In a panel featuring production designers, Alex McDowell talked about the challenge of translating the intent of the original graphic novel in the upcoming Watchmen.

The panel spoke of how production designers determine the look and style of a film, which then must be accomplished through collaborative effort. The term "production designer" actually originated with the film Gone With The Wind, whose special design requirements went beyond art direction, and so a new title was invented.

The experts were asked how they choose the films on which they work. McDowell said that he " tend[s] to try to turn down a bad script, or not to repeat myself. You can tend to get typecast. There has to be something in the script or story that you believe in... something that will help you to move the story along."

However, production designers are often brought on board even before a script is finished. "I've worked on pictures being written while we were doing them," Verreaux said. "I've had to design a character that was not used. We rely on relationships with directors and studios, and there can be wonderful inspiration if the director is willing to accept our recommendations. We control the visual storytelling. We work very carefully to design the look of the movie."

While working on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, McDowell said that he was interested in seeing what director Tim Burton would do with the material. In the end, it reflected his personal style. As for Watchmen, McDowell said that "one very fundamental issue" had to be addressed. "We needed to translate the intent of the graphic novel... it's a political satire, with comic book heroes living and failing in the real world." McDowell also discussed the book's 1980s color palette of "taxi driver yellow," making the film contemporary, and how it must line up with the graphic novel.

Another comic book hero, Iron Man, required special emphasis on the designs reflecting the technology of the special armor. "Phil Saunders provided extraordinary sketches," Riva says. "However, our concern was elegance, especially every time it started to strain the technology." Rubber and metal versions of the armor, created by Stan Winston's company, were mixed with computer-generated imagery to create Iron Man.

The panelists noted that there will be a conference, "5D: The Future of Immersive Design," taking place October 4-5, 2008, in Long Beach, California, to further explore technology and design in narrative media.

Cows were used to publicize the new J.J. Abrams TV show Fringe. Courtesy of Janet Hetherington.

Feature Effects for TV Heroes
Zoic Studios presented a panel focused on vfx for the small screen that included such experts as Kevin Bank (Cloverfield, Fringe), Brian Harding (Smallville), Andrew Orloff (CSI, Jericho), Mark Spatney (Heroes) and Jay Worth (Alias, Lost, Fringe).

Television shows do not have the same budgets -- or timelines -- as features, and must be innovative with vfx. While Heroes is shot in Hollywood, Spatny draws upon a library of photography to depict exotic locations like New York, Las Vegas and India, using mattes and virtual treatments. "The biggest problem is trying to achieve an Iron Man vision for TV," he says. "We have to explain what we can do in a truncated timeline, and manage the client's expectations."

Even shows like Smallville, which is a huge WB franchise, must respect the bottom line. "When you have to address something like Bizarro, for example, it still speaks to budgetary requirements," Harding told the audience. "Do we do it with make-up? Do we change the costume? Do we use a CG mask? And you have to figure it all out in a couple of days."

When Clark Kent turns bad in Smallville, a fire lights up in his irises. The flame element is curved and tracked, so that when Clark is affected by red kryptonite and becomes evil, his eyes flicker. It's a small, but effective, effect.

Worth spoke about Captain Cook's Extraordinary Atlas, saying that the animatronics in the pilot of this children's show reflected a look like Pan's Labyrinth (a higher-end film). He said he wants that style to work on TV, and he hopes the show will be picked up.

Orloff noted that sometimes in a production meeting, when he is asked, "Can you do this?" the answer might be, "I don't know," but it comes out "yes." "TV vfx is a very 'can do' industry," he explained.