CEersel Research Paper

Imagining
The architecture of
science fiction
Chloé Eersel | 4135555
April 6, 2017
Delft University of Technology

Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment
Explorelab 23
Jeroen van de Laar (research mentor)

Robert Nottrot (design mentor)
Jan van de Voort (building technology mentor)
Cover photo: Bird, Chernov & Lindelof, 2015

index
4
INTRODUCTION 7
PART ONE 11
1. PROBLEM DESCRIPTION 12
1.1 ON (FILM)ARCHITECTURE 12
1.2 RESEARCH GOAL 13
1.3 RESEARCH QUESTION 13
2. METHODOLOGY 14
2.1 FOCUS GROUP 14
2.2 FILM ANALYSIS 16
2.3 INTERVIEWS 17
3. RESULTS 21
3.1 SCOTT CHAMBLISS 23
3.2 SEAN HAWORTH 31
3.3 TOM FROHLING 39
3.4 AARON HAYE 47
3.5 ANSHUMAN PRASAD 55
3.6 ROLAND IJZERMANS 63
3.7 INTERVIEW LEARNINGS 68
4. NOTION OF SCIENCE FICTION 74
4.1 FUTURISTIC TRENDS 74
4.2 SCALE 74
4.3 MATERIAL 75
4.4 DEFYING THE LAWS OF PHYSICS 75
5. CONCLUSION 76
5
index
6
PART TWO 81
1. READY PLAYER ONE 84
1.1 NOVEL 84
1.2 STORYBOARD 85
2. SCRIPT COMPONENTS 89
2.1 CONTEXT 90
2.2 ACTION 92
2.3 EMOTION 94
3. FIRST CONCEPTIONS 96
3.1 FIRST IMPRESSIONS 96
3.2 ARENA 98
3.3 CLIMBING FRAME 100
3.4 SAFETY NET 102
4. BACKSTORY 104
4.1 TECHNOROMANTICISM 104
4.2 BIOPUNK 106
5. DESIGN CONCEPT 108
6. CONCLUSION 110
REFERENCES 114
7
introduction
Film and architecture are two forms of art inherently related to each
other. This goes far beyond the films of Eisenstein and Wiene, two
filmmakers adored by the architecture community. The practice
where film and architecture come together, production design, is
a much overlooked profession by architects. Production design
shows how stories can be told through design, with its main goal
being complementing the narrative of a film. Because film is not
bound to reality, it leaves room for experimentation. Vidler (1993)
calls film “a laboratory for the exploration of the built world” (p. 45).
Film architecture can illustrate different places and times without the
restrictions of the real world (Vidler, 1993)
This is even more the case when moving to the fictional environment.
Science fiction is one of the main genres in film where the stories
reach far beyond what we know from our daily lives. It gives
designers the chance to let their imagination run wild and explore
new and innovative design solutions. Science fiction design can help
inspire humankind. The futuristic civilizations portrayed in science
fiction are an incredibly powerful to reflect on contemporary society
and its technological advances (Fortin, 2011). It can be a warning for
where our world is headed or an inspiration to show us where society
could go. Science fiction scenarios can project the possibilities of
the future, as the seminal 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) shows, or
leave us in fear about our own reality, like The Wachowski Brothers’
The Matrix (1999) does.
Much has been written on the topic of science fiction. There are
endless amounts of literature discussing the concepts created by
science-fiction authors or the way science-fiction cinema portrays
our world. On the topic of production design, there has been written
much about the practical nature of set building of these fictional
environments. Yet, literature on the topic of translating written
science fiction into (spatial) design concepts is very limited.
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This paper explores the imagination process of science-fiction
designers. Its aim is to map their creative process of moving from
words to imagery. The paper consists of two parts. The first part
focuses on learning from the science-fiction designers. With
watching their work and interviewing them, their imagination process
is decomposed and mapped. The second part puts the learnings
from part one into practice. It explains the process of designing a
fictional environment using the same steps as the science-fiction
designers.
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10
part ONE
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1. problem description
1.1 On (film)architecture
In architecture, a design should find solutions within internal and external
constraints. These constraints are for example, user, site and legislation.
From the constraints, the architect can start working up towards solutions.
The constraints have the purpose to make the building adequately perform
its demanded functions (Lawson, 2002). The functions that a building has
to fulfil are to be a modifier of climate, behaviour, resources and culture
(Hillier and Leaman, 1972). All the aspects that the architect has to take
into account are things that he can actually find in the real world. There is
an actual site, user, climate and culture that can be observed. A design can
be made based upon a clear frame of reference.
When it comes to design for film, there are also these aspects that are
described in a script. But that immediately points out what sets the film
designer apart from the architect. It is only described. Words are the only
source from which a film designer starts. There is no visual reference and
no actual user he can talk to. That is where the imagination comes in. The
designer has to take the story and for this, comes up with his own imagery.
In film, there is a great variety of worlds that are portrayed. Films that
present an unrealistic and fictional environment become an extra challenge
for the film designer, as he then has to think outside of what he knows from
the real world. We can roughly divide fictional worlds into two categories:
fantasy and science fiction. In fantasy films, scenes often take place in
natural environments like forests, under the sea or up in the mountains.
Science fiction films often times are set in a man-made or built environment.
That is why this paper will focus on the latter genre.
When designing architecture, the design process often starts with a design
brief and analysis of the context. When designing film architecture, the
design process starts with an analysis of the script. This script forms the
base of the design but gives no visual reference. That is particularly the
case when the story is set in a fictional world. This makes for some big
differences between the design processes of architects and film designers.
The design processes of both have similar steps, as both parties have to do
with spatial design. Yet, in the first part of the process there might be some
contrasting steps which are crucial in either of their processes.
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Architecture Film Architecture
Design brief Script

Context analysis Script Analysis
Facilitating contextual issues Imagining fictional world
Formulating design concept Formulating design concept
Iteration Iteration
Building Film
In the first three steps of the design process of a film designer, a

translation has to be made from words to imagery. This translation
is what sets the film designer apart from the architect and is the
essence of what this paper will research.
1.2 Research goal

The goal of this paper is to map the imagination process behind
science fiction architecture. The focus lies purely on the design
process, in which a design concept has to be derived from a
script. When designing film architecture part of the process is also
translating design concepts into actually built sets (physically or
digitally). But since there already is a lot of literature on this subject,
that will not be the focus of this paper.
1.3 Research question

How can we imagine science fiction architecture based on a
scenario?
1.3.1 Subquestions
How do you translate a scenario into a design?
What makes a design seem futuristic or otherworldly?
How can a design complement a storyline?
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2. methodology
The methodology used for this research consists of two parts. The
first part consists of film analyses of nine different films and games
from the science fiction genre. This is followed by an interview with
the designers of these films and games.
2.1 Focus group

The focus group of this research is members of the art department,
as they are responsible for the visual look of a film or game. The
people chosen to be interviewed fulfil different roles in the art
department because the production design will eventually be a
co-creation of their minds. Since the topic of this thesis is science
fiction architecture, the participants were selected based on their
experience in this genre. Though, as film designers often work on
different genres, this does not mean that their work solely involves
science fiction. To further clarify the different roles of the interviewed
artisans, here a short explanation per role.
Production Designer
The production designer is the head of the art department. The art
department is artistically responsible for the environments in which
a story takes place. The production designer leads the department
consisting of artisans and craftspeople, which are responsible for
the look. Together with the director and director of photography he
decides what the visual look of the film will be. He also oversees
the costume and hair and make-up department in order achieve
a singular design result. The production designer usually comes
in early on in the pre-production phase, as he comes up with the
visual concept of the film together with the director and director of
photography (LoBrutto, 2002).
Art Director
The art director is the executive assistant of the production
designer. He is head the art department crew on set. Depending
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on the production, the production designer may remain off-set and
continue designing and coordinating, while the art director works
on set with the shooting crew. The art director is responsible for the
logistics of getting materials to and from the set. On low-budget
films, sometimes there is no production designer. In that case, the
art director is responsible for the design of the film (LoBrutto, 2002).
Set Designer
The set designer designs and supervises the sets. His designs
are based on the ideas and input of the production designer. Set
designers can design one or multiple sets for the film, depending
on the size of the production and the set. He is brought in by the
production designer create the technical drawings used to construct
a set, drafts blueprints based on concepts, or conceptual drawings
before overseeing construction of the set. The set designer works
together with the director and director of photography to plan how
the set will be used and filmed (LoBrutto, 2002).
Concept Artist
Concept artists draw or paint, mostly digitally nowadays, a conception
of the production designer’s ideas for a set or a design moment for
the film. They are especially helpful in fantasy or sci-fi films where
completely new environments have to be made up. Concept artists
are not often used in low-budget filmmaking, but they can be a
valuable tool when trying to raise money for a specific set that needs
to be built. Concept artists come on in early in the process as they
help drawing out the first conceptions of the production designer
(LoBrutto, 2002).
Of course there are many more roles in the art department like the
set decorator, property master and location scout. But these four
roles were chosen to be interviewed based on their relevance for
science fiction architecture.
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2.2 Film analysis
A selection of science fiction films was watched and analysed, mainly
focusing on the architecture used in the films. Also, as this project
is about the architecture of fiction, the focus lies on the fictional
architecture and not necessarily the realistic designs of a film. The
selection of films is based on the filmmakers that are interviewed for
this research. Two films of every interviewee are analysed. The main
goal of this film analysis is deriving interview questions about the
design. Secondly, aspects that are essential in the design of science
fiction architecture were tried to be found.
The films that were chosen for the analysis were based on the
following criteria.
1. Designed by interviewee
The main purpose of the film analyses was to be able to interview
film designer and better understand their responses due to
familiarity with their work. Questions asked during the interviews are
outcomes from the film analysis.
2. Science fiction
As described earlier, the fictional environment was chosen because
this makes it different from real architecture. But in order to not stray
too far from the subject of architecture, the science fiction genre
was chosen as its stories often take place in built environments.
3. Architectural value
Science fiction films often show an unrealistic or futuristic
environment. Though, in these environments it is not always
necessarily the architecture that looks unreal. Sometimes, this is
communicated through the design of vehicles, graphics or products.
As this thesis is about architecture, the films chosen for this
research show environments where the notion of science fiction is
communicated through the architectural design.
16
The following steps were taken during the film analyses.
1. Viewing the film

