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Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Director Jon M. Chu and Designer Nathan Crowley Detail WICKED Movie Sets
www.broadwayworld.com: Ozians, rejoice! In a new story at Architectural Digest, director Jon M. Chu and production designer Nathan Crowley have shed some new light on the intricate and detailed sets featured in the upcoming Wicked movie, favoring physical creations to CGI.
Wicked the movie in my opinion is either going to get widely accepted from audiences or it’s not going to reach as many people as the production team had originally planned. However, I am still excited to see how vast this production becomes once it is off stage and on screen. Not only with the use of CGI but also puppets and a film schedule help to elevate some of the concerns and constraints that a stage show might put on a production. Having never seen the staged version, it will be interesting to hear about how the movie differs or is similar to the staged version. I think the biggest takeaway is that even though the production team decided to use CGI to fully encompass the vastness of the set, they still have physical sets that relish in this vastness. For example, the 9 million bulbs of tulips that the production team planted in Norfolk England for the tulip fields in Oz are just spectacular. Adding CGI to reinforce this spectacular-ness increases the anticipation for this movie.
My first experience with musical theatre was the Wicked soundtrack, which my mom loved. When I was young she would play ‘Popular’ and ‘Defying Gravity’ in the car all the time, and without any knowledge about the story I became a fan of the musical. As I grew older I learned more about the origins of the musical and began to understand it more. When it was announced that a movie adaptation was in production, I wasn’t sure how to set my expectations. I have never seen Wicked live, and the only video clip I’ve seen was a performance of ‘Defying Gravity’ at one of the awards shows. When I saw the trailer the first time I became very excited, and this article has only heightened my enthusiasm because the sets seemed to have been designed and constructed with such love and precision. Reading about the tulips made my jaw drop, because I only imagine the time and patience involved in doing that. I cannot wait to watch Wicked in November!
From the pictures I’ve seen of the Wicked set, Nathan Crowley did not come to play. Looking through his credits, it’s clear he brings a unique perspective; he designed for Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Greatest Showman, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Interstellar, Dunkirk, and more. I think it’s great that they chose someone with such a wide range of past projects. From historical fiction to action to sci-fi, Crowley brings a hard-to-place feeling to the new Wicked movie that I think suits it well. Wicked takes inspiration from a lot of different places: the original Wizard of Oz, steampunk culture, and many early 1900s trends. I think Crowley’s background gives him a broad enough vocabulary to fit all of those prompts into a single, cohesive world. My favorite still in the article is of the tulip fields: over nine million tulips were planted to achieve the stunning effect. Considering the movie had a budget of 145 million USD, it’s clear that no expense was spared to “wow” the audience. I also love how Crowley didn’t rely mainly on CGI when designing the sets.
This is super fantastic that the designers on the new Wicked movie are using more real sets, rather than using CGI to create the magic world of Oz. They explained that the Shiz University set was all built, as were the bookshelves in the library set, and the set looks absolutely fantastic. Given it is a university, the set is absolutely massive. There is also a website for Shiz University, in which you can see some of the incredible set. I think that with the world of CGI and AI becoming more and more prominent, it is important to keep real designers, building, designing, and putting together pieces of art that have emotion rooted in the core of them. With AI specifically, you lose the aspect of emotion in anything that is AI generated. CGI is really advanced and cool, but it is not the same as seeing a real, constructed set piece. I am really excited to see the new Wicked movie, and now I know what sets to specifically look out for. Nathan Crowley did not come to play, and that is super clear in the production photos for this movie.
