The Best of 2005 - Art Direction and Costume Design

King Kong - Simon Bright and Dan Hennah/Terry Ryan

Upon viewing Ron Howard’s Cinderella Man, you will see a cold and realistic portrayal of the Great Depression, as it really was – grimy, desolate, tattered and patchy. When he set out to direct King Kong, Peter Jackson took a different approach. Taking these images of depression and hard times, art directors Simon Bright and Dan Hennah fashioned an image of 1933 that was less about reality and more about grandeur. From the obnoxiously yellow taxicabs, to the street-corners packed with boarded-up theaters, King Kong is a film with an artistic flair that aims to create a cinematic filter for our viewing of that time. With the Lucas/Spielberg stylized jungle and the rickety old steam freighter, Kong’s visual atmosphere practically screams “ADVENTURE!” It’s more about the serialized version then the correct version. And yet, in artistically defining the look of this film, Jackson sought out a few key items that rooted the fantastic nature of the film in a dose of reality. The camera used by Black’s Denham is an authentic Bell & Howell 2709 – the same camera used in the original Kong film. Look closely at the movie posters on the New York streets and you will see original one-sheets for “East of Borneo” and “The Mummy”. Even when the good guys break out heavy weapons, they break out Tommy guns that might as well be missing from the set of Dick Tracey. Every minor detail, set and object was directed to lean to a more fantastic, colorful slant.

And so was the costume design. The costumes in this film fit their particular characters, and each makes a statement about those characters. Brody’s drab vests and herringbone coats define him as a playwright. The freighter crew’s raggedy frock and black overcoats (with sailor caps) speak of their mercenary nature. And Black’s shyster fedoras complement his wheel spinning as much as his mischievous eyebrows do.
The art direction and costume design of King Kong is remarkable because it set out with a very specific goal in mind – one that clearly benefited the highly visual nature of the film. It set out not just to recreate an era, but also to create the director’s vision of that era.

The Best of 2005 - Sound Design and Sound Editing

Batman Begins - David Evans, Stefan Henrix and Peter Lindsay

There is a fantastic moment in Batman Begins where Bruce Wayne faces off against his trainer and quasi-sensei, Henri Ducard, on a frozen lake. It is a sequence that works because you can literally “hear” the ice moving underneath them. The sound of the earth changing, a deep rumble, stands as a sonic complement to the change Wayne himself is going through. Later on, less subtle sound effects come into play. We have the sublime “poof” of the shadow organization’s gunpowder, the echoed and scattered rasp of the Scarecrow’s drug enhanced voice and the thoroughly satisfying roar of the Batmobile. The sound in Batman Begins excels because it creates an atmosphere that builds upon Nolan’s concept of hyperrealism. Very few sound effects in the film are inconceivable. Most are simply augmentations of sounds that exist in the real world. But their lush, enhanced bombast helps bring the world of Batman into a realm that is just out of reality’s grasp. And yet each sound is designed to complement the story.
Additionally, the sound editing complements these sounds, making full utilization of them at the most appropriate moments. When the Batmobile revs into and out of frame, the roar of its engines passes us by as well. The horrific screech of bats, the sound of Wayne’s secret fear, only cuts in at the most unexpected of moments. And it is sharp enough to unnerve the audience, as Wayne himself is unnerved.
While other films also succeeded in creating unique soundscapes (War of the Worlds in particular), Batman Begins succeeded in creating a colorful, defined atmosphere that was articulated in every shot, every breath. Plug some earphones in and close your eyes, because Batman Begins is a fine accomplishment in both sound and sound editing.