This involved careful viewing of the film a number of times,
approximately five to six times per film. Some scenes, especially
scenes with architectural value, were watched more often.
2. Image Capture
With taking stills from each film, the image portrayed could be
further analysed and details from the sets can be distilled.
3. Distilling interview questions

After watching and analysing the films, interview questions can be
derived to be asked to the designers of these particular films.
2.3 Interviews
This qualitative research was held in form of semi-structured
interviews. This form of interviews was chosen to give the designers
the opportunity to freely talk about their design process, as imagination
is a very personal and subjective matter. Over the course of three
weeks, six different film designers were interviewed in interviews that
took approximately one hour. The interviewees are asked a set of
questions consisting of two parts. The first part consisted of generic
questions that were asked to all of the interviewees. The second
part consisted of questions about their own work. These questions
have been distilled from the film analysis done beforehand. Four of
the interviews were done orally, the method of preference. Two were
done over email, due to preference of the designers.
Interview goal
The goal of this research is to find out how designers of films and
games translate scenarios into imagery and with this map their
imagination and design process of science fiction architecture. For
this research, filmmakers have been interviewed that fulfil several
roles in the art department. After watching and analysing their films,
questions were asked them about imagination and science fiction.
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Interview questions
The following questions are generic and have been asked to all of
the interviewees.
• When moving from story to final product, what are roughly the
steps you go through?
• When you come up with ideas, do you search for references that
resemble parts of this, or do you draw this out? How do you combine
the two?
• In the imagination process, are choices made arbitrarily, or are

these based on research? In case of a combination of both, are
there certain parts that are designed arbitrarily and some that are
based on research?
• How free do you interpret a scenario? What are the conditions of

the scenario that you use in your design?
• A scenario gives both a narrative (e.g. the people are suppressed)

and a context (NYC, 2037). How do you combine the two into one
design?
• What effect do you think that your role in the art department has
on you creative process?
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• From where do you get inspiration for science fiction or non-
existent architecture?
• Why is science fiction architecture often of such a huge and

inhumane scale? Why is science fiction architecture often associated
with man-made materials, like metal and glass?
• When designing a new world, where lies the balance between

using completely new elements and realistic elements in order to
keep a story believable?
• What do you do with you designs to make them appear futuristic?
• When looking at films that are set thirty years into the future, often
the city and its architecture look completely different from our world
today. Though, when looking thirty years into history, the architecture
does not look that different from today. Is design for the future an
architectural task?
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3. results
This chapter explains the results found in the research. For easy
reading, the analyses have been described per person, first
introducing the film designer, then analysing his work and lastly, a
summary of the interview held. After a description of every person’s
interview, a comparison is made between all the interviews.
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3.1 Scott Chambliss / Production Designer
Scott Chambliss is a production designer for film and television.

Chambliss began his career as an associate set designer for Broadway
productions. After that, he became an assistant art director on the
films Scenes from a Mall (1991) and Malcolm X (1992). His credits
as a production designer include Mission: Impossible III (2006),
Cowboys & Aliens (2011) and Star Trek: The Future Begins (2009).
Chambliss has won an Excellence in Production Design Award from
the Art Directors Guild and a Primetime Emmy Award for his work on
the TV series Alias.
For this research, Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013) and Tomorrowland
(2015) have been analysed of which he both was the production
designer.
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Film analysis
Tomorrowland (2015)
When Casey Newton finds a mysterious coin and touches it, she
finds herself in a place called Tomorrowland, in another space and
time. But the coin runs out of energy she goes out to find out more
about the coin and the place where she was. In her journey, she
meets Athena and Frank Walker, a former boy-genius inventor.
Athena warns them that the future and therefor also Tomorrowland
is in danger. Together they set out on a quest to save the future
(Bird, Chernov & Lindelof, 2015).
Tomorrowland is portrayed as a true utopia. The buildings are

mostly white and bright and the skies are blue. It is a city with large
skyscrapers and clear references to the architecture of Santiago
Calatrava and Zaha Hadid. The architecture, with its fluid and round
forms, suggest a happy and friendly place. The use of manmade
materials together with greenery and water shows that this is a world
where nature and technology can happily coexist.
In Casey’s journey through the city, the viewer experiences the

layered texture of the city. You see her moving through over and
under buildings. She passes several stairs, bridges and enters train-
like transportation that moves over and under tracks and through
buildings. This unfamiliar organisation of the city leaves the character
full of wonder.
figure 3.1 Tomorrowland cityscape

(Bird, Chernov & Lindelof 2015)
figure 3.2 Tomorrowland aerial view

figure 3.3 Tomorrowland building

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Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013)
When a former employee-turned criminal threatens USS and society,

Captain James Kirk sets out on a manhunt with his crew. Having his
own reputation to correct, Kirk leads the hunt through the galaxy to
planet Klingon to capture this one-man weapon of mass destruction.
The hunt brings complications challenging love, friendship and family
and eventually will lead the Captain to the most difficult test of his
life when he must choose between his loyalty to USS and his crew
(Abrams, Burk, Lindelof, Kurtzman & Orzi, 2013).
The spaces where the crew works and might look fancier than one
would expect a spaceship to be. This supports the narrative it is the
future and space travel is done frequently. Space ships are not just
mere transportation crafts but also serve as a home for the crew. The
story is set in a future in which technology is used for the better. The
technologically advanced spaces have a convivial feel to them. The
primary colour palette complements this state of balance.
There is a true distinction between the very functional machine-like

spaces and the spaces where the majority of the crew spends most
of their time. The machine-like spaces come much closer to what the
viewer nowadays would associate with a space craft; the difference
may be the bigger scale. The contrasts in appearance between the
machine and living areas emphasize the chaotic nature the scenes
shot in the engine room have. The breakdown of the engine puts
time pressure on the crew and is one of the narrative threads if the
film.
figure 3.4 Med bay (Abrams, Burk,

Lindelof, Kurtzman & Orci, 2013)
figure 3.5 Enterprise interior (Abrams,

Burk, Lindelof, Kurtzman & Orci,
2013)
figure 3.6 Engine room (Abrams,

Burk, Lindelof, Kurtzman, Orci &
2013)
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Interview
Chambliss states that the design process is intuitive as storytelling
is about interpretation which partly comes from our emotional
sensibilities. Yet, designers should be warned not to confuse
intuitive design with design based on personal taste. The design
should always be driven by the storyline.
Collaboration is very important in the work of the production
designer. With this he means collaborating on different levels, firstly,
collaboration with the director and other heads of departments. It is
important to follow the director’s intention with the story. This also
means that he will not take a job is his and the director’s point of
view are too far apart. Secondly, collaboration with and within the
art department is fundamental for his job, as he is the leader of the
team.
The aspect of horror is often part of science fiction stories. Using

grand-scaled environments are especially effective in this case. He
uses the example of the future as a totalitarian state. As explanation
for the use of material in science fiction, he states that science fiction
itself is about the man-made. Though, when he names examples
of films, he names films that have not done that and calls these
films seminal for the science fiction genre. The examples he uses
are 2001: A Space Odyssey and Solaris. The same happens when
asking him about the futuristic architecture in science fiction films.
He states that architecture is a very important ingredient of science-
fiction design. And yet, he names exceptions where the architecture
was not necessarily futuristic or otherworldly like Brazil and Her.
Concluding, he says that there is not one solution for designing
science fiction worlds. In the end, it all depends on the story.
In Tommorowland, he used architectural references of Santiago

Calatrava and Zaha Hadid, because their way of thinking fitted the
idea behind Tomorrowland. Calatrava was inspired by nature and
Hadid used the ‘what if’ approach a lot in her work. Finding the style
of Tommorowland was about the coming together of diverse minds
and embodying what their manifestation stood for.
Star Trek was carefully approached because in this case he was
designing a franchise. He and director J.J. Abrams wanted to find
a new approach in which they would not follow nor conflict with
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previous Star Trek films. Inspiration for the design came from mid-
century designers like Pierre Cardin and Eero Saarinen. These
designers had a positive outlook on the future, in which technology
would lead to a better future. This opposes the contemporary ideas
in which we think of the future as a dystopia.
The conformity between the design approaches of both films is that

