Interview with art director Pierre Bohana of 'MEG The Monsters 2', which is designed in pursuit of engineering principles and becomes beautiful with nature
Jonas Taylor (played by Jason Statham), a marine rescue who once fought a deadly battle with the giant shark Megalodon (MEG), will now throw himself into the fight against MEG that appeared in a flock.・Monsters 2 ” will be released on Friday, August 25, 2023.
In the trailer, multiple strongest creatures, MEG
I had the opportunity to talk to Mr. Pierre Bohana, who was the art director of this work, so I asked him how he works on the production of the items under construction.
Movie 'MEG The Monsters 2' Official Site
https://wwws.warnerbros.co.jp/megthemonsters/index.html
GIGAZINE (hereinafter G):
Thank you for your time today. I would like to ask right away, what kind of things were you mainly in charge of producing for this work, Mr. Bohana?
Art director Pierre Bohana (PB):
I am in charge of everything related to that sequence, such as the diving suit worn by the main character Taylor (played by Jason Statham) and others when the search in the Mariana Trench is conducted.
Diving suits worn by Jiumin (played by Wu Jin) and Taylor in the visuals below. It is a robust design like a powered suit.
G:
I think that the production of items will be done after reading the script, but how did you make the overall production plan? I don't have an infinite budget, so I think there will be a balance with that.
PB:
It may be the first time I've ever been asked about money (lol) Indeed, the budget is not infinite, so I talked with the director and costume people from the concept creation stage. As the costume department designers plan what they are working on, my focus is on the mechanics of the diving suit. Whether it actually works, whether there is a theory, and whether there is a proper principle, while thinking about the design and production process, we will make it while consulting with 'the budget is about this'. .
G:
I see. How do you schedule the production itself?
PB:
The sense of schedule is 'box'. I will get a period of time, such as '1 month' or '4 months', and make it within that period. Then, during the period, we will make something as good as possible, and when the deadline comes, we will say, 'Well, do your best!'
G:
Ah, that's what it feels like. What about the balancing part within budget constraints?
PB:
Hahaha (laugh) Our ultimate responsibility is 'to be able to use it properly when shooting a movie'. Whether it looks cool, whether it has sharp points that could injure the actors, whether it is durable enough to be used every day, and whether it can be easily put in and taken off during filming. I'm making it. When ordering a large volume, we can make an estimate, but there are some parts that we cannot know how long it will take in the final manufacturing process unless we actually try it, so that is management.
G:
(lol)
PB:
As the top of the team, if it seems that the cost will be high, I will manage things other than the budget, or change the materials to reasonably cheap ones, and make what is necessary. For props, list what you need and make an estimate. There are some estimates that you won't know unless you try (laughs), but I will manage it as I enter production.
G:
I see.
PB:
I am also in a position to guide the designers who produce, and I have a certain amount of experience in terms of budgets and what to do, so I will guide them from that point. So I think it's 'management' rather than 'creative'.
G:
In Japanese movies, there are parts where you can feel the texture of the costumes, and the art is really a set. This work does not have many such places, and it feels very solid and realistic. As an art director, what do you think is the key to creating a sense of reality? In particular, I would like to ask about the costumes.
PB:
Well... I believe that everything should be designed based on practical principles. The diving suit that appears in this work will be working deep in the seabed under tremendous water pressure. I think we have to tell the story by making a good design that takes that into account. At the same time, I think that we have to consider engineering principles when making them.
G:
oh……
PB:
In fact, great aesthetics comes from engineering. For example, F1 racing cars and Concorde passenger planes are not created in pursuit of beauty, but they are inherently beautiful as a result of the pursuit of engineering. It is the same.
G:
Oh, sure.
PB:
It's a movie, so you can make anything that appears. However, it is important to be conscious of the design. I sometimes see it, but I think it's different to paint an egg carton and attach it to a costume, for example.
G:
I would like you to tell me if there were any parts that were more difficult than I expected to be involved in the production of this work, but the hard work was worth it.
PB:
Underwater shooting was a shooting that did not use real water at the site. However, the bottom of the diving suit is made of rubber, and the exterior is combined with something mechanical, and the helmet is also very practical. Some of the shots were taken underwater, and I think that was enough for me to be underwater all day long. The actors said it was comfortable, and in fact it was comfortable to wear. As for the details, the visor part of the helmet uses 20mm glass and is quite heavy. But when I work underwater, I put weights on it so it doesn't float, so I think the design makes sense.
In addition, it is said that underwater shooting was taken in a form that does not use water, but Jason Statham is acting himself except for some acrobatic movements regarding the water bike scene.
Jason Statham challenging the herd of MEG with a personal watercraft is a desperate movie 'MEG The Monsters 2' main sea ride video - YouTube
G:
I see. Thank you for your time.
PB:
I'm the one who should be thanking you.
The movie 'MEG The Monsters 2' will be released on Friday, August 25, 2023. Be sure to pay attention to the monsters that attack people, as well as items such as diving suits.
Movie 'MEG The Monsters 2' Trailer Jason Statham VS Super Huge Shark Megalodon Again - YouTube
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