No words can describe how excited I am for the Wicked film. Everything I read or watch, including this article, fills me with more anticipation. There is so much pressure in adapting anything (book, comic, play, musical) into a movie as there is so much one can get “wrong”. There has also been a lot of conversation around recent moves and the use of CGI, because either it works or it REALLY doesn’t. On the stage, we have no CGI, so we rely on the magic of lines, shape, and form. It is very interesting and appealing to me that the director and production designer are relying more on physical creations as opposed to CGI. In fact, from the trailers I watched, I was left with the “wow! that cgi was really good!” and to find out that iconic objects and scenes like the wizard and tulip fields they created manually. I love the additional comment that Crowley, the production designer, said these were the biggest sets he has ever created as well as acknowledging that pieces of the set had to be mobile, which is a component that is often used on stage, but relatively rare in the film industry. I am so excited to see the work of all the designers and performers in the upcoming Wicked film adaptation!
No words can describe how excited I am for the Wicked film. Everything I read or watch, including this article, fills me with more anticipation. There is so much pressure in adapting anything (book, comic, play, musical) into a movie as there is so much one can get “wrong”. There has also been a lot of conversation around recent moves and the use of CGI, because either it works or it REALLY doesn’t. On the stage, we have no CGI, so we rely on the magic of lines, shape, and form. It is very interesting and appealing to me that the director and production designer are relying more on physical creations as opposed to CGI. In fact, from the trailers I watched, I was left with the “wow! that cgi was really good!” and to find out that iconic objects and scenes like the wizard and tulip fields they created manually. I love the additional comment that Crowley, the production designer, said these were the biggest sets he has ever created as well as acknowledging that pieces of the set had to be mobile, which is a component that is often used on stage, but relatively rare in the film industry. I am so excited to see the work of all the designers and performers in the upcoming Wicked film adaptation!
I think this movie will have a huge impact on theatre enjoyers and movie watchers alike. What I find really interesting is that they have put so much work into real sets and locations rather than using modern day technologies such as AI and CGI which are a lot more practical than building a full University for the movie. I think this call into question an important topic of how much we use computer programs and assistance when doing work in entertainment. On one hand it can allow us to do incredible things and eases the total process. This is important for fantastical things like superheroes and magic where the impossible is right in front of us with good CGI work. However, on the other hand, computers can start to remove the artistry and commitment to the craft. In this instance, they planted a field of nine million tulips for a scene in England. This might seem like a crazy choice, yet the commitment to realism, audience experience, and artistry is commendable and inspiring to read about. I hope that I can keep this same level of authenticity in my own work in theatre and beyond.
I was surprised reading this article about how much of the set was actually built rather than made with CGI. I think that having the characters look like theyre really walking through these places (because they are) will have that intended effect of making the fantasy look real. While it is impressive the things we've been able to do with CGI when it comes to effects, there have been some horrendous blunders in recent film history that do completely take you out of the experience and the world. That being said I am always curious of what will happen to very specific huge sets like this. After part 1 and 2 are filmed how much will get trashed and what can get reused? Can some of it be used for other movies or even be integrated into the Broadway production or tour? It would be cool if the giant puppet of Jeff Goldblum could live beyond these films. I also wonder about the tulip field they planted. 9 million tulips is no small field, and it would be a waste if there was nothing done with it afterwards. Although its in a rural area that could became an attraction of it's own and kept up by the people who live there if that's feasible. I think of the small town built for big fish and instead having anything useful done with it, it now stands abandoned as I'm sure many sets like this do. They're talking the time and resources to create Oz but what about after
How often do we see top musicals get a film version, but how often is a film turned into a play or musical? Occasionally but I also believe that this cross in industry is inevitable but it also offers an opportunity to reach a larger audience by producing stage versions of famous films. Maybe this is because I am a theatre lover but frequently I will find myself saying this would be a better play than movie, for example The Great Gastby has a stage and film version at the moment and my preferred version of the story is the musical. This is because the scope of the parties is huge and watching that happen in real time is a different experience than through a screen. The constant new locations and the unique opportunities provided through film actually detract from the story trying to be told. I also think that this is a way to grow the industry away from the classical stories that we see so much of. Is there a way to recreate what these shows do for the theatre by adapting films? Do copyright laws prevent this? But because of how large the film industry is, can the theatre community lean into the fact that our audiences are ultimately the same and to tell a new version of the story create a new experience for the fans of the movie. It's the opposite of what is happening with Wicked but this article got me thinking about this.