Chambliss tried to imagine where the builders of the worlds to be
designed would seek inspiration from and draw his own inspiration
for the design of the film from these original sources.
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3.2 Sean Haworth / Production Designer
Sean Haworth a production designer from Los Angeles. Before

working as a production designer, he worked his way up in the
art department having worked as an art department assistant, set
designer and art director. He apprenticed under famous production
designers Bo Welch and Ken Adam. His credits as a production
designer include Ender’s Game (2013) and Deadpool (2016). His art
director credits include Avatar (2009), Tron: Legacy (2010) and Thor
(2011).
For this research Avatar (2009) and Ender’s Game (2013) were
analysed. On Avatar, Haworth worked as an art director and for
Ender’s Game he was responsible for the production design together
with Ben Procter.
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Film analysis
Avatar (2009)
When his brother is killed, former marine Jake Sully replaces him on
a mission on the distant planet of Pandora. As part of the program,
he uses an avatar identity to attempt to infiltrate the native Na’vi
people. But after falling for beautiful Na’vi Neytiri, he discovers the
true intention of the mission and finds himself right between humans,
led by the evil Parker Selfridge, and the Na’vi. This leads to an epic
battle between the natives and human invaders (Cameron & Landau,
2009). As Sean Haworth was part of the art department that designed
the human interior space on Pandora, this analysis focuses on these
spaces.
What comes apparent when seeing all the different interiors

designed, is the variety in forms the spaces come in. Every space has
a different geometrical form. The space where the main character
wakes up after traveling for six years is a diamond form in section.
On Pandora, the spaces show forms like circles, octagons and
rectangles, making each space have its own identity. The octagon
is orientated more outward, with windows on most sides, while the
circular space works more inward. The container where the main
characters reside in the last hour of the film is much smaller and
more closed in. As they live more outside during these scenes, it is
a very basic space that is not about the quality of life that is lived
inside the cube.
The spaces in which the humans reside on Pandora look very earthlike
and familiar. Apart from the digital layer of screens and holograms
that is added, the architecture does not necessarily suggest that the
story takes place in some high-tech far future. Keeping the pods
this familiar, increases the contrast with what is outside on Pandora,
which is a big unfamiliar world with nature and technology that is
figure 3.7 Cryo vault (Cameron & nothing like earth. The use of familiar earthlike architecture could
Landau, 2009)
also suggest a longing among the characters for something familiar
figure 3.8 Link room (Cameron & that reminds them of earth and makes them feel at home on this
Landau, 2009)
other planet.
figure 3.9 Ops center (Cameron &
Landau, 2009)
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Ender’s Game (2013)
Fifty years after earth has been ravaged by a technologically superior

alien race called the Formics, humankind bands together to prevent
recurrence of destruction. When Ender Wiggin is recruited for battle
school in space, he is separated from his beloved sister and ghastly
brother. With his brilliance, he may become saviour of the human race
and will be tested and honed into an empathetic killer who begins to
despise what he does as he learns to fight in hopes of saving Earth
and his family (Card, Chartoff, Hendee, Kurtzman, McDonough, Orci,
Pritzker, Ulbrich & Hood, 2013). Sean Haworth was responsible for
the production design of this film. But since two other designers
that worked on Ender’s Game were also interviewed, this part only
analyses the parts that they did not design.
Battle school has spaces with many different forms. Long corridors
connect the dorms, showers, canteen, battle room and many more
rooms we see in the film. The use of details like grates, buttons and
handles, give the spaces a rich feel, without looking overly functional.
For the material metal is used mostly throughout the design. This
gives the space a very cold and almost uninviting appearance and
makes the contrast with home even bigger. The metal used has
different appearances, keeping the spaces visually interesting, while
using only one material. Sometimes, the metal is polished, other
times it looks matte or used as a grate. Relief is also used to make
the spaces visually interesting. A relief of horizontal lines strengthens
the perspective and accentuate the lengthiness of the corridors.
The architecture of the Formics looks unfamiliar. It combines

figure 3.10 Battle school corridor
free-flowing, wavy architecture with aggressive pointy forms,
(Card, Chartoff, Hendee, Kurtzman, complementing the storyline in which Ender both has to fight
McDonough, Orci, Pritzker, Ulbrich & against and feels empathy towards the Formics. When seeing their
Hood, 2013)
environment as a whole, a certain pattern or texture can be seen,
figure 3.11 Battle school corridor suggesting that this is an architecture that works, yet the viewer is
(Card, Chartoff, Hendee, Kurtzman, not able to describe what kind of material and technique the Formics
McDonough, Orci, Pritzker, Ulbrich &
Hood, 2013) use in their architecture. As the Formics are technologically superior
to humans, their world is clearly based on techniques that we can
figure 3.12 Formics planet (Card,
Chartoff, Hendee, Kurtzman,
not yet understand.
Hood, 2013)
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Interview
For Sean Haworth, an important part of the design is the collaboration.
When he first gets a story, it is very important that it speaks to
him. Also, the director is in charge of the storytelling so he and the
director should have a like-mindedness towards the story. As head
of the art department he channels people’s energies and visions.
It is important for him to find collaborators that essentially see the
things he sees. Then, as a team they can work together in service of
the story. He prefers his team to work together in the same physical
space, because if people go off on their own too much, the end result
will not be a cohesive whole. References and mood boards are also
tool to keep everyone on the same page and remind everyone of the
bigger picture.
A lot of the design depends on the director. Some directors are

very visually driven, while others are more character driven. When
Haworth was working on Avatar under director James Cameron,
Cameron had written not only the script, but also a treatment about
how the world of Avatar worked. Haworth describes it as almost
a technical paper. Cameron was very pragmatic about the design
decisions because he could reason exactly why something would
or would not work.
In Ender’s Game, director Gavin Hood was more character driven.

His ideas about the design were all based on the emotional journey of
the characters. And they even deviated from the original description
in the book in service of this emotional journey. In the book, the
battle room was described as a closed box, with no windows, no
sense of up and down. In the film, this was changed to a spherical
glass space, from where you could see the earth and could see what
the characters were fighting for.
When it comes to design, it has to be grounded in some kind of

reality and based on something that people can relate to. This does
not mean that it has to be realistic, but Haworth sets up a set of rules
for the story and world he is designing for. He lets his imagination
run free and apply that in a logical manner. His inspiration he can
get from almost anywhere. He names personal experience, other art
forms and nature. He says that you can almost take anything you
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see around you as long as you form it into the logic of the world you
are creating. If you give your design a solid logic or backstory, the
audience will believe it more easily.
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3.3 Tom Frohling / Art director & Set Designer
Tom Frohling is an art director and set designer. His credits as an art
director include X-Men First Class (2011), Transcendence (2014) and
Fantastic Four (2015). He has also worked as a digital set designer on
many productions. As a digital set designer, he has been responsible
for the art direction is the computer generated sets. His credits as a
digital set designer include After Earth (2013), Ender’s Game (2013)
and most recently Live by Night (2016).
For this research the films Ender’s Game (2013) and Fantastic Four
(2015) have been analysed. For Ender’s Game he worked as a digital
set designer, while for Fantastic Four he worked as a supervising art
director.
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Film analysis
For description of the plot of Ender’s Game, see Ender’s Game in

paragraph 3.2.
The battle room is the place where Ender and his peers learn combat
as they fight each other in teams. The sphere is made of transparent
material so that the earth can be seen as a backdrop. This large,
spherical space forms the centre of the spaceship. Inside the space,
there are floating cubes that can serve as cover during combat.
These cubes form a different composition during every match. This
gives the battle room different look in the several scenes that take
place here.
The big sphere shows a Buckminster Fuller-like construction. The

triangular construction fits with the rest of the production design.
Triangles are seen also in the cubes that the students use for cover
during matches. Triangles can also be found in other locations in the
spaceship, mainly in the graphic design. This could be a constant
reminder for the viewer, that these children are here for battle.
figure 3.13 Battle room interior

(Card, Chartoff, Hendee, Kurtzman,
Hood, 2013)
figure 3.14 Battle room entrance

Hood, 2013)
figure 3.15 Battle room interior

Hood, 2013)
41
42
Fantastic Four (2015)
After designing and building a teleportation machine, four friends

teleport to an alternate and dangerous universe which changes
their bodies in shocking ways. They must learn to control their new
physical capabilities and work together to save earth from a former
friend turned enemy (Goodman, Kinberg, Kulzer, Parker, Vaughn &
Trank, 2015). In this film, the teleportation room is the only fictional
architectural space seen. This analysis focuses on this location.
The large computer cabinets around the teleportation capsules

suggest the amount of calculation power that is needed. The large
plates above the capsules emit some kind of electricity or other
form of energy when the process of teleportation is set into action.
This suggests that there is loads of energy needed for this kind of
process, giving the audience a sense of thought behind the physics
of the teleportation process.
The design of a concept as unfamiliar as teleportation gets grounded

because of the space it resides in. All the equipment needed for
teleportation is found in a large warehouse, a sight that the
audience probably is familiar with. The monumental feel this space
complements the importance of this space in the story. The plot
of the film is mainly about the process of designing, building and
eventually using the teleportation machine. Especially in the first half
of the film, most of the scenes take place in the teleportation room,
or this room can be seen in the background.
figure 3.16 Teleportation platform

(Goodman, Kinberg, Kulzer, Parker,
Vaughn & Trank, 2015)
figure 3.17 Teleportation pods

figure 3.18 Warehouse interior

43
Interview
In his design process, Frohling talks a lot about dealing with the
director and getting on the same page with him. The most important
thing to keep in mind though, is that the design should always go
back to the script and facilitate the actions described in it. About
collaborating with directors he also tells that when he believes that
a design solution other than what the director might want, he tries
to push as far as he can go, until he feels that he goes too far. The
same counts for the production designer who he works under. As
an art directir, he stands between the production designer and set
designers and construction. In this, he tries to find ways to make
the production designer’s vision come to life. He tries to push the
boundaries as much as he can, until the limit from either time or
budget.
For science fiction, Frohling can draw inspiration from anywhere.

