Most shows are fairly secretive about production. Sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes tidbits are rare because TPTB fear the release of the dreaded “spoiler”. And what, exactly, constitutes a spoiler? Well, opinions vary but shows tend to err on the side of caution, preferring to keep most things under wraps. That means no set photos, script hints, or concept-to-completion insights in the lead up to broadcast. And I get it. But, from my experience working on Stargate, I always thought it a shame to hold off on those cool and informative “extras” until after the episodes aired because, at that point, you’re just preaching to the converted. I’d argue why not reward the converted with a few visual appetizers to bridge the lengthy gap between seasons? Now don’t get me wrong. I’m the last guy who’d want to ruin your viewing experience by spoiling the coming surprises in store, but I’d argue that there’s a difference between “teasers” and “spoilers”. I adhere to wiki’s definition of the spoiler: “an element of a disseminated summary or description of any piece of fiction that reveals any plot elements which threaten to give away important details concerning the turn of events of a dramatic episode“. You won’t find those on this blog. Teasers, on the other hand, are tasty little visuals to tide you over. Sort of like…
We needed a distinct-looking building for an upcoming episode and the Dark Matter Art Department knew just the man for the job. Illustrator Bartol Rendulic has contributed to the show since its inception, sketching a designing innumerable ships and space stations including our very own Raza.
In this case, Bart gave us a plethora of early concepts to choose from. We all gravitated to #5, above, but I ultimately thought it would make a better starship. What do you think?
#8 really stood out for us as well, an imposing building with a crystaline structure.
Lots to love in this batch too. #9 and #10 were favorites, although we thought #10 could use another tiny abutment higher up and to the right of the structure.
Some pretty inspired creations that are somewhat reminiscent of actual far-out buildings in Dubai.
Probably the most unique of the bunch. I was drawn to #14 because I thought it looked like a rabbit. Am I crazy?
#17 looks particularly fearsome. I’d imagine sky drivers getting impaled all the time.
Also very cool, this bunch reminded me of the Fortress of Solitude.
I tend to prefer symmetrical designs but there was something about these two.
Beautiful. For some reason, whenever I see these three, I imagine a trio of leggy woman in evening gowns. Of course, I reviewed these after our whisky club meeting so…
We ended up choosing #10 (with the minor alteration). We needed it sketched, in-story, and this was the first go by 1st Assistant Art Director Roxanne Borris. Ultimately, we decided we didn’t need to see the alleyway and should just feature the building. We wanted the sketch to be a little more detailed and closer to the original.
And Roxanne delivered (as usual).
Bart, meanwhile, brought his original vision to life in spectacular fashion:
Gorgeous, no?
From here, it’s off to visual effects whose job it will be to model, build, and bring the building to life.
But that’s a teaser for another blog entry.
http://bartoleum.deviantart.com/
Leave a Reply