I absolutely love how the designers for Wicked are pushing back towards more physical sets over the more commonly used CGI sets nowadays. Even with how realistic CGI has gotten lately, there's something about the architecture in real scenic locations that just creates such beautiful backgrounds that CGI just can’t compare to sometimes. It just looks so realistic from every single angle because it is real, CGI can’t replicate that level of realism. Nathan Crowley really did do a fantastic job on the set for Wicked, he was a fantastic pick for the job. The amount of effort that went into every single detail is insane! Reading about the fact that they planted nine million tulips is just crazy to me. The amount of time, money, and months of planning that had to go into it is awe inspiring. On top of that, the 3D modeled puppet is absolutely eye-catching. I absolutely cannot wait to see Wicked in theatres this fall!
It's an understatement at how excited I am for the Wicked movie to come out near Thanksgiving. It looks like such an immersive experience that is unlike any other live-action musical we have seen yet. Something I thought was really cool when reading this article was that the director really wanted to use physical sets rather than just CGI in the otter to make it feel more emotional and real. I also found it really cool how they really used this architectural outlet and tried to make these massive sets for Shiz and OZ, and all of those set details really make an audience aware of what's a computer and what's potentially real life. One interesting thing that I read in the article is that the Wizard's disguise is actually a puppet, which was created from a 3D scan of Jeff Goldblum's face, which just adds this completely unique and different touch of realness.
I got so excited when I read that they wanted to use as little CGI as possible. As someone who enjoys building large and intricate sets, I see the draw-ins of CGI but always love more when productions try to do things as practically as possible. Large practical movie sets have always been something that I think would be really fun to work on because there is so much going on in them. Most have a high technical demand, like the revolving bookshelves on the Wicked set, but they also demand a lot of detail in case the director wants a close-up. Movie sets demand a lot from a technician, but it would also be cool to pause a movie and go "I made that" and "There's my name in the credits!". Seeing most productions lean more on CGI has made me a little worried that I won't be able to work on a production like that, but articles like this fire me up again and give me hope.
12 comments:
Wicked the movie in my opinion is either going to get widely accepted from audiences or it’s not going to reach as many people as the production team had originally planned. However, I am still excited to see how vast this production becomes once it is off stage and on screen. Not only with the use of CGI but also puppets and a film schedule help to elevate some of the concerns and constraints that a stage show might put on a production. Having never seen the staged version, it will be interesting to hear about how the movie differs or is similar to the staged version. I think the biggest takeaway is that even though the production team decided to use CGI to fully encompass the vastness of the set, they still have physical sets that relish in this vastness. For example, the 9 million bulbs of tulips that the production team planted in Norfolk England for the tulip fields in Oz are just spectacular. Adding CGI to reinforce this spectacular-ness increases the anticipation for this movie.
My first experience with musical theatre was the Wicked soundtrack, which my mom loved. When I was young she would play ‘Popular’ and ‘Defying Gravity’ in the car all the time, and without any knowledge about the story I became a fan of the musical. As I grew older I learned more about the origins of the musical and began to understand it more. When it was announced that a movie adaptation was in production, I wasn’t sure how to set my expectations. I have never seen Wicked live, and the only video clip I’ve seen was a performance of ‘Defying Gravity’ at one of the awards shows. When I saw the trailer the first time I became very excited, and this article has only heightened my enthusiasm because the sets seemed to have been designed and constructed with such love and precision. Reading about the tulips made my jaw drop, because I only imagine the time and patience involved in doing that. I cannot wait to watch Wicked in November!
