���vectorworks Designer��� Helps Bring 007 To The Big Screen
VectorWorks cAse study: “ Vec torWork s Designer” Help s Bring 0 07 to tHe Big screen
V e c t o r W o r k s c A s e s t u D y
“VectorWorks Designer” Helps Bring
007 to tHe Big screen
cAsino royAle © 2006 DAnjAq, llc, uniteD Artists corporAtion AnD columBiA pictures inDustries, inc. All rigHts reserVeD.
VectorWorks cAse study: “ Vec torWork s Designer” Help s Bring 0 07 to tHe Big screen
cAsino royAle © 2006 DAnjAq, llc, uniteD Artists corporAtion AnD columBiA pictures inDustries, inc. All rigHts reserVeD.
WHen eon proDuctions
WanteD to kick off
a WHole neW era of
James BonD films,
tHat incluDeD using
Bond, james Bond, returns in cAsino royAle, the
21st Bond film. 007’s very first assignment kicks
computer tecHnology
off with a high-octane chase set in madagascar.
for set Design—a first
the chase reaches dizzying heights of tension on
in tHe uk film inDustry. a building site set designed with the assistance
of VectorWorks. VectorWorks Designer.
enter art Director
steVen laWrence anD
VectorWorks Designer.
VectorWorks cAse study: “ Vec torWork s Designer” Help s Bring 0 07 to tHe Big screen
VectorWorks cuts
to tHe cHase
this opening sequence of cAsino royAle at the
For such action packed scenes, the art department
building site was actually filmed in the Bahamas in
often goes a step further by designing models in
a derelict hotel that had never been finished and
VectorWorks and exporting them to lightWave®,
had been abandoned for 30 years. cAsino royAle
a high-end animation software program, to create
art director steven lawrence assisted the design
animations and fly-throughs. For this scene,
of the sequence using VectorWorks Designer.
lawrence handed the 3D model to concept artist
julian caldow, who animated the scene in
“We went down and surveyed the site, then i
lightWave®. then he compiled a DVD containing
came back and matched the existing location
the VectorWorks 2D drawings and 3D models of the
in VectorWorks Designer,” explains lawrence. “i
set within the site, along with the animations and
added our own steel structure—designed from the
fly-throughs. After viewing the DVD, the director
ground up in VectorWorks—to the drawing, then
was able get a feel for the site before he even
sent the drawings out to the structural engineers.”
arrived on location.
lawrence continued through the production
“When movie goers see the end result, our hope is
process with VectorWorks Designer. “the great
that they’ll see a building under construction and
thing about VectorWorks Designer is not only
never know that it’s a set we actually built,”
could i draft the steel structure that was built for
says lawrence.
this particular chase sequence where everyone is
running at top speed along these beams at great
cAsino royAle © 2006 DAnjAq, llc, uniteD Artists corporAtion
AnD columBiA pictures inDustries, inc. All rigHts reserVeD.
heights, but i can also create a 3D model that
we can spin around, drop the camera object into,
change the aspect ratio and the object info for,
and instantly see what the camera will see.”
While he has been able to do that with pencil and
paper for years, the process is now automatic.
“When projecting by pencil, it can take a lot of time,
because you’re pulling lines back through objects,
to make one view at a time. But now any view is
instantaneous with the VectorWorks camera object.
When people see that, their jaws drop. We’ve been
brought up to project camera views by hand, and
VectorWorks virtually makes this process obsolete.”
VectorWorks cAse study: “ Vec torWork s Designer” Help s Bring 0 07 to tHe Big screen
cAsino royAle © 2006 DAnjAq, llc, uniteD Artists corporAtion
AnD columBiA pictures inDustries, inc. All rigHts reserVeD.
opening creDits
According to lawrence, using VectorWorks to
design from the very first conception to final
completion of the set is very much a new
process within the uk art departments. eon
productions/Danjaq, llc, which has produced 20
james Bond films since 1962, wanted something
new from this film, and VectorWorks Designer
played a key role in making this happen.
His own recent credits include Batman Begins, the
“eon productions wanted to kick off a whole
first three Harry potter films, titanic, enemy at the
new era for the Bond films, and we wanted
gates, the World is not enough, shakespeare in
to do that within the art department as well,
love, goldeneye, and quills.
with a hot, new look,” says lawrence.
