Production Report: Preproduction

For this project we were set the task of creating a pre-production bible of one of five Dr Who scripts. We started off working in groups and researching all of the different time periods the scrips were set in. This helped to give us a better idea of which script we wanted to carry on looking at. I chose the script called Turn Left. It is set in a city not on this planet, their culture is similar to Earth's Oriental Chinese culture.

One of my main influences for the design of this planet was from the film Blade Runner, with the grotty looking streets and tall imposing buildings. I also used this film to get ideas for the style of my characters, especially Donna, with her punkish hair and face paint.

I drew several designs for each character, drawing from each, my favourite features and styles. When I had roughly got what I was looking for I refined my designs until I had the character I wanted. I had looked at loads of market stalls and images of Shanghai and also researched Chinese interior design, until I had a clear image of where this animation would be set. Before I started on my final background design I had the exact image in my head planed out. Knowing the exact personalities of my characters helped me to pose them in the final concept work, and also knowing the background helped me to get the setting and lighting how I wanted it.


I created these pieces of 'art' by using acrylic on brown paper. I decided to paint them quite large so I could get the extra detail I needed easily. The painting of the market street is the biggest and is almost 2 metres long.

I wanted to continue the theme of rough, dirtiness and brown paper throughout my bible. I also used a Chinese style font for the titles. I tried to arrange it simply so there wasn't too much on each page to confuse people as they look through it. And I also arranged it in clear sections, showing development to the final concepts.

I think the concepts work the best because I feel you really get a sense of character through their poses. However, they are only two of them and I would of liked to do more of them. One of the major problems I found with this project is that by doing the painting so big, I found it difficult to digitalize them. Taking photos with a digital camera always enhanced the shiny paint and whited out sections so I had to take them at an angle and warp them back into shape on Photoshop.

I think if I do another pre-production project I will defiantly try to improve my concept art skills as this is an area I an very interested in. I will also try to consider the practicalities of my medium before I start.