From the pictures I’ve seen of the Wicked set, Nathan Crowley did not come to play. Looking through his credits, it’s clear he brings a unique perspective; he designed for Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Greatest Showman, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Interstellar, Dunkirk, and more. I think it’s great that they chose someone with such a wide range of past projects. From historical fiction to action to sci-fi, Crowley brings a hard-to-place feeling to the new Wicked movie that I think suits it well. Wicked takes inspiration from a lot of different places: the original Wizard of Oz, steampunk culture, and many early 1900s trends. I think Crowley’s background gives him a broad enough vocabulary to fit all of those prompts into a single, cohesive world. My favorite still in the article is of the tulip fields: over nine million tulips were planted to achieve the stunning effect. Considering the movie had a budget of 145 million USD, it’s clear that no expense was spared to “wow” the audience. I also love how Crowley didn’t rely mainly on CGI when designing the sets.
This is super fantastic that the designers on the new Wicked movie are using more real sets, rather than using CGI to create the magic world of Oz. They explained that the Shiz University set was all built, as were the bookshelves in the library set, and the set looks absolutely fantastic. Given it is a university, the set is absolutely massive. There is also a website for Shiz University, in which you can see some of the incredible set. I think that with the world of CGI and AI becoming more and more prominent, it is important to keep real designers, building, designing, and putting together pieces of art that have emotion rooted in the core of them. With AI specifically, you lose the aspect of emotion in anything that is AI generated. CGI is really advanced and cool, but it is not the same as seeing a real, constructed set piece. I am really excited to see the new Wicked movie, and now I know what sets to specifically look out for. Nathan Crowley did not come to play, and that is super clear in the production photos for this movie.
No words can describe how excited I am for the Wicked film. Everything I read or watch, including this article, fills me with more anticipation. There is so much pressure in adapting anything (book, comic, play, musical) into a movie as there is so much one can get “wrong”. There has also been a lot of conversation around recent moves and the use of CGI, because either it works or it REALLY doesn’t. On the stage, we have no CGI, so we rely on the magic of lines, shape, and form. It is very interesting and appealing to me that the director and production designer are relying more on physical creations as opposed to CGI. In fact, from the trailers I watched, I was left with the “wow! that cgi was really good!” and to find out that iconic objects and scenes like the wizard and tulip fields they created manually. I love the additional comment that Crowley, the production designer, said these were the biggest sets he has ever created as well as acknowledging that pieces of the set had to be mobile, which is a component that is often used on stage, but relatively rare in the film industry. I am so excited to see the work of all the designers and performers in the upcoming Wicked film adaptation!
No words can describe how excited I am for the Wicked film. Everything I read or watch, including this article, fills me with more anticipation. There is so much pressure in adapting anything (book, comic, play, musical) into a movie as there is so much one can get “wrong”. There has also been a lot of conversation around recent moves and the use of CGI, because either it works or it REALLY doesn’t. On the stage, we have no CGI, so we rely on the magic of lines, shape, and form. It is very interesting and appealing to me that the director and production designer are relying more on physical creations as opposed to CGI. In fact, from the trailers I watched, I was left with the “wow! that cgi was really good!” and to find out that iconic objects and scenes like the wizard and tulip fields they created manually. I love the additional comment that Crowley, the production designer, said these were the biggest sets he has ever created as well as acknowledging that pieces of the set had to be mobile, which is a component that is often used on stage, but relatively rare in the film industry. I am so excited to see the work of all the designers and performers in the upcoming Wicked film adaptation!
I think this movie will have a huge impact on theatre enjoyers and movie watchers alike. What I find really interesting is that they have put so much work into real sets and locations rather than using modern day technologies such as AI and CGI which are a lot more practical than building a full University for the movie. I think this call into question an important topic of how much we use computer programs and assistance when doing work in entertainment. On one hand it can allow us to do incredible things and eases the total process. This is important for fantastical things like superheroes and magic where the impossible is right in front of us with good CGI work. However, on the other hand, computers can start to remove the artistry and commitment to the craft. In this instance, they planted a field of nine million tulips for a scene in England. This might seem like a crazy choice, yet the commitment to realism, audience experience, and artistry is commendable and inspiring to read about. I hope that I can keep this same level of authenticity in my own work in theatre and beyond.
