The Art of the Film: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

THE MACUSA STAIRCASE This image was all about light, space and temperature. You can’t see the vast vertical space above Newt as he climbs the stairs but you can suggest it with angled shadows. ABRO

‘WORKING TO STUART’S VISION, I PAINTED THIS SHOT TO DEPICT THE SCALE OF THE MACUSA BUILDING IN WHAT COULD BE ITS PERIOD SETTING. STUART REFERENCED MANY ICONIC IMAGES OF AERIAL VIEWS FROM SKYSCRAPERS THAT WERE UNDER CONSTRUCTION AS A GREAT WAY OF SEEING NEW YORK AS IT GREW IN THE 1920S.’

RED THE DWARF Up-close design, made to look more gnarly and cantankerous. RB

RED THE DWARF Alternative design for Red, MACUSA’s dwarf lift operator, with his stick for poking at the elevator buttons. RB

LIFT OPERATION PANEL This works by pressing the button of the room required using the staff and then setting it in motion by cranking the handle below to set the desired speed for travel. The button layout corresponds to the floor level layout of MACUSA and you can see from it that there are several absent floors in the building. MS

MACUSA INTERIOR Here I attempted to illustrate the scale and height of the MACUSA interior, and the endless levels and floors. We played with the idea of five floors penetrating below the entrance level into the obscure and ominous recesses below. TR

MACUSA INTERIOR Tina is being questioned by the MACUSA High Council. This high-angle image uses light and atmosphere, and an enhanced emblem on the floor, to frame Tina, drawing the eye to her central position and conveying a sense of her isolation in front of the group. TR

‘A COLOUR AND MOOD TWEAK TO THE MACUSA SET TO ENSURE IT WAS IN KEEPING WITH THE ESTABLISHED HARRY POTTER WORLD AESTHETIC.’

MACUSA INTERIOR/DP

MACUSA INTERIOR This was my first task for Stuart. The setting of MACUSA was based on the Woolworth Building, a skyscraper in Lower Manhattan designed by Cass Gilbert. For the purpose of the film, the interior was gutted to create a cathedral-like space, illuminated by strong shafts of light similar to Bernice Abbot’s photographs of Penn Station, removing any sense of an interior bound and constricted by conventional floors and ceilings. The striped marble adorning the walls was inspired by the Sienna Cathedral. Central to the illustration is an elaborate arched structure referencing the Albert Memorial and housing a group of bronzed sculptures, composed in the manner of Rodin’s Burghers of Calais and paying tribute to the Salem Witch Trials. TR

THE PENTAGRAM OFFICE Set in the upper levels of the MACUSA building sits the Pentagram Office where the council debates important matters, and where Tina is questioned. Stuart referenced the interior of the House of Lords for the design of the chamber. We played with the deepness of the central floor, as well as the idea of having a railing around the perimeter to enhance Tina’s isolation. In the end, we settled on darkening the floor and illuminating the emblem. TR

THE TYPING POOL This was my favourite task from Stuart. The Typing Pool sits in the depths of the MACUSA basement levels, occupied by self-operating typewriters spawning documents in the form of origami rats. Stuart composed an orthographic network of tubes and piping similar to London’s famous Tube Map. I used Stuart’s diagram as reference to weave and compose a 3D model of the environment in Maya. We then played with various camera lenses and angles to create a sense of endlessness similar to the fields of crosses in a war cemetery. TR

THE TYPING POOL Working directly for Stuart to develop the Typing Pool set, this was one of two images I produced. I built the catacombs and pipes in 3D and produced many iterations showing the arrangements of the cascading pipes. TW

THE TYPING POOL This is the reverse of the Typing Pool set showing Newt and Tina as he goes to collect his wand permit. I wanted to keep the tone dark and moody, dank and dusty, with an occasional scattering of origami rats as they go about their tasks. TW

INTERROGATION CHAMBER I worked with the set art director to allow Stuart to figure out the mood and lighting of the interrogation cells in the depths of MACUSA. TW