He grounds his design in research. The information and inspiration
ion can come from anywhere, but research is always key to a good
design. He does not believe that all designs are based on research or
memories that one has seen in the past. Nothing is ever completely
new; everything is a redo of something else. What is new is the
combination from old images. With combining the images, he uses
different techniques. He uses drawing, collage technique and CAD.
What is most important is that while using these techniques is that
there is left room for error. In this, he finds working with a computer
too precise sometimes. With leaving room for error, unexpected
design solutions can be found.
Design should be story driven. The actions described in the script

have to be facilitated by the environment and the space should help
the audience empathise with the characters. A design is based on
reality but some aspects can be emphasised to make it emotionally
stronger. This balance between emotion and realism is very
important and differs per story and director. When using unrealistic
design parts, they should have a storytelling quality to them. If the
whole design looks unrealistic, nothing will stand out anymore, so
it should be used very purposefully in order to tell the story better.
About futuristic architecture in science fiction films, he says that this
mostly is used so that the audience does not have to be reminded
44
constantly that a story is set in the future. He thinks that sometimes
this also just happens because a designer gets on his high horse.
45
46
3.4 Aaron Haye / Art Director
Aaron Haye is an art director for Hollywood productions. Before

working in the art department, he worked in the visual effects
department for years as a model maker. Because of his knowledge
of both visual effects and art direction, he can combine these two
disciplines into his work seamlessly. His visual effects credits include
The Fountain (2006) and Angels & Demons (2009) and his art director
credits include Man of Steel (2013) and Dawn of the Planet of the
Apes (2014).
For this research Battleship (2012) and Terminator Genisys (2015)

were analysed.
47
48
Film analysis
Battleship (2012)
Battleship is an adaptation of the classic board game in which the

narrative has been given an extra-terrestrial twist. When Lieutenant
Alex Hopper and his brother Commander Stone Hopper set out on
a quest with their war fleet, they investigate a mysterious structure
that has been found by the coast of Hawaii. But all goes wrong when
they ascend the structure and hostile aliens are awakened. This is
the start of an alien war that will threaten mankind (Aubrey, Berg,
Goldner, Henderson, Schnier & Stuber, 2012).
The mysterious structure found in sea has a very abstract look from
afar. This lures the main character in to come closer as he wants to
examine the structure further. The massive form communicates that
it is something bigger and stronger than humans and has an almost
Mayan-like texture to it. This might suggest that the structure was
made by a technologically advanced species.
Battleship shows extra-terrestrial life that looks similar to life on

earth. The alien ship looks like a giant bug or beast. Apart from the
scale of the alien ship, it does not necessarily look otherworldly.
Although the aliens have the technology reach other planets, their
ammunition looks quite conventional, as the ships have guns and
explosives they use in the fights. The extra-terrestrial elements can
be recognised by their aggressive and frightening look, with sharp
forms and red lighting.
figure 3.19 Alien structure (Aubrey,

Berg, Goldner, Henderson, Schnier &
Stuber, 2012)
figure 3.20 Alien ship (Aubrey, Berg,

Goldner, Henderson, Schnier &
Stuber, 2012)
figure 3.21 Alien ship (Aubrey, Berg,

Goldner, Henderson, Schnier &
Stuber, 2012)
49
50
Terminator Genisys (2015)
When leader of the human resistance John Connor sends Kyle Reese
back to 1984 to protect his mother Sarah Connor and so safeguard
the future, an unexpected turn of events creates a disrupted timeline.
Reese finds himself in a different version of the past, where he is
faced with an unexpected new mission, resetting the future. Kyle,
Sarah and her guardian Terminator set out on a mission to prevent
Cyberdyne from launching Skynet (Ellison, Goldberg & Taylor, 2015).
The most important space of the whole film is probably the time
travel room at Cyberdyne. This space forms the narrative thread of
the story where the most important scenes take place. The form of
the space reminds of the way wormholes are often schematically
drawn. To make this room, with its eccentric form, believable as
an architectural space, smaller elements, like railings, stairs, and
cladding panels have been added and give the space a human scale.
The design of the rest of Cyberdyne looks very much of this time. It
shows all the elements an audience would expect in a building of a
large tech corporation. As the story is set in 2017, this might be a
good way of portraying such a company. The headquarters consists
of a group of uniform buildings, made of the classic science fiction
materials, steel and glass. As Cyberdyne is a powerful company, the
building’s dimensions are bigger than any other building seen in its
surroundings. Extra layers of big screens and holograms have been
added to support the sci-fi look.
figure 3.22 Cyberdyne interior time

machine (Ellison, Goldberg & Taylor,
2015)
figure 3.23 Cyberdyne exterior

(Ellison, Goldberg & Taylor, 2015)
figure 3.24 Cyberdyne data room

(Ellison, Goldberg & Taylor, 2015)
51
Interview
Haye calls the process of designing for film a very collaborative
process. As an art director, he takes on the role as a ‘design manager’
and stands between the production designers and the rest of the
team that is responsible for designing the sets. Besides working as
an art director he also has experience in the visual effects department
and has fulfilled many different roles in the art department, like art
department assistant, set designer and also production designer.
When Haye gets a script, he breaks it down into scenes and gives
storyboard images together with references to the set designers,
so they can start designing the needed spaces. Design researchers
come in early on in the process and help inspire him for his designs.
Also intuition plays an important role in his design. Sometimes, his
first instinct ends up to be the best design solution in his opinion.
A good example of collaboration is the design of the time travel room

in Terminator Genisys. His team had difficulties with coming up with
a good design solution for the space. When he drew a hyperbola,
one of his set designers made a 3D model of the shape and that
ended up to be close to what the final design looked like.
In his interview, he keeps coming back to the idea of a backstory. He
grounds his design in research and always tries to add a backstory
to the design. Thinking of the history of a place or the reasons why
certain designs look like they do makes a design stronger in his
opinion. Yet, the whole backstory should not be communicated to
the audience, because then, they would not have anything to imagine
anymore. But when you apply a certain logic to the way thinks look
and stay consistent with that, the design becomes much better.
Haye has a lot of critique on how science fiction is often designed.

He thinks that science fiction often has a quite monotonous style
because it is a shorthand for communication. Certain visual cues,
like scifi-lines, give the audience the immediate impression that
you are in a science fiction world. The art director dislikes popular
trends that are used repeatedly to make a design look futuristic like
holograms, parametric architecture and architecture with moving
parts, calling them overused and thinks that these designs look very
much like the world now, and not necessarily like the future. He finds
52
the science fiction of the past much better and is fond of taking the
past and pushing that into a different future. Here he talks about
the importance of having a backstory again. Designing otherworldly
science fiction environments is very much about what kind of future
you want to create. In his opinion, the backstory, together with the
script, forms the base of the design.
53
54
3.5 Anshuman Prasad / Set Designer
Anshuman Prasad is an architect and Hollywood set designer. He

was originally trained as an architect at the Manipal Institute of
Technology, but after a few years of architectural practice he decided
to pursue a career as a set designer. His credits as a set designer
include Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Batman versus
Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Passengers (2016).
For this research Total Recall (2012) and Ender’s Game (2013) were
analysed.
55
56
Film analysis
For description of the plot of Ender’s Game, see Ender’s Game in

paragraph 3.2.
When Ender is recruited for battle school, he leaves earth with a

small space shuttle. The scene shot inside the shuttle shows a small
space where Ender and his peers sit. Upon leaving the atmosphere,
there is a shift towards zero-gravity which the students experience
for the very first time. Colonel Graff enters the room and discusses
the sense of zero-gravity.
The interior of the space shuttle resembles much of that of the

interior of an airplane, with a corridor in the middle and seats along
the sides. The curved plastic walls complement this look. Even
though the subject of this scene is zero-gravity, the architecture
does not suggest this. All architectural elements are orientated on
the horizontal plane that the audience experiences as the floor.
Apart from the upside down camera angle, floating objects and the
floating colonel Graff, the notion of zero-gravity is not communicated
through the architecture.
figure 3.25 Space shuttle interior

Hood, 2013)

Hood, 2013)

Hood, 2013)
57
58
Total Recall (2012)
At the end of the 21st century, earth is devastated by chemical

warfare. The only two habitable regions left on earth are the Colony
and the United Federation of Britain (UFB). Colony-citizen Douglas
Quaid discovers that his life is a fabrication based on false memories
implanted into his brain by the government. After finding out that his
probable true identity is that of a wanted secret agent, he follows
a trail of clues to gradually recover more suppressed memories
and resumes his original vocation (Jaffe, Moritz & Wiseman, 2012).
Prasad was responsible for the design of the interior of the Fall, the
only possible way of transportation between the Colony and the
UFB, through the earth.
In the beginning of the film, we see Quaid making his daily commute
using the Fall. The Fall is designed as a bullet that falls through earth.
From the outside it looks huge. This is due to the fact that it has to
transport a lot of people every day. In the beginning of the film we
follow the daily commute of the main character from the Colony to
the UFB. The interior is of a much more relatable scale. To make the
scale more human, the interior is divided into many different layers.
It almost is designed as the interior of a skyscraper, with an atrium in
the middle, corridors along it and adjacent rooms on each floor. The
use of white plastic surfaces with smooth edges gives the design the
same feel that the interior of an airplane has.
The transportation pods also have references to the interior of an

airplane, whereas the chairs look more like those from rollercoasters.
This is because of the shift of gravity that is made when the Fall passes
the core of the earth. In the commuting scene, this is shown with
the turning interior of the transportation pods. The cinematography
is also used here. The camera turns and shows the space upside
down, making this shift of gravity even clearer for the audience.
figure 3.28 Fall interior corridors As the Fall has to be used with gravity in both directions, every floor
(Jaffe, Moritz & Wiseman, 2012)
also serves as a floor and vice versa. This is cleverly used in one of
figure 3.29 Fall interior atrium (Jaffe, the final fighting sequences that takes place inside the Fall. Because
Moritz & Wiseman, 2012)
floor, ceiling and sometimes even walls are used by the actors, this
figure 3.30 Transortation pods (Jaffe, complements the dynamic feel that this sequence has.
Moritz & Wiseman, 2012)
59
Interview
As a set designer, Prasad works on sets to be actually built. He
translates conceptual designs into real built environments. This
conceptual nature of the design is decided and communicated by
the production designer and director. In his work, both research
and intuition play big roles. He thinks that there is a fine balance
between the two. Strong research helps him to design better and
lets the audience connect to the story. By adding elements to the
design with which the audience can identify, the story becomes
more believable. On the other hand, intuition lets him create weird
and fantastical designs.
Prasad takes inspiration from everywhere, especially when it comes