I was surprised reading this article about how much of the set was actually built rather than made with CGI. I think that having the characters look like theyre really walking through these places (because they are) will have that intended effect of making the fantasy look real. While it is impressive the things we've been able to do with CGI when it comes to effects, there have been some horrendous blunders in recent film history that do completely take you out of the experience and the world. That being said I am always curious of what will happen to very specific huge sets like this. After part 1 and 2 are filmed how much will get trashed and what can get reused? Can some of it be used for other movies or even be integrated into the Broadway production or tour? It would be cool if the giant puppet of Jeff Goldblum could live beyond these films. I also wonder about the tulip field they planted. 9 million tulips is no small field, and it would be a waste if there was nothing done with it afterwards. Although its in a rural area that could became an attraction of it's own and kept up by the people who live there if that's feasible. I think of the small town built for big fish and instead having anything useful done with it, it now stands abandoned as I'm sure many sets like this do. They're talking the time and resources to create Oz but what about after
How often do we see top musicals get a film version, but how often is a film turned into a play or musical? Occasionally but I also believe that this cross in industry is inevitable but it also offers an opportunity to reach a larger audience by producing stage versions of famous films. Maybe this is because I am a theatre lover but frequently I will find myself saying this would be a better play than movie, for example The Great Gastby has a stage and film version at the moment and my preferred version of the story is the musical. This is because the scope of the parties is huge and watching that happen in real time is a different experience than through a screen. The constant new locations and the unique opportunities provided through film actually detract from the story trying to be told. I also think that this is a way to grow the industry away from the classical stories that we see so much of. Is there a way to recreate what these shows do for the theatre by adapting films? Do copyright laws prevent this? But because of how large the film industry is, can the theatre community lean into the fact that our audiences are ultimately the same and to tell a new version of the story create a new experience for the fans of the movie. It's the opposite of what is happening with Wicked but this article got me thinking about this.
I absolutely love how the designers for Wicked are pushing back towards more physical sets over the more commonly used CGI sets nowadays. Even with how realistic CGI has gotten lately, there's something about the architecture in real scenic locations that just creates such beautiful backgrounds that CGI just can’t compare to sometimes. It just looks so realistic from every single angle because it is real, CGI can’t replicate that level of realism. Nathan Crowley really did do a fantastic job on the set for Wicked, he was a fantastic pick for the job. The amount of effort that went into every single detail is insane! Reading about the fact that they planted nine million tulips is just crazy to me. The amount of time, money, and months of planning that had to go into it is awe inspiring. On top of that, the 3D modeled puppet is absolutely eye-catching. I absolutely cannot wait to see Wicked in theatres this fall!
It's an understatement at how excited I am for the Wicked movie to come out near Thanksgiving. It looks like such an immersive experience that is unlike any other live-action musical we have seen yet. Something I thought was really cool when reading this article was that the director really wanted to use physical sets rather than just CGI in the otter to make it feel more emotional and real. I also found it really cool how they really used this architectural outlet and tried to make these massive sets for Shiz and OZ, and all of those set details really make an audience aware of what's a computer and what's potentially real life. One interesting thing that I read in the article is that the Wizard's disguise is actually a puppet, which was created from a 3D scan of Jeff Goldblum's face, which just adds this completely unique and different touch of realness.
I got so excited when I read that they wanted to use as little CGI as possible. As someone who enjoys building large and intricate sets, I see the draw-ins of CGI but always love more when productions try to do things as practically as possible. Large practical movie sets have always been something that I think would be really fun to work on because there is so much going on in them. Most have a high technical demand, like the revolving bookshelves on the Wicked set, but they also demand a lot of detail in case the director wants a close-up. Movie sets demand a lot from a technician, but it would also be cool to pause a movie and go "I made that" and "There's my name in the credits!". Seeing most productions lean more on CGI has made me a little worried that I won't be able to work on a production like that, but articles like this fire me up again and give me hope.
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