Traditional and Computer Aided Design and Graphics
Los Angeles, California, USA, Terra, Solar System Sol, Milky Way Galaxy, Local Group, Virgo Super Cluster, Local Universe

Set Design - Batman and Robin - Kenneth A. Larson

Most of my two and a half decades in the entertainment industry have been designing and building models. Most of what I did for Batman and Robin was Set Designing Visual Effects miniatures. I used AutoCAD © R12 for most of this work. 1996-1997 Production Designer: Barbara Ling; Visual Effects Art Directors: Richard Reynolds/James Hegedus.

I had just completed 15 months of back to back Visual Effects Model Making on Batman Forever and Independence Day. Barbara Ling interviewed me for Art Department Model Maker. I brought everything, including designs and AutoCAD drafting. A week later I decided that I wasn't going to get the job when Barbara called offering me a job as Computer Specialist Set Designer working on the Visual Effects models. Not only was I prepared for this assignment, but I also was able to continue my association with many of the Model Makers that I had been working with for 18 years. I even designed revisions to models I had built a year earlier.

This was my third Batman movie. I worked as Visual Effects Model Maker on Batman Returns and as Visual Effects Model Maker and Set Designer on Batman Forever.

I began working on Set Designs for several of the models, including Reynolds Tower, named after the first Visual Effects Art Director Richard Reynolds, the Grasshopper Building, and several bridges. Then I began dividing my time between more new designs and visiting the Model Shop daily and I created a set of as-built drawings for virtually every model. This was to allow Lance Hammer to construct accurate computer models to be used in programming the motion control camera. If the model was built 2 inches taller than designed, the camera needed to know. Later, I worked on the Mr. Freeze rocket and coordinated that the miniature and full size Batmobile and Freezemobile matched. I also continued with new designs such as the museum exterior, signs, and Satellite. I measured the as-built full size set of the museum interior and drew a simplified model of the museum interior that was used to match miniature fog to the live action.

In all, I spent over nine months working on Batman and Robin as a Visual Effects Computer Specialist Set Designer.

I produced close to one hundred drawings for Batman and Robin, including:

I made about 50 as-built drawings of all the models used in the film. These drawings were placed into binders and also, using the AutoCAD XREF command, made into four large wall mounted posters. These were invaluable in planing the miniature Gotham City sets.
Mr. Freeze Rocket. Through the use of movie magic, the inside was bigger than the outside.Drawing scale 3"=1'-0".
Mr. Freeze Rocket, details.
Freeze Ray.
Grasshopper Building, Model scale 1/2"=1'-0".
Grasshopper Building, detail.
Several miniature copies were made of Coos Bay Bridge.
Larger scale model of Coos Bay Bridge
Miniature museum in 1/2"=1'-0" scale. Drawing scale: 1 1/2"=1'-0"
Drawing scale: Full Size
Reynolds Tower, model scale 1/2"=1'-0".
Mercury Electric sign. This was photographed and the negative (with the lines becoming clear film) used as the face of a neon sign. Drawn full size.
Another of the three miniature bridges that I designed for the film.
Satellite.
Satellite.
Gothum Water Works.
Gothum Water Works.
One of the dozens of as-built drawings of the existing models.
Miniature layout to match full size sign that was in turn a left over large miniature break-away sign from Batman Forever,
Observatory Mirror.
Crystal Roof, built to top an existing building model.
Yet another bridge.
Sign.
Sign.
Batman and Robin Undercarriage, miniature Batmobile. Pencil. 1997

Note: These drawings are presented here for portfolio purposes only. These drawings are not available for sale or to be given away in hard copy or digitally in any scale. I will be happy to show hard-copy during a legitimate job interview for Set Designer.

This page last updated: Wednesday, 18-Sep-2024 22:35:14 CDT