For cAsino royAle, lawrence used VectorWorks
“i am grateful to the foresight and understanding
Designer to produce 2D drawings and site plans
of peter lamont, production designer, and simon
to assist the production designer and director in
lamont, supervising art director, who have
mapping out how action would take place within
paved the way for VectorWorks to be used to
an area and create 3D models of sets to help the
its full potential on cAsino royAle and their
team get a feel for a set before they arrive on
help in this new area of film set design.”
location. He takes advantage of VectorWorks design
layers to build up drawings and moves into
He credits VectorWorks Designer in helping to pull
VectorWorks viewport technology to block out
it off. “most art departments in the uk still draw
the plans and elevations.
with pencil and t square and are skeptical of such
a radical change,” he says. “But when they start to
“i can go back and forth between viewports
use a few of the tools within VectorWorks and see
and the original design layer quickly—and
how much more they can do and how much faster
VectorWorks updates every change automatically
they can work, they’re blown away. of course, the
as i go along,” he says. “love that.”
sketch rendering technology that allows me to
render drawings in a more natural, hand-drawn
He can then issue drawings either as traditional
style is a huge plus, as this look is preferred by some
prints to in-house construction and other
production designers. this is the beginning of a big
departments or via email to outside companies
movement of people transitioning to VectorWorks.”
or contractors.
VectorWorks cAse study: “ Vec torWork s Designer” Help s Bring 0 07 to tHe Big screen
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to complicate matters, his deadlines were tight.
cutting company and then taken back in house to
“the whole thing was a mixture, and everything was
our model makers to start the process of building
drawn up in VectorWorks—our elevations, plans,
the twelfth-scale airliner. everything was also given
cross sections through the fuselage,” says lawrence.
to the visual effects team to start the cgi version,
“piecing the airliner together and making it work
too. certain elements, such as engines and fuel
was brilliant in VectorWorks. normally, i’d lay out
pods, were built full size in fiberglass and attached
long sheets of paper and use a lathe to generate
to a real ‘out-of-service’ airliner that was used
the curves with a pencil, then piece it together.
for close-up filming. the twelfth scale model and
now i can do all that sitting at my desktop.”
cgi and live action elements components were
He continues, “We developed the airliner by first
then composited by the visual effects team into
drawing the plans and elevations and then, with
what you see on screen in the chase sequence.”
the help of the 3D side of VectorWorks, produced
the 2D cross sections (profiles) for the fuselage,
“Piecing the airliner together and making it work
wings, etc. these where then emailed to the cnc
was brilliant in VectorWorks.”
VectorWorks cAse study: “ Vec torWork s Designer” Help s Bring 0 07 to tHe Big screen
VectorWorks
HAs sFX AppeAl
Click on one of the boxes below to
watch a quicktime® movie of a set
for a cAsino royAle scene that’s
lawrence attributes VectorWorks with helping
modeled in VectorWorks Designer.
the art department retain design integrity when
sending drawings to visual effects teams.
“using VectorWorks, we can draw exactly what
we want and hand the designs directly to the
visual effects department as vector files,” he
explains. “We can send DXF/DWg files, sAt files,
and iges files, for example, and this eliminates
the need for other departments to completely
redraw. it cuts out a whole step and gives the
art department a lot of control over the finished
product—what you actually see on film.”
“Using VectorWorks, we can draw exactly what
we want and hand the designs directly to the
visual effects department as vector files.”
lawrence gives an example, “When we draw a set for
a film, the visual effects team often comes on to the
set to scan the set, so they have a virtual 3D model.
With VectorWorks, we can forward them the actual
3D model before the set is even built, so the visual
effects process can start earlier and, i feel, retain
more of the production designer’s original intent.”
cAsino royAle © 2006 DAnjAq, llc, uniteD Artists corporAtion
AnD columBiA pictures inDustries, inc. All rigHts reserVeD.
VectorWorks cAse study: “ Vec torWork s Designer” Help s Bring 0 07 to tHe Big screen
sHaken, not stirreD
lawrence says VectorWorks is shaking up uk
art departments, “production is becoming
aware of how much can be saved by having
VectorWorks in the art department.”