to science fiction films. What is important here is developing the skill
of careful observation to see how things work. Sometimes draws
inspiration from things that are completely unrelated to the design
he is working. That helps him to stimulate the brain. The references
he uses in his design are sometimes almost copied, and sometimes
just used as a starting point for inspiration.
The most important and effective tool for him is sketching. He also
uses the computer software for both 2D and 3D drawings, but finds
that this can be too restrictive when designing. Sometimes, the
computer will lead him too much into a certain design direction, so
he uses the software more to visualize ideas rather than actually
design with it.
In his opinion, science fiction has been given its style, due to the
fact of what the audience associates with it. Science fiction plays
on our fear of losing control and is about fictional science. Because
science is manmade, the design uses manmade materials. Designing
futuristic environments depends on what kind of future should be
portrayed. In this, he often bases his designs on popular trends.
As a trained architect, scale and proportion are some of the most
important aspects in his designs. Where science fiction uses a lot of
big scaled elements, he still finds it important for his designs to be
of a human scale. As an example he uses The Fall from Total Recall.
From the outside The Fall looks like a huge tube, but from the inside
there is some sort of relatability because of the smaller scale and
references of airplane interiors that have been used.
60
Prasad has designed several environments where there are different
laws of gravity. While designing this, he keeps in mind very much
the technical and practical nature that the sets should have. For
instance, how the actors will be suspended in the set, or how the
camera should be able to move within the set.
61
62
3.6 Roland IJzermans / Lead Concept Artist
Roland IJzermans is the Lead Concept Artist at Guerrilla Games, a

Dutch game developing company. IJzermans was originally trained
as an industrial designer at Delft University of Technology, but
immediately started working at Guerrilla Games after graduating. He
worked on the first three Killzone games as a concept artist before
becoming the lead concept artist for Killzone Shadow Fall.
For this research, the game Killzone Shadow Fall was analysed.
63
64
Game analysis
Killzone Shadow Fall (2013)
Killzone Shadow Fall is a first-person shooter video game. The game

is set in on planet Vekta in the year 2370. On this planet, the native
ISA Vektans and refugee Helghans live separated by an immense
wall. The game starts at the height of an ongoing feud between the
two communities and is played through the eyes of Vektan Lucas
Kellan who works as a Shadow Marshal for ISA. After being set out
on a mission on the Helghan side of the city to retrieve classified
data, things do not go according to plan. This leads to a chain of
missions on both the ISA and Helghan side of the wall (Guerrilla
Games, 2013).
Vekta city shows extreme contrasts between both sides of the wall.
The narrative of utopia against dystopia forms the base of the design.
On the utopian ISA side, buildings have the typical futuristic look in
the style of Zaha Hadid and Calatrava with lots of glass. The amount
of high rises makes the city look very dense. This supports the story
line of ISA giving up part of their city to make room for the Helghans.
Yet, there is room for recreation. Between the white buildings, the
player encounters plazas with greenery and fountains.
New Helghan is a much grimmer place. The architecture has a

machine-like character. Sharp forms are used to gives the buildings
an aggressive character. This together with the materialisation of
dark grimy metal and red lighting shows a hazardous place. The
buildings are of a massive scale, communicating the suppression that
the inhabitants of New Helghan feel. The interiors show unfinished
surfaces with pipes and power cables sticking out and walking
through the buildings is almost experienced as walking through a
maze.
figure 3.31 ISA side of Vekta

(Guerrilla Games, 2013)
figure 3.32 Helghast side of Vekta

(Guerilla Games, 2013)
65
“It starts with a script or even an idea”
/ Aaron Haye
“The script will guide me”

/ Anshuman Prasad
“your work eventually is not just

servicing the story, but expanding on
what is written”
/ sean Haworth
“Imagery and literature will form the

foundation”
/ Scott Chambliss
“we borrowed a lot from existing

things to increase the believability”
/ Roland IJzermans
68
3.7 Interview learnings
Story
The story is the start of the design. Without a story there is no
design. This does not necessarily mean an exact script, but could
also mean the story of the world you are designing for. The design
has to be justified by what the story is. From the script the designers
extract the actions, emotions and context of the story. It will be there
job to facilitate these three facets within their design. The script is
the guide throughout the whole design process and is referred back
to often times. It is a dynamic process in which they go back and
forth between the script and the design. Prasad said that the script
guides him through what parts of the design should be more realistic
and what parts can be more fantastical.
Backstory
What might be just as important as the literal story described
in a script is the backstory. Through design a backstory can be
communicated to the audience, helping to evoke certain emotions. If
there is thought of why certain design elements were placed there, it
will make the storytelling richer. You can communicate much more,
without having the actors to actually act it out. The designers gave
the concept of the backstory different names, but meant the same.
It could be imagining a culture of the society you are designing for.
But also setting up rules for the biology or physics, like what was
done for Avatar.
Research / references
Research forms the base of the design and helps the design base in
some kind of reality. With research the designers often mean visual
references. They collect imagery of architecture, art, nature, etc.,
from which they can start designing. From the visual references,
they make up mood boards. Though, research is not solely visual
references, literature is also a source of references used often.
Especially when constructing a backstory, the designers look up
information about history, philosophy, physics or biology in order to
construct a set of rules of how created world works.
69
Inspiration
Inspiration can be taken from almost anywhere, which of course
depends on the production. The designers named art, personal
experience, machines, nature, architecture and literature as sources
of inspiration. Some designers like to take inspiration from things
that seem completely unrelated to the subject of design in order to
give the design a new and innovative feel. Production designer Sean
Haworth said that a designer can basically take any element and
adjust it to the rules of the created world to make a new design.
Tools
In the design process, the designers use an array of different
tools. They mix these tools in their process. They named drawing
or sketching, but also making physical models, computer models,
Photoshop. Mixing those tools helps them coming up with new ideas.
Mood boards are a great communication tool in art department. It
helps the designers come up with different designs that together will
be a coherent whole. When designing with the computer, designers
should be careful because a computer can be too restrictive
sometimes, especially early on in the process. On the other hand,
working in a computer allows the designer the work in 3D and be
able to move around a design like a camera would.
Science fiction style

The ideas on the design of science fiction differed quite between the
designers. Especially the art directors had some heavy critique on
the monotonous look of science fiction environments. Production
designers Chambliss and Haworth and set designer Prasad thought
quite pragmatically of it. They agreed that the concept of science
fiction is about the manmade and with that the materialization should
also be. They also blamed the practical side of set building which
gives limitations to the design. Using large scales has to do with the
aspects of horror that is often involved in sci-fi stories.
Art directors Haye and Frohling called the typical science fiction style
boring and overused. They had critique on the same futuristic trends,
like holograms, parametric architecture or designs with moving parts
that are used repeatedly. Both Haye and Frohling called using the
same visual cues repeatedly a shorthand to communicate that the
70
“you can draw inspiration from just
about anything around you”
/ sean haworth
“being observant, seeing how things

work, machines, bees, plants, all
things”
/ anshuman prasad
“Every communication tool is fair

game in the process”
/ Scott Chambliss
“a computer can be too precise”

/ tom frohling
71
“all science is manmade, hence the
association”
/ Anshuman Prasad
“i find it all pretty boring”

/ tom frohling
“just look where we are and project

it forward”
/ sean haworth
“it also has a lot to do with the

specific tim in which something was
designed”
/ aaron haye
72
story takes place in a sci-fi environment.
Futurism
Futuristic environments can be created by looking at where society
is right now and projecting this forward. Designers take trends that
the audience already associates with futurism, like touch screens,
holograms or flying cars and add these to the design. This they
do in exaggeration so the audience does not constantly have to be
reminded that the story takes place in the future. Futuristic design is
very much grounded in the time the design was made. If we look at
films from the seventies or eighties, they will look very different from
the future we predict today.
73
4. notion of
science fiction
The design of science fiction environments uses certain themes that
come back in most films. Although designers say that they draw
inspiration from almost anywhere, there is somehow often a quite
uniform look when it comes to the design of sci-fi environments.
The inspiration might be translated to fit into one or multiple of these
science fiction design themes. Here are some examples of science
fiction notions seen throughout the research. This does not mean
that these are true for all films or that there are not more sci-fi design
themes that frequent the science fiction environment.
4.1 Futuristic trends
There are certain futuristic styles and trends that the audience
associates with science fiction. Elements like holograms, parametric
architecture, smart materials etc. are used frequently in science
fiction films. This is not necessarily because the designers think that
this is the way we could or should design in the future, but it is done
in order to engage the audience. As the audience already associates
these trends with futurism, using them makes telling a story much
easier.
4.2 Scale
Another thing that is seen in the films is that the buildings are of a
huge inhumane scale. Megastructures dominate the science fiction
cities. Several designers explain it as an embodiment for the sense
of horror that often is sought for in science fiction stories. People do
not have control over technology anymore, so the machine takes
over their lives. The use of big intimidating architecture is one of the
ways this is communicated through design.
74
4.3 Material
What is possibly the most uniform in all the science fiction stories
that are set in a built environment, is the use of material in the
architecture. It is always the same materials that we see. The typical
manmade materials like steel, concrete and glass dominate the
palette of the design. Barely used are natural materials like wood,
stone or clay. Production designer Scott Chambliss explained this
stating that “science fiction itself is manmade”.
4.4 Defying the laws of physics