THE MACUSA CELLS This was a shot of the corridor leading up to the cells. Stuart was keen to develop the decayed patina of the cast iron. TW

CONCEPT OF BLACK MOLLIES This shows a school of black mollies shoaling to form Grindelwald’s head as he speaks. Difficult to do in a still image, this probably needs an animatic to really show what’s going on; however, the concept was dropped before I had the chance. PC

THE MACUSA CELLS This was the first of two images showing Newt’s journey into the MACUSA cells. I built all the vaults in 3D, rendered and painted these shots. It was my attempt at capturing some of the mood and atmosphere that was so resonant in the Harry Potter films. TW

GRAVES’ WAND & POLYJUICE FLASK/MS

AN UNUSED DESIGN OF A SASQUATCH This is an incidental character spending a night in the cells at MACUSA. I included his house-elf buddy who, post-brawl, is unwilling to engage in any form of conversation. RB

SASQUATCH DESIGNS With this design I wanted something that looked like it existed in a very harsh and physically demanding environment (1). I liked the idea of an environment of moss covered stones, here the Sasquatch is so still it seems like part of the landscape (2). The Sasquatch has its origin in Native American folk tales. Here a shaman wears an enchanted bearskin to become the creature, but it is not clear who is possessing who (3). Most of my other designs for the Sasquatch were for huge, powerful creatures. I liked the idea of doing something thinner and more tentative (4). BK

SASQUATCH I just thought about my morning commute to work by train and all the armpits I’ve encountered. BK

SASQUATCH I really enjoyed drawing this image of a Sasquatch in jail. PC

THE MACUSA CELLS This was the second of two images showing Newt’s journey into the MACUSA cells. TW

DESIGN ITERATIONS FOR NEWT’S WAND (1–16) We ran through a lot of these, exploring materials and styles that would have an affinity with the character’s passion for the natural world, travel, and adventure. Designs in bone were quickly thrown over in favour of those made from fossils, which felt more appropriate for Newt’s conservationist character, being precious remnants of ancient creatures as opposed to possibly fashioned or hunted trophies. The script specified the stem be made of hornbeam and this along with the chosen belemnite handle makes the wand appear quite modest at first glance. When held up to the light, however, the material reveals itself as semi-transparent and partly opalescent in places. The texture of the ancient sea squid is discernible on the surface through the preservation of its tiny veins. I thought this would provide a link to the animal kingdom and also serves as a powerful asset for a Magizoologist’s wand. MS

FINAL DESIGNS FOR THE AUROR, PERCIVAL GRAVES’ WAND (17–21) Elegant, fashioned in a dark wood and finished in silver, it is the perfect complement to what would be the final costume design created for him by Colleen Atwood and her team. MS

VARIOUS ITERATIONS FOR QUEENIE’S WAND (18–28) I was exploring the shapes of shells and flowers and was given information that mother of pearl was commonly used by wand makers during this period. The shell shape created in this material seemed to resonate with the warmth and ultra feminine nature of the character. MS

FINAL DESIGNS FOR THE HERO CHARACTERS’ WANDS (29–33) Laid out together, it was important to compare them in design and length and check that they felt right in relation to each other given the wide spectrum of characters using them. Looking left to right, Graves’ wand is longer than the rest which speaks of his considerable power and drive. The simple single piece of turned wood used for Tina’s is in keeping with her humble and earnest character. Likewise, Newt’s wand reflects his connection with, but not his domination of, beasts, with its fossil handle. Queenie’s wand is elegant and feminine but not showy, whereas the delicate silver art deco style detail latticed over the cut amethyst on Seraphina Picquery’s wand befits the witch’s overt prowess. MS

‘THIS SCENE SHOWS NEWT AS HE IS BEING PUT INTO THE CELLS IN THE DEPTHS OF MACUSA. IT WAS MY ATTEMPT AT REFERENCING SOME OF THE TONE AND MOOD CREATED BY DERMOT POWER, ADAM BROCKBANK & ANDREW WILLIAMSON IN THE ORIGINAL HARRY POTTER CONCEPT ART.’