My Inspiration

"A good design can feel like something you have always been waiting for without knowing."

Paul Huizinga

Here is a collection of images from various films which I really like the designs for, and when I watch them they spark my interest and imagination.

For me A Bugs Life is one long comical play on nature. I love the way they use natural objects as bits of furniture; whether its leaves as walls to mushrooms as lamps. It shows true creativity and imagination in environmental design.
http://90.146.8.18/bilderclient/PR_1999_bugslife_001_p.jpg
A bugs life accessed 11-10-2011 12-41pm

The 1951 version of Alice in Wonderland is by far my favourite adaptation of the classic novel. This image shows a scene in Tulgey wood. The trees join together creating pathways and walls throughout the forest and with their unusual colour variations they create a very interesting environment for the character to walk through. The idea of an enchanted forest is very interesting to me.
http://cf1.imgobject.com/backdrops/584/4d5fec6b5e73d60c5a002584/alice-in-wonderland-original.jpg
Alice in wonderland cartoon tolgy wood accessed 11-10-2011 12-42pm

The 2010 version of Alice in Wonderland by Tim Burton takes the idea of enchanted woodland to a whole new level. This scene where the characters walk through a forest of gigantic mushrooms and twisted branches is truly magical.
http://movienews.ro/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/alice8.jpg
Alice in wonderland giant mushrooms accessed 11-10-2011 12-43pm

Another image from the 2010 version of Alice in Wonderland. This time it shows the character interacting with some giant flowers. The concept of giant talking flowers looking down on humans is interesting because of the role reversal. Alice in wonderland is a great film for weird and wonderful which gets my imagination going.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiedfnR5ikeN7M7NfEuk1N_FbEZeS9ZcF1bHpIrVdvTVGX94i_5Td3znhRmNkRET41sjp3umatoyLhnfA2orR8fZyIq1ZIuhMnyY_xE4HLzJ0pOnqlRiPvJuvY2MBFVIC24scx-BZE3TU/s1600/alice_in_wonderland03.jpg
Alice in wonderland giant flowers accessed 11-10-2011 12-43pm

Again with the weird and wonderful is Coraline. Taking place in two worlds; the dull normal world and an alternate world, the alternate world is by far the more exciting with vivid colours, distorted perspectives and strange creatures. I love the weirdness of this films environments.
http://www.fondosparapantalla.com/albums/fondos-cine/Coraline-007.jpg
Coraline accessed 11-10-2011 12-46pm

I love the character that James and the Giant Peach has. Its similar in style to Coraline in that it uses Stop Animation but advances in the industry have allowed Coraline to come out with a much crisper finish and higher quality of animation. Having said that however, James and the Giant Peach I feel comes alive because of its quirky roughness.
http://images.alphacoders.com/107/107143.jpg
James and the Giant Peach accessed 11-10-2011 12-44pm

Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe has some of the most magical environments and set designs I have seen. From mysterious English manors to frozen Ice palaces. Even I would love to run around the sets for this film!
http://jollyblogger.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/narnia.jpg
Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe lampost accessed 11-10-2011 12-38pm

Nausicaa of the Vally of the Wind is an Anime with art direction Mitsuyoshi Nakamura. This animation has some beautiful visuals so that each scene almost becomes an epic painting.
http://download.minitokyo.net/Nausicaa.of.the.Valley.of.the.Wind.516772.jpg
Nausicca of the Velley of the Wind accessed 11-10-2011 12-45pm

In my opinion Nightmare Before Christmas is Tim Burton's greatest film. The sets have so much character in their 'illustrated' style, the characters are so varied, the songs are amazing and overall it comes across as an excellent film.
http://images.fanpop.com/images/image_uploads/Halloween-Town-nightmare-before-christmas-226842_717_438.jpg
Nightmare Before Christmas Town Square accessed 11-10-2011 12-39pm

The iconic hill set from Nightmare Before Christmas sums up the entire styling concept for this film.
http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/3000000/The-Nightmare-Before-Christmas-nightmare-before-christmas-3012404-1280-960.jpg
Nightmare Before Christmas hill accessed 11-10-2011 12-39pm

This heavily stylised adaptation of Peter Pan would not look out of place in the animation section of a Blockbuster. Its strong colours, stylized environments and magical creatures make this film stand out for me above any other peter pan film.
http://www.artwallpapers.com/movie/data/peter_pan_movie/03/peter_pan_movie03.jpg
Peter Pan accessed 11-10-2011 12-40pm