theglowup.theroot.com: If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve already visited Wakanda—maybe two or three times during Black Panther’s record-breaking opening weekend. Otherwise, I know you wouldn’t want to spoil your upcoming trip by reading the incredible conversation The Glow Up had with the film’s production designer, Hannah Beachler. (Consider yourself warned: There might be spoilers ahead. For instance, did you know that from the aerial view, the Royal Talon Fighter is modeled after a mask from the Dogon tribe?)
7 comments:
After seeing the World of Wakanda in the Back Panther movie I can truly say that Hannah Beachler created a truly unique and awe-inspiring African environment that I felt was one of the strongest characters of the film. The idea and the manner in which Wakanda is displayed not just by the actors in the film but also by its own physical representation creates a strong connection with the audiences. The production team as a whole did an amazing job making the film touch all audiences and create connections as if it were a being itself. The attention to detail in the environment and with the I was truly taken back the first time I saw it in the theatre and heard several audible gasps around me. I wish more films paid attention to their environment as they did in the Black Panther I felt as though it was able to give me as audience member a better connection and tie to place then in most films which brought a new depth to the film that I rarely see.
Beachler's work is brilliant. She describes her process as one where she had to get over her perceptions as an African American woman who has had certain negative ideas about her own culture beaten into her head. Without a doubt, Beachler was successful at creating that "sense of pride and joy" she was striving to achieve to get over the negative connotations American mindsets put on African peoples. I was blown away by the scenic design in this movie. It was very evident that Beachler did her research regarding vegetation and natural structures. It makes me happy that so much work was put into making sure this movie was perfect for its viewers. I've read about how the production team redid and revised this movie many a time to make sure it was a accurate and beautiful as possible and it paid off. When I saw the movie, I noticed the variety of culture within Wakanda itself and I think that the "eclectic nature of everything" made it even more beautiful. I recognize that my experience and perception of this movie is nothing as compared to the significance Black Panther holds for the millions of African Americans that watch this movie and deeply connect to it, and I admire the beauty and amazing piece of film it is. I hope that this is just the first of many more films like to come.
Dang. I knew that this team did this movie right, but I had not read about the true extents they went to. I was worried that the hype over this movie would be too much to live up to, but now, after seeing it and reading more about it, I know that that was never really possible. The incredible group of people that they had working on this film were so dedicated to representing the people of Africa and the black people in America, that there was very little chance that they would not pull through with something truly powerful. The level of detail that they went into for this film is exactly what you need to do for any film where you are representing something as foreign as this. You really can not try to take on a project like this without really doing your homework on it. I think they did a really nice job of representing Africa as a whole instead of grabbing one culture inside it as a way of showing the entire continent.
What a positive movie Black Panther has been. For black people as well as all people of color, this film has set an impressive precedence. It says to America that the cultures that inhabit its boarders also has something to say, and more importantly be prod of. That we have history worth fantasizing about and that everyone can enjoy that unique culture. I hope and pray this is not the last time a group of this many black artist get to gather to make a film that truly inspires us. Also to be able to tell our stories on the big screen, with this quality. The work the has been put in this movie has really inspired me to want to know myself and where I came from. It has changed my dreams and goals. As well as traveling to all the great places Europe has to offer, I think now I want to spend more time visiting all the countries in Africa. There are so many thing I don’t know and understand about my mother country, and now I can't wait to learn more about it!
The feeling I had when leaving Black Panther was one of awe. I could not get over how cohesive every single aspect of the movie was. The set, the costumes, and the characters complemented each other so well. The extensive research that Beachler did in designing this movie really showed as I felt as if I was in a completely different place. While watching the movie, I firmly believed that Wakanda was a real place that existed. It felt as if I was being let in on a world secret where this secret civilization really did exist. I also find Beachler so inspiring as a female designer of color. There has always been an overarching fear of breaking into an industry so heavily dominated by men and to see that the person behind one of the best production designs I have ever seen is female really gives me hope that the industry is changing.
Wakanda was very obviously designed in the most meticulous manner. So much thought and detail and MEANING was put into the movie as a whole, but especially the place of Wakanda. The modern and futuristic elements of the environment blended with the traditional African motifs and visuals to create one perfect and very effective landscape. This landscape proudly boasted the identity of the people who live there, simultaneously through the surroundings as well as through the clothes and style of the inhabitants. Besides the success achieved by the designers on a superficial and metaphorical level, it was absolutely successful on a technical level as well. The design was carried out to perfection, everything looked incredible and there was not a single point when I questioned the CGI. The whole movie was cohesive on a new level from all the other movies I have seen in this genre recently. Bravo, Black Panther!!
The reason I love theatre is because it takes you to another world. You watch events and numbers and other things unfold a story. The story has a world and the world is what creates a story. I love this. Most people like to use theatre and film as a form of escape but I go for its ability to consume me into the world they portray, the story that unfolds, and the adventure that is had. This is what Hannah Beachler is talking about. She is simply explaining how the creation of these worlds exist and using Wakanda as her example. Unlike theatre, film gets more detailed and that is because the level in which film needs to produce their worlds. The audience is right there. The camera is the audience and the camera will get those close ups. The level of detail needs to be that of which we perceive our world. Not in just picture quality and construction quality; but of history, idea, and more. The way she explains this is phenomenal and hearing how she created Wakanda and the level of detail is so surreal. It really created the all-consuming effect it needed and it is because of that detail.
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