ABARAT
PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A FEATURE FILM - BOOK TO SCREEN ADAPTION
PROJECT SYNOPSIS
This project was based on the book Abarat, the first of five planned novels in the Abarat Quintet by Clive Barker. They focus on a young girl named Candy Quackenbush who runs away from home and is transported to the fantastical archipelago of THE ABARAT.
I designed the docks of the Yebba Dim Day, the first island in The Abarat that Candy visits. Since the docks are the first location she encounters upon arrival, it was important to create a set that feels like it belongs to another world.
The Yebba Dim Day is a city built into the head of a titan, so I chose to design it in the shape of a giant skull, as I found this concept more exciting than Clive Barker’s concept artwork.
Yebba Dim Day's social hierarchy is structured so that residents living lower in the city experience greater poverty.
The docks, located at the very bottom, feature homes constructed from boat parts and scrap metal. The buildings vary in size, reflecting the presence of many diverse species residing within Yebba Dim Day.
My goal was to immerse Candy in this new world, making her feel completely enveloped and somewhat out of her element.
To achieve this, I created an entryway to the city using the hinge of the skull’s jaw, which opens up into a vast cavern in the titan’s mouth full of unfamiliar architecture and creatures.
