A critique on Avatar’s Production Design
In the words of the dictionary, the production design is the overall look of the film that illustrates the setting and visual style of the story. It includes the design of the sets, the location choices, costumes and the choice and supervision of props. But in my understanding, it is everything that our subconscious mind sees and then perceives. Let’s take the example of one my favourite films and the one of the most popular sci-fi films of all time – Avatar.
It’s one thing to recreate something that’s already there and another to create something that never existed. One can only imagine the kind of pressure the film’s production designer, Rick Carter was under to create this masterpiece. The film had two different art departments – one that was dedicated to creating the flora and fauna of the film and the other that looked after the superhuman machinery and the laboratory used by the scientists.
Right from the beginning of the video where the film begins in the laboratory where the scientists are human hybrids called avatars, to the end of the film which ends with an epic battle between the humans and the Na’vi’s. The film manages to keep the audience hooked with its surreal production design. The mammoth machines or the imaginary world of Pandora seemed real. I have always ended up feeling more than just a viewer while watching the film. It somehow made me feel like I was a part of it. Just like I pointed out in the beginning, the film's aesthetics played with the subconscious mind, giving me a dream-like experience. I highly credit the production design of the film for it.
One of my favourite scenes in the film were when Jake Sully & Neytiri chose each other as their mates before Eywa and the battle between the humans and the natives. The first scene takes place before Eywa, the natives’ deity. Copious amounts of detailing went into the making of the deity – the way it stands still, the way it sways when touched by a native and the way it gives out a flower like substance when it has declared a certain couple as mates. Cameron and Carter manage to churn out a scene that’s immensely sensual and spiritual at the same time.
In the epic battle in the later part of the film, the mammoth machinery and the imaginary land of Pandora come together. A great of praise must be given to the special effects team. But it wouldn’t have been possible without the production designers. How huge should the machines be, how it should affect the flora & fauna in Pandora and the aftermath of the battle – were one of the many decisions by the production design team. It was definitely one the most gripping scenes in the film.
The devil lies in the details goes a popular adage. Only a production designer shall be able to tell you the gravity of the statement.
Bibliography
Eywa (no date) Available at: http://james-camerons-avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Eywa (Accessed: 3 April 2016).
Mating (no date) Available at: http://james-camerons-avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Mating (Accessed: 3 April 2016).
Scalzi, J. (2009) Whatever. Available at: http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/12/20/avatar-review/ (Accessed: 3 April 2016).
Short of the Week (2013) The importance of production design | short of the week show | PBS digital. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS47EXccx3I (Accessed: 3 April 2016).
Times, L.A. (2009) Rick Carter, ‘Avatar’ production designer. Available at: http://articles.latimes.com/2009/dec/09/news/la-en-avatar9-2009dec09 (Accessed: 3 April 2016).