A theme that comes back in a lot of science fiction stories is about
physics that are not or are not yet possible. In the films analysed,
themes like teleportation, zero-gravity, and time travel play big roles
in its storyline. These of course are classic science fiction themes.
But what makes design for these interesting, is that the designer
can freely imagine what unfamiliar physics could look like, as the
audience does not yet know what it should look like. This makes that
there is no singular way of how this is designed.
75
5. Conclusion
Although the design processes of the interviewees might be different
in some ways, there can be seen a similar design process that all
of the designers go through. This is an observation made based
on the outcome of the interviews in which their design process is
decomposed into different steps.
The story or script is the start of the design process. It forms a guide
throughout the whole process and is referred back to very often.
A backstory goes beyond the dialogue and actions literally written
in the script and gives more depth to a story. The backstory can
especially be communicated through the design. The production
designer needs to expand on what is written in the script. Using a
backstory in a design can communicate the origin of a world or a
history or personality of a character.
From the story and backstory the designers extract the context,
actions and emotions that are described in the script and can be
seen as the requirements of a design. The context holds information
of a setting. It describes the geographical place, time and culture
in which the story is set. The environment designed needs to
facilitate the actions that are described in a script and make them
visually interesting when captured through photography. While
watching a film, the viewer goes on an emotional journey with the
main characters. Design can emphasize the emotions felt by the
characters.
The next step is to find references that match these contexts, actions
and emotions. These references can be taken from anywhere. This
step can be seen as the most intuitive part of the design process.
In this phase, the designer takes references that he associates
with the notions of the story and references that he assumes the
audience associates with the notions of the story. These references
are not solely visual, but can also be references from nature,
scientific theories, or whatever the designer might associate with
the story. Grounding the design with references from the real world
increases the believability and relatability of a story. The collection of
76
references is the basis from which the designers start creating their
own imagery. In their drawings, models and collages, they combine
different references to come up with new concepts.
All these steps do not solely count for the science-fiction environment,
but can also be applied to other fictional and even realistic
environments. The notions of science fiction described in chapter
four are components that come back in almost every science-fiction
story and might be the design elements that give the viewer the idea
that the story is indeed set in a science-fiction world. In order for the
design to be a science-fiction design concept, a translation has to
be made that evolves a regular design into a science-fiction design.
This translation has been given the term scification.
The scheme on the next page shows a summary of the design

process in which written science fiction is translated into sci-fi design
concepts.
77
REFERENCE
CONTEXT REFERENCE
REFERENCE
REFERENCE
STORY
+ ACTION REFERENCE
BACKSTORY
REFERENCE
REFERENCE
EMOTION REFERENCE
REFERENCE
figure 5.1 Scheme of the sci-fi design process

78
REFERENCE
SCIENCE-FICTION
REFERENCE DESIGN
CONCEPT
REFERENCE
REFERENCE
SCIENCE-FICTION
REFERENCE SCIFICATION DESIGN
CONCEPT
REFERENCE
REFERENCE
SCIENCE-FICTION
REFERENCE DESIGN
CONCEPT
REFERENCE
79
80
part TWO
81
Part two of this paper describes the design process as learned from
the interviews with the designers put into pratice. This description
follows the process of moving from written story to design concept.
The order of steps is written in chronological sequence. As the
design process is a dynamic process, this does not mean that one
step was fully completed before moving onto the next one.
After the description of the design process, a conclusion is made

on how this design process was experienced, using the learnings of
the designers. There can be evaluated if the design process found
in part one is helpful and if the interviews have been interpreted
correctly.
82
83
1. Ready player one
The story chosen for the design project is Ready Player One by
Ernest Cline (2011). This novel was chosen because it includes a lot
of components that are often seen in science fiction. The story is set
in the future, the main character lands different planets and the story
involves technology and physics that are unfamiliar but have a great
influence on society.
1.1 Novel
Ready Player One is set in the year 2044. The world has become
an ugly place. There have been several energy crises and people
live in poverty. In the stacks, on the outskirts of Kansas City lives
Wade Watts. He is an orphan who lives with his cold-hearted aunt in
one of the many stacked trailers. Like the majority of the people, he
spends most of his time in the OASIS. This is a virtual universe which
he enters through is virtual reality glasses. Inside the OASIS, Wade
goes to school and meets up with his friends under his avatar’s
name Parzival. This way, he escapes his own miserable life in the
real world.
When OASIS founder James Halliday dies without any heirs, his will
states that the winner of a heist he has set out inside the OASIS
will win his fortune. This includes a controlling share of Gregorius
Games Simulations, the company that owns the OASIS. Halliday
has hidden three keys that unlock three gates that lead to the Easter
egg. The first avatar to find the Easter egg will be the winner of the
contest. Many avatars start hunting for the egg, but this appears to
be harder than thought at first. Then, years after the announcement
of the contest, Parzival finds the first key.
On the location of the first key, Parzival meets Art3mis. He has had
a crush on her for many years, through reading her blog. After their
first meeting they end up spending more and more time together,
while falling for each other.
84
One company that will do everything in their power to win the
contest is Innovative Online Industries (IOI). They are a multinational
corporation planning on monetizing the OASIS after winning the
contest. This will have a great effect on society, as entering the OASIS
has always been free, so that even the poorest people can use this
place as an escape. IOI’s employees or nicknamed the Sixers. Many
gunters, as the Easter egg hunters are called, have made it a true
sport hunting down Sixers, as they will do everything to keep them
from winning the contest.
Parzival and Art3mis have become prestigious gunters after being

the first avatars to find a key. IOI has done several attempts to bribe
and threaten them into working together with them. But because
they have always refused this, they are now wanted by IOI. Parzival
and Art3mis continue their quest carefully in order not to be found
by the Sixers.
1.2 Storyboard
The scene chosen to design is halfway through the book. When
Parzival and Art3mis get invited by Ogden Morrow, a co-creator of
the OASIS, they cannot refuse this invitation, even though they know
it will be dangerous to go out in public because they are hunted down
by the Sixers. The next pages show a storyboard that illustrates the
events of the scene designed for this project.
85
Parzival lands on Neonoir and finds himself in an unfamilier
cyberpunk-themed world.
At the intersection of the boulevard and the avenue he encounters

the Distracted Hlobe, a giant floating blue spehere that houses
the night club where the party is.
Together with thousands of other avatars, he enters the

Distracted Globe, by a magical staircase.
Inside the Distracted Globe, Parzival finds that the laws of physics
are different. On the inner surface the avatars are walking, while
in the middle people are floating and dancing around. He goes to
the bar to meet Art3mis.
86
Parzival and Art3mis go dancing together.
The dj, R2-D2, is playing several eigthies tunes with his robotic
arms.
At first, Parziival and Art3mis seem very much in love, but they
end up fighting over the contest.
Then everything goes wrong. There is a loud boom. The Sixers

have busted themselves in. They have come to hunt down
Parzival and Art3mis.
87
88
2. script components
As described in the conclusion of part one, the designers extract the
actions, emotions and context that are told in the script. Then they
search for the right references to go with these descriptions. Here
a collection of descriptions of the actions, emotions and context
described in the chapter and references that could go with them. All
these decriptions are derived from the novel by Cline (2011).
89
90
2.1 Context
The writer has visually described the world Parzival finds himself in.
The world of Neonoir is described as a cyberpunk-themed world.
The cyberpunk theme suggests a classic science fiction look of a
city at nighttime filled with bright neon lights.
Neonoir is a planet in sector sixteen where it is always night. The

city on planet Neonoir is a grid of skyscrapers with streams of flying
vehicles and streets filled with avatars. This suggests a layered
texture, with layers of different types of traffic moving over and under
each other.
The Distracted Globe is located on the intersection of the boulevard

and the avenue. The Distracted Globe is illustrated as an enormous
cobalt blue sphere, floating thirty metres off the ground. At the bottom
of the sphere is a crystal staircase leading up to the entrance.
The writer describes a sequences of spaces that Parzival encounters

on his journey through the Distracted Globe. The interior of the
Distracted Globe has different physical laws than what the character
figures from left to right, top is familiar with. The inner surface has some kind of gravity. Avatars
down can walk on this surface. But when jumping off the ground, the
figure 2.1 cyberpunk artwork (no
avatars can float weightlessly in the center of the globe which serves
source) as the dance floor.
figure 2.2 Cyberpunk artwork
(Andrade, 2012) On the inner surface, the club’s amenities are located, like the bar
where Parzival meets Art3mis, and lounge areas. The bar has not
figure 2.3 Cyberpunk artwork been described any further into detail. In the centre of the club is
(Whitehead, 2012)
a bubble suspended in the air. This is where the DJ booth is. This
figure 2.4 Sony center, Berlin booth is described to be a clear bubble, through which the avatars
(Tile, N.D.)
can see the DJ booth.
figure 2.5 Bangkok streets
(Burban, 2012)
figure 2.6 Akihabara (no source)
figure 2.7 cyberpunk artwork

(Mendoza, 2015)
figure 2.8 Deep-sea city concept

(Shimizu Corporation, 2014)
91
92
2.2 Action
During the scene, many different actions are described within the
interior of the Distracted Globe.
First of all, the entrance should be able to handle thousands of

avatars. This might suggest that there are several entrances or that
the entrance is very large. The party held is very exclusive, so the
entrance should be built in a way that not anybody is able to enter
but one has to go through some kind op checkpoint. In the scene
Parzival goes through this checkpoint where he shows a cyborg
doorman his invitation.
On the interior surface, Parzival sees avatars walking. This might

suggest paths on the surface. The surface also houses be one or
more bars where Parzival can order his drink and there multiple
lounge areas. So there should be areas and objects to facilitate this.
The dancing in the center of the club needs open space in order
for the avatars to float around freely, without bumping into objects
or each other constantly. In the centre of the dance floor is the DJ
booth. The booth houses the DJ equipment and the DJ should be
figures from left to right, top able to spin around, with or without equipment.
down
figure 2.9 Sensation Dubai (no The shooting scene might ask for object behind which the opponents
source) can hide for cover. During this scene, Ogden Morrow bursts out of
figure 2.10 Ministry of Sound the DJ booth, while in the ending of the scene, he moves back into
London (Ministry of Sound it, suggesting that it did not have to be broken in order to burst open.
London, N.D.) At the end of this sequence Art3mis flies out through the hole that
figure 2.11 Net blow-up (numen/ was blasted into the top part of the globe.
for use, 2013)
figure 2.12 LED hoop (Howeler +

