CASTLE GRAYSKULL DESIGN BY GUY H. DYAS. 8.5" X 11" PENCIL SKETCH FOR DISCUSSION WITH TRAVIS KNIGHT. A B C