The Wandering Earth
"The Wandering Earth," adapted from Liu Cixin's novel of the same name, is set in 2075. It tells the story of Earth's impending destruction as the sun becomes uninhabitable for humans. In a desperate bid for survival, humanity launches the "Wandering Earth" project, aiming to propel the planet out of the solar system in search of a new home.
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THE WANDERING
EARTH
流浪地球
The anticipation for the inaugural year of sci-fi movies has been long-awaited by audiences. Since "The Three-Body Problem 1" won the Hugo Award in 2015, China has been weaving the narrative of a "sci-fi era," promising it annually but falling short each time. After a four-year wait, "The Wandering Earth" finally took the first step for Chinese sci-fi.
Expanding isn't a simple task. Firstly, there are no precedents to refer to in production; everything must start from scratch. This presents anticipated challenges in production, which might have methodologies to overcome, but the absence of trust is a fatal and challenging issue.
Addressing how to build trust with audiences regarding sci-fi genres and establish an emotional connection between audiences and movies is crucial. It all starts from the initial concept design.
Zhang Bo, the concept art director and storyboard supervisor for "The Wandering Earth," mentioned in an interview: "The overarching visual design direction for 'The Wandering Earth' is the heavy industrial feel of the Soviet era. Because Chinese audiences are accustomed to the viewing experience brought by Western sci-fi movies, bridging the gap between the audience's psychological viewing expectations and the visual representation of the film is crucial. Sci-fi needs to evoke both awe-inspiring and believable imagination in audiences while also achieving emotional psychological identification."
Early stage key arts & concept arts
Apocalyptic scenes in Los Angelos are from earlier versions of the script
In addition, the extensive costumes, vehicles, and props appearing in the film require development during the conceptual design phase due to the sci-fi genre and the specificity of the script. Under the guidance of the director, we undertook numerous designs to help establish the concrete visual foundation of this film, ensuring the authentic existence of the world depicted.
The phrase "letting one's imagination run wild" is often used to describe rich imagination. However, this lofty "imagination" needs to be anchored like a kite with a firm line to the ground, making it easy for people to understand and accept. This is why we employ the principle of literary rhetoric, such as synesthesia or empathy, in our designs. It allows our artistic creation not only to be imaginative but also to evoke empathy in the viewers, without the need for excessive explanation.