Yoon Architecture, 2014)
figure 2.13 Joe Colombo interior

(no source)
figure 2.14 Discover Night Club

Trinidad (Broadbridge, N.D.)
figure 2.15 Nightclub Il Grifoncino

(Casati, 1968)
93
94
2.3 Emotion
Parzival goes through quite a lot of different emotion throughout the
scene.
When landing on Neonoir, Parzival finds himself in an unfamiliar

cyberpunk city. The writer describes the city in a very dynamic way.
Parzival encounters “impossibly large skyscrapers, continuous
streams of flying vehicles whirring through the vertical cityscapes
and the streets below teemed with leather-clad NPCs and mirror-
shaded avatars.” (bron). This might suggest a sense of wonder in the
main character.
Upon entering the Distracted Globe Parzival feels disoriented. He

sees avatars around him walking on the interior surface and floating
around dancing in the center of the sphere. Entering the Distracted
Globe could therefor be a both a dizzying and magical experience. It
should be almost like entering a different universe.
When Parzival meets Art3mis at the bar, he is very happy to see her.
The following sequence has a romantic feel. In their dialogue and
actions, Parzival and Art3mis flirt and dance together. A happy and
figures from left to right, top dreamy feel matches this sequence.
down
figure 2.16 James Turrell artwork But then everything goes wrong. Parzival and Art3mis get in a fight
(Kujda, 2004) about the contest and Art3mis tells Parzival that she wants to break
figure 2.17 light beam (no source) up with him. At the height of their argument, the Sixers bust in. There
is a sense of danger and Parzival gets scared as he realizes that
figure 2.18 Barbie Shanghai the Sixers have come in to hunt down him and Art3mis. When he
Flagship store (Slade
Architecture, 2009) reaches the point that it seem inevitable that they will lose the battle,
Ogden Morrow takes action. With eliminating the Sixers, he leaves
figure 2.19 disco ball (no source)
Parzival and the other avatars awestruck. While the other avatar
figure 2.20 sparkles (no source) dance happily again, Parzival feels sorrow as Art3mis drifts away
figure 2.21 coloured bubbles (no
source) Overall the scene goes from Parzival feeling full of wonder and in
love with Art3mis to him being scared and feeling sorrow. In the
figure 2.22 glass shatter (no design, these feelings could be impleted using using lighting of
source)
different colour, or by giving the part of the globe where the Sixers
figure 2.23 gamma-ray burst (no bust in, an agressive form.
source)
95
3. first conceptions
3.1 First impressions
The storyboard combined with the first references found, resulted in
these first visual conceptions of the scene.
96
figure 3.1 city on Neonoir
figure 3.2 entrance of the

Distracted Globe
figure 3.3 interior of Distracted

Globe version one
figure 3.4 interior of Distracted

Globe version two
figure 3.5 wrecked interior of

Distracted Globe
97
98
figures on left page from left to Starting the design, there seeked an organization of the interior of the
right, top down
globe. The inspiration for these structures came from the concept
figure 3.6 amphitheatre of the playground. With OASIS actually being a game, the design
(soudasouda, N.D.)
sought for the feeling of a playground for adults. Three concepts
figure 3.7 Antelope canyon (no were created for the structure.
source)
figure 3.8 lit ceiling (no source) 3.2 Arena

figure 3.9 lamp structure (own
picture, 2017) The concept of the arena is where the globe would be divided into
layers, with each layers having different functions. The structure
figure 3.10 Frogger (Konami,
has the form of two mirrored amphitheatres stacked on top of each
1981)
other. There can be walked on the layers due to the gravity that is
figure 3.11 layered ceiling simulated from the turning of the globe. The layers are connected by
(Barrisol, N.D.)
stairs and bridges. The division into layers gives the avatars a better
figure 3.12 layered landscape feel of orientation.
architecture (Roohan, N.D.)
figure 3.13 layered seating (Svet This concept might not fit well because in the chapter, the interior
Vmes Architects, 2014) is illustrated as if it is oriented towards all sides. The layering would
give the space a more horizontal orientation. This also gives the
space a sense of up and down, contradicting the feel one would
have while being weightless.
99
100
figures on left page from left to
right, top down 3.3 Climbing frame
figure 3.14 climbing frame This organization of the globe has some clear references to the
(Tucky’s Photography, N.D.)
real world. The interior surface is cladded with the frame we know
figure 3.15 light structure (Peters, from classic climbing frames. This structure is a well-known form
N.D.)
spherical constructions. The geometrical look, suggests that this is
figure 3.16 honeycomb (no a space that can be easily calculated. The lines of the grid are used
source) as pathways, while the deeper lying parts house the functions of
figure 3.17 a-sides (Occams the club, almost dividing the interior surface into rooms. There are
Laser, 2015) several bar and lounge rooms. While being in one room an avatar
does not necessarily feel that he stands on a curved plane. Only
figure 3.18 King’s Cross station
interior (own picture, 2017) from seeing the opposite side, an avatar can detect that he finds
himself in a spherical space.
figure 3.19 lamp structure (own
picture, 2017)
This concept might be too conventional for a world as distant as
figure 3.20 space-time the virtual universe in 2044. The use of this spherical construction
continuum scheme (no source)
might not look as advanced as one would suspect in a world as
figure 3.21 climbing frame technologically advanced as a cyberpunk world.
(Beebop, N.D.)
101
102
right, top down 3.4 Safety net
figure 3.22 Janet Echelman The concept of the safety net is the most dynamic variant of the three
artwork (Echelman, 2014)
concepts. This concept is derived from the idea of nets that children
figure 3.23 rope climbing frame can climb in on playgrounds. The net structure of the surface looks
(no source)
like an organic structure. It seems to be very lightweight and elastic
figure 3.24 Weaver bird’s nests and suggests a bounciness. From the elastic nets, several forms can
(Mathema, 2012) be made to house the functions of the night club. With coloured
figure 3.25 safety net bioluminscent lighting, the atmosphere of a club can be captured.
(Zipgatlinburg, N.D.)
The concept of the net seemed to be most fitting with the story
figure 3.26 spiderweb (no source)
and also the most visually interesting. It stood farther away from
figure 3.27 aerial net (no source) reality than the first two concepts and suited the narrative of the
figure 3.28 plaster work (own
virtual utopia of 2044 best. For the next steps, I built forward on this
picture, 2017) concept.
figure 3.29 Chinese lantern plant
(no source)
figure 3.30 Janet Echelman

artwork (Echelman, 2013)
103
4. Backstory
With a base for a design, there was sought for a logic or bigger idea
behind the design, a logic in which the digital, the virtual, futurism,
cyberpunk and biology would coincide. For this, the theories of
technoromanticism and biopunk were used.
4.1 Technoromanticism
Technoromanticism concerns digital narratives that will provide
mankind the ideals of a utopian virtual future. It describes a reality
in which a shift from the physical to the digital is an enrichment
to the lives of individuals. In Technoromanticism, Coyne (1999) has
described several romantic digital narratives. Information technology
creates transcendental realities which will set the mind free from the
body. A state of ecstasy is reached by immersion in data streams
through electronic communications. The virtual world creates new
possibilities as individuals have immediate access to any place in
data space. Its digital communities induce an egalitarian social order
in which individuals are not measured by their occurrence in the real
world. All these narratives result in a unified digital society (Coyne,
1999).
The world of Ready Player One can be seen as a technoromantic

world in which its inhabitants are granted freedom by using the data
figures on right page from left to
sphere to set themselves free and live the life they dream of. Being right, top down
enrichment to individuals’ lives, the OASIS creates a wholesome
figure 4.1 fractal art (no source)
community rather than the raptured society of the real world and its
users are not constrained by the limitations of reality, like geography, figure 4.2 painting in digital
physicality, or status. colours (Van Liefland, 2014)
figure 4.3 digital iridescence (no

source)
figure 4.4 glichy palette (McLeod,

2017)
figure 4.5 digital artwork

(McLeod, 2017)
figure 4.6 fractal art (Ball, N.D.)

104
105
4.2 Biopunk
Biopunk is a sub-genre of cyberpunk. Cyberpunk is a term that
is hard to summarize in a single definition. It finds it origin in the
1980s postmodern science fiction and explores the technological
developments in an extrapolated near-future society. Cyberpunk
civilization has a softened differentiation between the natural and
the artificial (Cavallaro, 2000). In contrast to the science-fiction genre
as a whole, in which the contradiction of the natural and artificial is
problematized, cyberpunk is about the cybernetic society enhanced
by technology (Hollinger, 1990). In the biopunk world, the cybernetic
advances have been evolved into genetic advances. The emphasis
lies on bio technology rather than information technology. Biopunk
narratives are driven by biological innovation, especially genetic
engineering (Schmeink, 2014).
For the narrative of the backstory the universe of the OASIS is built
on the theories of biopunk. After a destruction of the real world,
mankind gets the chance to redesign its world and takes inspiration
from the clever design solutions of nature. This results in a world
where the architecture has an organic feel, with using algorithms
found in nature as main component of the code this virtual utopia is
built from.
figures on right page from left to

right, top down
figure 4.7 leaf (no source)
figure 4.8 Fibonacci’s Mashrabiya

framework (Oxman, 2009)
figure 4.9 Amazonian water lily

(no source)
figure 4.10 diatom (no source)
figure 4.11 microscopic orchid

(Gates, N.D.)
figure 4.12 voronoi facade (no

source)
106
107
108
5. design concept
The combination of the first conceptions and the backstory added
to this, has resulted in the following design concept. This design
concept is in not final.
The Distracted Globe is an unfamiliar world whose builders take their

inspiration from nature. The past has led to crises and disaster. In
order to prevent this from happening again, people seek ways to
come up with smarter design solutions and with this take inspiration
from nature. Yet, because the OASIS is a digital universe, this
means that all the designs made, cannot be solely organic but have
some kind of mathematical base, everything can be calculated by a
computer. So the design is based on algorithms that can be found
in nature.
This led to the idea of using a Voronoi diagram as the base of the
globe. This diagram is found a lot in nature. Some examples are the
wings of insects, the structure of leaves or the growth of columnal
basalt. Yet, this diagram can be calculated completely mathematical.
For the structure of the interior functions, there was looked into fractal
patterns. The interior is layered into several zones. The zones closer
to the center and dj booth house more exclusive functions, while
the functions on the shell are more public. Because the exclusive
functions come in smaller numbers than the public functions, this
lead to the idea of using a fractal pattern that divides itself into more
pieces, as it goes further from the center.

