Fuel vfx was commissioned by 20th Century Fox to design the look for the "Orrery" star map hologram in Ridley Scotts sci-fi movie Prometheus. This project page is about the concept work developed before the shoot.
Ridley gave us a brief and a painting which illustrated the concept of a solar system Orrery.
This concept we expanded so that the Orrery was used to pilot the derelict spacecraft through the universe. The centre sphere being the focus which magnified a point in space, showing all its detail and data.
This concept we expanded so that the Orrery was used to pilot the derelict spacecraft through the universe. The centre sphere being the focus which magnified a point in space, showing all its detail and data.
My role as Head of Design at Fuel was to lead the design development and look development for the Orrery.
The animated example above was completed before the shoot so Ridley could get an idea of how the star map might look so the sets and actors could be lit appropriately.
The various stages were research, style frames and then this animated example. The 3D artists Roy Malhi and Aevar Bjarnason used Maya to create the known Universe and the navigational rings and galaxy data spheres. Obviously the colour grade changed in the final film to a bluish hue but the basic design stayed true.
After look dev was approved it then went into full production in 3D at Fuelvfx using Maya and Houdini lead by VFX supervisor Paul Butterworth..
concept design / orrery + targeting style frames
Orrery concept design : Brendan Savage & Luke Bubb
Look dev 3D : Roy Malhi, Aevar Bjarnason
VFX supervisor : Paul Butterworth