“Production is becoming aware of how much
can be saved by having VectorWorks in the art
department.”
cAsino royAle © 2006 DAnjAq, llc, uniteD Artists corporAtion
AnD columBiA pictures inDustries, inc. All rigHts reserVeD.
take file translation, for instance. “When
working with outside contractors to build certain
items for a film, such as the steel structure
in the opening sequence, we would usually
send out pencil drawings to an engineering
company that would then generate the cAD
drawings. now we can send out a DXF/DWg
files to the outside contractor, saving a lot of
time and money on things being redrawn, and
maintain the original intent of the design.”
cAsino royAle © 2006 DAnjAq, llc, uniteD Artists corporAtion
AnD columBiA pictures inDustries, inc. All rigHts reserVeD.
on cAsino royAle, he was the only person in
the art department who used VectorWorks full
time in the beginning. But, as others saw what
“everyone is interested; everyone wants to
lawrence could accomplish, they wanted to get in
use it,” he notes. “people are getting scared
on the action. lawrence began running tutorials
of being left behind when they see what
in the evenings, and, as the film moved along, he
VectorWorks Designer is capable of doing.
got two people up and running on VectorWorks.
“manpower costs money, and production companies
“People are getting scared of being left behind
are looking to streamline,” he explains. “VectorWorks
when they see what VectorWorks Designer is
gives art departments the ideal solution to cope
capable of doing.”
with that. We feel the only way we can still
achieve maximum output and keep production
companies happy is by using VectorWorks. if
your output goes up, then you’re in demand.”
VectorWorks cAse study: “ Vec torWork s Designer” Help s Bring 0 07 to tHe Big screen
Ace in tHe Hole
lawrence says VectorWorks gives anyone
produce quarter-inch-to-the-foot set layouts, so
using it an edge in the industry. He had tried
they can start breaking down drawings and building
other cAD programs, but when he began
the flattage. then we go back and do the details.”
using VectorWorks, there was no contest.
He continues, “i can design a set—complete
with 3D models and views and 2D construction
“VectorWorks is ten times better than the program
drawings--with so much more speed than hand
i had been using previously,” he says. “it’s much
drafting with the same detail and much more
more intuitive and so easy to pick up. since i
flexibility. it’s all there and just a matter of using
started using VectorWorks, my output has easily
viewports to zoom in on areas and crop and drop
gone up significantly—especially if i draw in 3D.
things within the drawing. so VectorWorks has
once i create a model, the drawings just pour
given me quite an edge in terms of production
out. i can put the model into any elevation; i can
output. now i can spend a lot more time on
also slice through it. And with live sections, it’s
the design than figuring out the geometry or
even easier to produce what i need quickly.”
specifics or redrawing requested changes.”
Because of tight deadlines, the art department
“I can design a set—complete with 3D models
tends to feed construction crews drawings on the
and views and 2D construction drawings--with
fly. “they need drawings quickly, so the project can
so much more speed than hand drafting with
move along. With VectorWorks, i can very quickly
the same detail and much more flexibility.”
cAsino royAle © 2006 DAnjAq, llc, uniteD Artists corporAtion AnD columBiA pictures inDustries, inc. All rigHts reserVeD.
VectorWorks cAse study: “ Vec torWork s Designer” Help s Bring 0 07 to tHe Big screen
tHe grAnD FinAle
High production output and interoperability
house rig and AutocAD® drawings from outside
were critical for lawrence when art directing
contractors for the full-size interior version.
the set for the film’s final sequence, which
takes place in a Venetian palace and was
“We had to create a very technical version of a
built on the biggest film stage in europe.
sinking Venetian palace, and there was absolutely
no way we could have pulled it off in such a
the structure was designed to be gimbaled so
short amount of time without VectorWorks
it could move on all axes—it was essentially a
Designer,” lawrence concludes. “VectorWorks
massive, moving house with a collapsing lift shaft.
allowed us to bring the different elements
lawrence converted some original pencil drawings
created in different programs, including pencil
into VectorWorks. He imported into VectorWorks
drawings and photographic reference, from all
drawings created in Autodesk® inventor™ from the
sources together within VectorWorks Designer
special effects team for the twelfth-scale exterior
to assist in creating the most complex of sets.”
cAsino royAle © 2006 DAnjAq, llc, uniteD Artists corporAtion AnD columBiA pictures inDustries, inc. All rigHts reserVeD.