right, top down
figure 5.1 facade exterior
figure 5.2 entrance staircase
figure 5.3 interior structure
figure 5.4 dj booth

109
6. conclusion
The design process might not be as linear as concluded in the
first part of this paper. This could be because the personal design
process was different than the way the interviewed designers work,
but is caused more likely by the interpretation of the interviews. It
would seem logic that the designers communicate their stories in
a linear way to convey it as clearly as possible. Their processes in
truth probably have a more dynamic form when put into practice,
than their interview answers might suggest.
The scheme on the next page shows the personal design process
in moving from written script to design concept. The starting point
still is the story and backstory derived from this. The interviewees all
made it very clear that this is where the design process starts, and
does not differ from the conclusion drawn from part one. The next
step, like concluded earlier, is deriving the actions, emotions and
context illustrated in the script. Using these script components as a
base for references has been found very helpful as a starting point
for the actual designing. After this, the first drawings of the scene
could be made. These drawings can be seen as design conclusions.
From these conclusions, new ideas arise that ask for new references.
Opposite to what the process scheme from part one suggests, this
was the first cycle in many more design cycles before reaching the
design concept described in chapter five of part two. As the design
phase is not over yet, more cycles will be made before reaching a
final design concept.
Contrary to what the designers suggested in the interviews, the

backstory was only used after already two design cycles. The use
of a backstory from the start of the design process probably would
have sped up the process. An explanation for the belated use is that
the design conclusions after the second cycle brought up the idea
for the backstory. So design conclusions might result in the addition
of extra layers to the backstory.
References have formed the base of the design for creating an

unfamiliar environment, as it is built upon the world that we know.
110
The combination of completely unrelated references is what makes
the environment look fictional. Stories that are set in a more realistic
environment might not ask for these crazy combinations. Combining
elements in a familiar way makes a design more relatable and realistic.
This does not mean that the designer of a realistic story cannot take
their inspiration from anywhere, but suggests that science-fiction
designers should aim for a broader spectrum of sources.
What sets science-fiction design apart from other fictional genres like
fantasy is the story line. The story will ask for the right references that
the public associates with the notion of science fiction. The subjects
of technology, science and futurism are inherent to the science fiction
genre. The script directly asks for references that fit these subjects.
This is in contrast to the scheme of part one in which the typical
science-fiction look is seen as an added layer. With using science-
fiction references already at the start of the process of combining the
references into new design, a design will automatically look science
fictional.
A design process scheme for only science fiction or any fictional

environment could not be made. The design process is not what
sets design of the fictional environment apart from the non-fictional
environment. The fictional appearance relies on the nature of the
material. Design of the fictional environment asks for a broader
scope of reference material. An architect reacts to the existing
environment and might look closer to the site in order to come up
with the right design solution. For the designer of the science fiction
environment the possibilities of sources seem endless. An architect
would not refer to the surrounding architectural styles and vegetation
as references, but these essentially are the same type of building
blocks that the science-fiction designer uses. Using references
from a broader scope asks for a more imaginative approach than
conventional architecture and results in a design that will leave the
viewer full of wonder.
111
CONTEXT
STORY
+ REFER
ACTION
BACKSTORY COLLE
EMOTION
REFERENCE
ADDITION
DES
CONCL
figure 6.1 Scheme of the sci-fi design process

112
SCIENCE-FICTION
RENCE
DESIGN
ECTION
CONCEPT
REFERENCE
COMBINATION
SIGN
LUSION
113
References
Abrams, J.J., Burk, B., Lindelof, D., Kurtzman, A., & Orci, R.
(Producers), & Abrams, J.J. (Director). (2013). Star Trek Into Darkness
[Motion Picture]. United States: Paramount Pictures.
Aubrey, S., Berg, P., Goldner, B., Henderson, D., Schneir, B., &
Stuber, S. (Producers), & Berg, P. (Director). (2012). Battleship
[Motion Picture]. United States: Universal Pictures.
Bird, B., Chernov, J., & Lindelof, D. (Producers), & Bird, B. (Director).
(2015). Tomorrowland [Motion Picture]. United States: Walt Disney
Studios.
Cameron, J., & Landau, J. (Producers), & Cameron, J. (Director).

(2009). Avatar [Motion Picture]. United States: 20th Century Fox.
Card, O., Chartoff, R., Hendee, L., Kurtzman, A., McDonough, L.,
Pritzker, G., Orci, R., & Ulbrich, E. (Producers), & Hood, G. (Director).
(2013). Ender’s Game [Motion Picture]. United States: Summit
Entertainment & Lionsgate Films.
Cavallaro, D. (2000). Cyberpunk & Cyberculture: Science Fiction and

the Work of William Gibson. A&C Black.
Cline, E. (2011). Ready Player One: Random House.
Coyne, R. (1999). Technoromanticism: digital narrative, holism, and

the romance of the real. MIT Press.
Ellison, D., & Goldberg, D. (Producers), & Taylor, A. (Director). (2015).

Terminator Genisys [Motion Picture]. United States: Paramount
Pictures.
Fortin, D. T. (2011). Architecure and Science-fiction Film: Philip K.

Dick and the Spectacle of Home: Ashgate Pub.
Goodman, G., Kinberg, S., Kulzer, R., Parker, H., & Vaughn, M.
114
(Producers), & Trank, J. (Director). (2015). Fantastic Four [Motion
Picture]. United States: 20th Century Fox.
Guerrilla Games. (2013). Killzone Shadow Fall [Video game]. Europe:

Sony Computer Entertainment.
Hillier, B., & Leaman, A. (1974). How is design possible?. Journal of

Architectural Research, 4-11.
Hollinger, V. (1990). Cybernetic deconstructions: Cyberpunk and

postmodernism.
Jaffe, T., & Moritz, N. (Producers), & Wiseman, L. (Director). (2012).

Total Recall [Motion Picture]. United States: Columbia Pictures.
Lawson, B. (2014). How Designers Think: The Design Process

Demystified: Elsevier Science.
LoBrutto, V. (2002). The Filmmaker’s Guide to Production Design:

Allworth Press.
Neumann, D., Albrecht, D., & Gallery, D. W. B. (1999). Film

Architecture: Set Designs from Metropolis to Blade Runner.: Prestel
Schmeink, L. Biopunk 101.
Vidler, A. (1993). The explosion of space: Architecture and the filmic

imaginary. Assemblage, (21), 45-59.
115
116

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Imagining

Delft University of Technology

Jeroen van de Laar (research mentor)

Cover photo: Bird, Chernov & Lindelof, 2015

Design brief Script

In the first three steps of the design process of a film designer, a

1.2 Research goal

1.3 Research question

2.1 Focus group

1. Viewing the film

3. Distilling interview questions

• In the imagination process, are choices made arbitrarily, or are

• How free do you interpret a scenario? What are the conditions of

• A scenario gives both a narrative (e.g. the people are suppressed)

• Why is science fiction architecture often of such a huge and

• When designing a new world, where lies the balance between

• What do you do with you designs to make them appear futuristic?

Scott Chambliss is a production designer for film and television.

Tomorrowland is portrayed as a true utopia. The buildings are

In Casey’s journey through the city, the viewer experiences the

figure 3.1 Tomorrowland cityscape

figure 3.2 Tomorrowland aerial view

figure 3.3 Tomorrowland building

When a former employee-turned criminal threatens USS and society,

There is a true distinction between the very functional machine-like

figure 3.4 Med bay (Abrams, Burk,

figure 3.5 Enterprise interior (Abrams,

figure 3.6 Engine room (Abrams,

The aspect of horror is often part of science fiction stories. Using

In Tommorowland, he used architectural references of Santiago

The conformity between the design approaches of both films is that

Sean Haworth a production designer from Los Angeles. Before

What comes apparent when seeing all the different interiors

Fifty years after earth has been ravaged by a technologically superior

The architecture of the Formics looks unfamiliar. It combines

A lot of the design depends on the director. Some directors are

In Ender’s Game, director Gavin Hood was more character driven.

When it comes to design, it has to be grounded in some kind of

Ender’s Game (2013)

For description of the plot of Ender’s Game, see Ender’s Game in

The big sphere shows a Buckminster Fuller-like construction. The

figure 3.13 Battle room interior

figure 3.14 Battle room entrance

figure 3.15 Battle room interior

After designing and building a teleportation machine, four friends

The large computer cabinets around the teleportation capsules

The design of a concept as unfamiliar as teleportation gets grounded

figure 3.16 Teleportation platform

figure 3.17 Teleportation pods

figure 3.18 Warehouse interior

For science fiction, Frohling can draw inspiration from anywhere.

Design should be story driven. The actions described in the script

Aaron Haye is an art director for Hollywood productions. Before

For this research Battleship (2012) and Terminator Genisys (2015)

Battleship is an adaptation of the classic board game in which the

Battleship shows extra-terrestrial life that looks similar to life on

figure 3.19 Alien structure (Aubrey,

figure 3.20 Alien ship (Aubrey, Berg,