PRODUCTION. HIS DARK MATERIALS
In fact, you’d be forgiven for thinking Philip Pullman had television in mind when he wrote the books, such is the richness of the imagery that emanates from the nib of his pen. For Season 3, Painting Practice was again charged with building the world so many have grown to know and love. Erica McEwan, His Dark Materials graphics art director & postvis supervisor, and Painting Practice creative director, explains how the team was in a groove by the third season, and had developed a shorthand with lead creatives Jane Tranter and Dan McCulloch. “Our approach is the same: a holistic design overview,” she discloses. “For each series, we always came on board with His Dark Materials production designer & executive producer, and Painting Practice co-founder, Joel Collins, before the scripts were finished very early in pre-prep. We worked with Joel to start teasing out ideas, and concepting huge environments like Lord Asriel’s Republic or The Clouded Mountain, and figuring out tricky designs like the Intention Craft – Asriel’s aircraft powered by the intention of the controller and their daemon.” These ideas would often be woven into the scripts and the team would find itself developing them further during previs and shoot. “We start working hand in
PAGE TO SCREEN Mulefa creature concept (top) and final image (above), showing the intricate detail achieved
hand with the production art department as these ideas become set builds,” McEwan continues. “We then continued to extend these sets and environments during postvis, using our early concept work, completing the design circle and handing it over to VFX for completion.” That remained the approach throughout, but the tools for visualisation and virtual pre-production became more refined and efficient in the third series. “We began artvis a lot more in Season 3 – the mulefa world, for example, was always going to be a huge challenge for everyone. So we started to build out an idea for this world early on in an Unreal Level,” says McEwan. “We had endless scope to play with the storytelling through design and tone because it was so early in the process. Using Unreal this way allowed us to step inside the world and create some epic cinematic sizzles that didn’t feel too far off the end product, almost 18 months later. It became an invaluable discussion tool with the showrunners. Artvis has proven to be an incredible help to build out story, tone
“We start working hand in hand with the production art department as these ideas become set builds”
PREVIS
FINAL
BEFORE AND AFTER The Intention Craft battle previs (left) and in the final shot (right) – an example of the process for creating incredible visuals
32. DEFINITIONMAGAZINE.COM
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