MATTHIAS LECHNER production design - art direction
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    • LAURA AND THE DREAM-MONSTERS
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ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH                        PRODUCTION DESIGNER / ART DIRECTOR

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Poster Design
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This is the Color-Script for the entire movie. (the panels represent every time there is an emotional lighting change or a new location) This was the starting point for lighting

Characters and costume design:

When I came to "Escape From Planet Earth" as an Art Director the film had already been in pre-production for two years. It had just changed director and script-writer and it was going in a new direction. That meant that 95% of the earlier work could not be used anymore. The one thing, that I was told to use was the basic models of the main characters. I could however give them new textures and costumes (with some limitations)
Here are a few of my final turnarounds as starting point for texturing:
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This was a pre-existing model. (not my design) But I could add a new look by giving him a fresh costume-texture. (with the help of Sylvie Lacroix)
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movie still
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Again, the face and hands are not my design - but I could give him a brand new super-suit.
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Idea sketches
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movie still
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It had some pretty cool details (Thanks to Sunil Pant and Adam Vorous)
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(face and hands not my design) It was fun to give him the kid-version of a super-suit.
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movie still
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I gave her a new face. Often I would just sit with the modelers and tweak the old models.
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And this is what she looked like in the final film.

Location Design:

In the beginning of the movie, we are on the ice-planet Gnarl on a mission to save orphans from a crashed space-ship.

Planet Gnarl

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sketch for modeling
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look development for snow and ice
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sketch for modeling
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sketch for modeling
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Inside the orphan-baby-transport-ship - movie still
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Little blue babies (the babies are wrapped up so we didn't have to animate arms - one of a million shortcuts you have to take when the budget is very limited) - movie still

Planet Baab

Since "Escape from Planet Earth" is a reverse alien invasion movie - the alien planet (Baab) had to look alien (and technologically advanced) but at the same time it had to feel familiar and easy to relate to.
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Concept sketch. Earth-like but with an abundance of energy.
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Glowing streets. Design drwawings
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And this is what it looks like in the movie.
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(car designs by Young Yoon and Peter Chan) - movie still

The alien home

The family home on planet Baab had to be the most warm and relatable place in the movie. A counter-place for all the strange hostile worlds around it - but with a touch of "alien"
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design drawing of the living room
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These are flat colors sketches (without any light and shadow) so the texture artist knows what the exact colors of the objects are supposed to be
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and this is what the living room looks like in the movie
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movie still
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This is a design sketch for the little boy's room
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This is the un-textured model by Sander Dijk and Adam Vorous
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and here's the final image

The alien space agency

Creating the space-ships and control room and launch bay was a big team effort. Special credit goes to Peter Chan for the spaceship designs
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launch bay with rescue-pod - movie still
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launch bay with rescue-pod - movie still
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launch bay with cargo ship
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control room - movie still

Earth

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matte painting

the crash landing

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concept art
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workbook drawings
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model (various artists)
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movie still

Area 51

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paint over (prop design: Sunil Pant)
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The General's office as design drawing...
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...and as movie still
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color sketch for freezer room
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freezer room - movie still

and then there is the escape of course... but go see the movie if you want to find out how

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concept sketch
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concept sketch

my favorite image:

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design drawing
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movie still