FICARQ IV edition, interview with John Bell
06/07/2016.
[Santander] Spain
metalocus, LEONOR MARTÍN
metalocus, LEONOR MARTÍN
In the section of art direction, the Festival of cinema and architecture (FICARQ) has invited professionals such as Luciano Berriatúa, Arturo Garcia (Biaffra), one of the most renowned artistic directors of Spanish cinema with movies such as " El día de la bestia "," 800 balas "or" Los cronocrímenes "or Patrick Salvador, who presented his latest work," Autómata ". The star guest was John Bell, the American art director, production designer and special effects specialist, responsible for the design of films such as "Back to the Future II & III," "Jurassic Park" or "Willow" among others. Bell offered a lecture in which he revised his extensive portfolio and METALOCUS has been able to talk to him about design, mobility and his vision of the future.
Sketch of Martin's board by John Bell. Image courtesy of John Bell.
Sketch of Dogwalker by John Bell. Image courtesy of John Bell.
Croquis EEUU Hoy por John Bell. Imagen cortesía de John Bell.
Sketch of Persecucion by John Bell. Image courtesy of John Bell.
Sketch of a taxi and first sketch of the square by John Bell. Image courtesy of John Bell.
Conferencia de John Bell. Imagen cortesía de FICARQ.
John Bell's conference. Image courtesy of FICARQ.
John Bell at FICARQ IV edition. Image courtesy of FICARQ.
John Bell and Fernando Colomo at FICARQ IV edition. Image courtesy of FICARQ.
John Bell at FICARQ IV edition. Image courtesy of FICARQ.
John Bell has stood out in the FICARQ not only for being the inventor of the famous "Hoverboard" from the film “Back to the Future II” or for his long career as an art director, but for his great humbleness when he shared with us his work with directors like Robert Zemeckis, Steven Spielberg or George Lucas, among others. In the interview he gave to METALOCUS, he tells us about his vision of the future and his influences to approach the different projects.
L.M. From your vision as a designer and expert in the vehicles’ design, how do think mobility in cities should evolve in terms of sustainability?
J.B. You have started with the easy question, right? It’s really difficult; I know Apple is toying with the idea of designing a car. I saw their design and made me think that the way I would approach that problem is to make the car more like a telephone, like a smartphone. The cool thing about a s smartphone is that is very individual when it wants to be but it is very connected to others when it wants to be. I think if you can make a car or something that moves you around in a little pod so to speak, and people are in different bubbles doing their things but if they, later on, want to communicate, the cars get next to each other, more cars can join and becomes this big thing that moves throughout an environment. And when is the end of the night and you end what you had to do, you separate again, like phones. That is the way I would approach personal mobility in the future, I think digital mobility is fine but we still need that human interaction.
L.M. Last year was the “Back to the future’s” future day. If you were asked today to design the Hoverboard of 2045, would it be very different from the one you designed in 1985?
J.B. Yes, because my influences are so different since that time, they have changed and grown. Technology, the way a see it now, is so streamlined. I think that having that independent motion would be probably a starting point for me. It would be something very portable that you can slip into your pocket and pull it out and you can get on it and ride it. There are so many possibilities!
L.M. What are your priorities when designing stage sets or devices like the Hoverboard? The technical feasibility or the aesthetic impact on screen?
J.B. It is really the impact on screen. Whatever you design for film has to be easily understood, very quickly, because of the cameras’ motion. If you design a building, a vehicle, a hoverboard, a costume even, the audience has to connect with it very quickly. In architecture, you can walk around the building for hours, inside and outside, really experience it, touch it... You can really get to work with the space, but in films it has to be much more rapid. So, as far as a priority, it depends on the production you are designing for, because they usually set your priorities for you.
L.M. In your conference and later in the talk after the projection of “Back to the Future II”, you said that European art and fashion where your influences when designing the city and the elements of the future. It is funny, because in Europe we would look at Asia or North America when thinking about the cities’ future and we would definitely look at Hollywood in terms of modernity in cinema. Why do you think we see each other this way?
J.B. It is about familiarity. For me, seeing the same cars on the road, people wearing the same clothes everyday, there is nothing new about it for me, to look into Japanese culture, Chinese art and architecture, European magazines, etc., it’s just fresh and different and I think a lot of Americans do not look outside of themselves. I have always been enamoured with what other countries have to offer, it is so much richer and different and unique. The reason is that countries in Europe are smaller, America has a lot of different tastes, from New York to Los Angeles to Texas, to all the different states in the middle, and I think American design is watered down, more plain and not much interesting. But here you only have to serve a smaller population so I think you can be much more bold with designs. I have seen all the French and Spanish cars driving around and I want to drive them all, because all are so different and fun and very bold with their shapes.
L.M. Are you working on any project right now?
J.B. I’m not working on any films right now but I have just finished some storyboards for a Spielberg’s movie based on a book called “Ready player One” which is supposed to come up next year . I’m also doing some work in a Star Wars videogame project, and also working with a VR company, designing some characters. A lot of different things! For me everything lies under design.
