ENCANTO
ART DIRECTOR
OF ENVIRONMENTS, PRE-PRODUCTION
Making a movie is a little bit like raising a child. The creators/directors conceive of the idea, in pre-production a small team gives birth to the look and the potential of what it could be and then there is the long and hard process of production with a million creative decisions, compromises and a lot of patience and persistence in which the movie takes its final form.
And like at the end of raising a child you let it go out into the world and hope for the best.
I knew from the start that this was going to be a very special kid. I didn't get to "raise" this one because I had to jump onto another project but I got to be part of the "birth" and I knew that with all the amazingly talented people at Disney it would grow into the beautiful powerful magical movie that the world would receive with open arms.
And like at the end of raising a child you let it go out into the world and hope for the best.
I knew from the start that this was going to be a very special kid. I didn't get to "raise" this one because I had to jump onto another project but I got to be part of the "birth" and I knew that with all the amazingly talented people at Disney it would grow into the beautiful powerful magical movie that the world would receive with open arms.
Encanto - Concept Art by Matthias Lechner copyright Walt Disney
Above:
This was my first image for Encanto. Not a specific location, just something to get me started. A story about hidden doors, music, colors and butterflies.
Below:
The Casa Madrigal - the magical family house - was its own character. And the kitchen is a central point in the house. I gave it an area with little holes in the wall, so you can look at the courtyard while washing the dishes, In the corner is a big natural rock (The rocky hill is integrated into some of the walls to connect it more to the Encanto), steps leading up to the courtyard on the left and an opening to the back garden that lets lots of light in on the right.
This was my first image for Encanto. Not a specific location, just something to get me started. A story about hidden doors, music, colors and butterflies.
Below:
The Casa Madrigal - the magical family house - was its own character. And the kitchen is a central point in the house. I gave it an area with little holes in the wall, so you can look at the courtyard while washing the dishes, In the corner is a big natural rock (The rocky hill is integrated into some of the walls to connect it more to the Encanto), steps leading up to the courtyard on the left and an opening to the back garden that lets lots of light in on the right.
Encanto - Concept Art by Matthias Lechner copyright Walt Disney
Below:
Every door in this house may lead into a whole new environment. This is not so much a location design but more of an illustration of this concept. It's a walkway around the inner courtyard. Every color represents a different magical talent and a specific environment that goes with it.
Every door in this house may lead into a whole new environment. This is not so much a location design but more of an illustration of this concept. It's a walkway around the inner courtyard. Every color represents a different magical talent and a specific environment that goes with it.
Encanto - Concept Art by Matthias Lechner copyright Walt Disney
Encanto - Concept Art by Matthias Lechner copyright Walt Disney
Above:
The environments inside the rooms are loosely based on Colombia's natural regions. Like the Llanos (the grassy plains) for this one. For these early ideas I tried a room/landscape hybrid: As you go deeper inside, the walls become sky and the birds on the wallpaper will become a real flock of birds.
Below,
This one is based on the Amazon jungle. It's like a tree-house with platforms connected by walkways and rope-bridges. This room became a much bigger location in the movie.
The environments inside the rooms are loosely based on Colombia's natural regions. Like the Llanos (the grassy plains) for this one. For these early ideas I tried a room/landscape hybrid: As you go deeper inside, the walls become sky and the birds on the wallpaper will become a real flock of birds.
Below,
This one is based on the Amazon jungle. It's like a tree-house with platforms connected by walkways and rope-bridges. This room became a much bigger location in the movie.
Encanto - Concept Art by Matthias Lechner copyright Walt Disney
Encanto - Concept Art by Matthias Lechner copyright Walt Disney
Above:
In an early version, Abuela's room was themed after the Andean Mountains.
Below:
Entering the room was a bit like entering the psyche of its inhabitant. In this schematic view, Abuela's room is directly connected to the river area where she suffered her biggest trauma.
In an early version, Abuela's room was themed after the Andean Mountains.
Below:
Entering the room was a bit like entering the psyche of its inhabitant. In this schematic view, Abuela's room is directly connected to the river area where she suffered her biggest trauma.
Encanto - Concept Art by Matthias Lechner copyright Walt Disney
Encanto - Concept Art by Matthias Lechner copyright Walt Disney
Above:
I tried a different form of filmmaking: As Mirabel tells the story of how the young Abuela and her husband made their way across a river (based on the colorful algae in the Caño Cristales river), she steps out of the picture and speaks directly to the audience.
Below:
Some of the passageways in the house lead to truly surrealistic settings where nothing was connected to each other anymore.
I tried a different form of filmmaking: As Mirabel tells the story of how the young Abuela and her husband made their way across a river (based on the colorful algae in the Caño Cristales river), she steps out of the picture and speaks directly to the audience.
Below:
Some of the passageways in the house lead to truly surrealistic settings where nothing was connected to each other anymore.
Encanto - Concept Art by Matthias Lechner copyright Walt Disney
Encanto - Concept Art by Matthias Lechner copyright Walt Disney
Above:
In early story flashback, young and pregnant Abuela leads the family of refugees through a narrow canyon that leads to the Encanto.
Below:
On the other side, the Encanto answers her prayers by magically closing the canyon with big boulders and shielding the valley from intruders from the outside world.
In early story flashback, young and pregnant Abuela leads the family of refugees through a narrow canyon that leads to the Encanto.
Below:
On the other side, the Encanto answers her prayers by magically closing the canyon with big boulders and shielding the valley from intruders from the outside world.
Encanto - Concept Art by Matthias Lechner copyright Walt Disney
Encanto - Concept Art by Matthias Lechner copyright Walt Disney
And then there is the Casa Madrigal. Here is my early design of the magical house seen from the back garden with the entrance to the kitchen. It is directly connected to the environment, colorful and with lots of different windows, staircases and additions built over time as the family grew.
I do enjoy using the same drawing to create a day and a night version.
Even though the design changed in production, I feel like the spirit of these drawings survived in the final movie.
I do enjoy using the same drawing to create a day and a night version.
Even though the design changed in production, I feel like the spirit of these drawings survived in the final movie.
Encanto - Concept Art by Matthias Lechner copyright Walt Disney