J.B. You have started with the easy question, right? It’s really difficult; I know Apple is toying with the idea of designing a car. I saw their design and made me think that the way I would approach that problem is to make the car more like a telephone, like a smartphone. The cool thing about a s smartphone is that is very individual when it wants to be but it is very connected to others when it wants to be. I think if you can make a car or something that moves you around in a little pod so to speak, and people are in different bubbles doing their things but if they, later on, want to communicate, the cars get next to each other, more cars can join and becomes this big thing that moves throughout an environment. And when is the end of the night and you end what you had to do, you separate again, like phones. That is the way I would approach personal mobility in the future, I think digital mobility is fine but we still need that human interaction.
L.M. Last year was the “Back to the future’s” future day. If you were asked today to design the Hoverboard of 2045, would it be very different from the one you designed in 1985?
J.B. Yes, because my influences are so different since that time, they have changed and grown. Technology, the way a see it now, is so streamlined. I think that having that independent motion would be probably a starting point for me. It would be something very portable that you can slip into your pocket and pull it out and you can get on it and ride it. There are so many possibilities!
L.M. What are your priorities when designing stage sets or devices like the Hoverboard? The technical feasibility or the aesthetic impact on screen?
J.B. It is really the impact on screen. Whatever you design for film has to be easily understood, very quickly, because of the cameras’ motion. If you design a building, a vehicle, a hoverboard, a costume even, the audience has to connect with it very quickly. In architecture, you can walk around the building for hours, inside and outside, really experience it, touch it... You can really get to work with the space, but in films it has to be much more rapid. So, as far as a priority, it depends on the production you are designing for, because they usually set your priorities for you.
L.M. In your conference and later in the talk after the projection of “Back to the Future II”, you said that European art and fashion where your influences when designing the city and the elements of the future. It is funny, because in Europe we would look at Asia or North America when thinking about the cities’ future and we would definitely look at Hollywood in terms of modernity in cinema. Why do you think we see each other this way?
J.B. It is about familiarity. For me, seeing the same cars on the road, people wearing the same clothes everyday, there is nothing new about it for me, to look into Japanese culture, Chinese art and architecture, European magazines, etc., it’s just fresh and different and I think a lot of Americans do not look outside of themselves. I have always been enamoured with what other countries have to offer, it is so much richer and different and unique. The reason is that countries in Europe are smaller, America has a lot of different tastes, from New York to Los Angeles to Texas, to all the different states in the middle, and I think American design is watered down, more plain and not much interesting. But here you only have to serve a smaller population so I think you can be much more bold with designs. I have seen all the French and Spanish cars driving around and I want to drive them all, because all are so different and fun and very bold with their shapes.
L.M. Are you working on any project right now?
J.B. I’m not working on any films right now but I have just finished some storyboards for a Spielberg’s movie based on a book called “Ready player One” which is supposed to come up next year . I’m also doing some work in a Star Wars videogame project, and also working with a VR company, designing some characters. A lot of different things! For me everything lies under design.
More information
Interviewed by
Leonor Martín - METALOCUS
Special thanks to
John Bell and FICARQ IV EDITION
Venue
Festival of Cinema and Architecture (FICARQ) IV edition, Santander, Spain.
John BELL
John Bell has had an extensive and diverse artistic career. His work has contributed to some of the most significant special effects films made in the last two decades. It is his love of film, design and character development that continue to drive and diversify his career. Upon graduating Art Center College of Design with a B.S. in Transportation Design, John was hired by General Motors to work in their Advanced Concepts Studios in Detroit, MI. In 1982 John returned to California to broaden his skills, working for Atari Games. By1985 John was working in film, joining George Lucas’ Industrial Light & Magic as an illustrator and Visual Effects Art Director. At ILM, John worked on numerous commercials and films including Star Trek IV, Innerspace, Tucker, The Rocketeer and Back to the Future II & III, where John was nominated for an Academy Award and won a British Academy Award. By 1990 John was Co Creative Director of ILM’s Art Department.
In 1991 John was hired as Art Director for Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park. At the conclusion of Jurassic Park, John left the film world, taking a role of Senior Designer at Nike’s World Campus in Portland, OR. designing everything from footwear and graphics to developing new brand concepts.
1994 John Returned to California, and his love of entertainment, to work successfully as a freelance artist. John contributed to numerous feature films including Men in Black, Mission Impossible, Star Wars-The Phantom Menace, Jurassic Park- The Lost World, Contact and Starship Troopers.
In 1996 John was hired as Production Designer for Dreamworks first computer animated feature, Antz. Following Antz, John continued working on films such as AI-Artificial Intellegence, Polar Express, Cars as well as working with clients BMW, Sony Imageworks.
Electronic Arts hired John in 2001 as Senior Art Director at their World Headquarters in Redwood Shores,CA., working on the successful titles, Freekstyle, and The Simpsons. John was also awarded one of EA’s ‘Most Inspirational’ employees.
In 2008 John was thrilled to land back at ILM, where he was Supervising Art Director for Rango which won numerous awards, including the Academy Award. John personally won a VES Award for his role on the film.
In 2012 a new opportunity presented itself, which has brought John back to Dreamworks once again as a Production Designer.
2014 has John looking for the next creative opportunity that will allow him to engage his experience and skills as Conceptual Designer and Production Design.
Throughout his career, John has also made time to pursue his own art. Showing in galleries in the U.S. and abroad, featured on the cover of Juxtapoz magazine, as well as being profiled in numerous magazines has brought more attention to John’s talents. John is currently merchandising a line of products that combine his love of cars, characters and retro pop culture.
