PRODUCTION DESIGNER PROFILE

ALEX MCDOWELL

WHO IS HE?

Alex McDowell is a production designer that

has worked in industry for 30 years. He uses
immersive design to create sets that fit well
with the story and the vision of the director.
Each item of the set is thought out logically and
built for the world it is supposed to be a part of.
He uses a mix of traditional methods and digital
methods to produce his work.

THE WAY HE WORKS

A quote from Susan Karlin shows how McDowell works McDowell grounds his highly imaginative worlds in
plausibility through a process he calls "world building." Much the way an actor might create a backstory for
his character to inform his behavior, McDowell creates a foundation of rules for the world hes designing.
He and his team brainstorm the type of science, technology, social structure, and political hierarchy that
govern that world. The answers they derive serve to inform the design, which, in turn, supports the scripts
narrative.

http://www.fastcocreate.com/1683341/alex-mcdowell-on-creating-krypton-and-the-future-of-productiondesign

WHAT HAS HE WORKED ON?

Macdowell has worked on adverts as well of

films such as Fight Club (1999), The Cat in the
Hat (2003), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
(2005), Corpse Bride (2005), Watchmen
(2009) and Man of Steel (2013). He was also a
visual consultant on Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
and Rise of the Guardians (2012).

MAN OF STEEL

Mcdowell recently worked on the film Man of Steel. Though

only 15 minutes of the film is dedicated to Superman's home
planet Krypton McDowell was still required to build this world
from scratch. He wanted to create this world to look alien
however it couldnt be too complicated for a human audience
to understand. He designed Krypton to be similar to earth but
in a state of decay and destruction.

WHY I ADMIRE HIM

I personally admire his work because of the way he works. He uses his methods to build a realistic world
which is believable and ties in nicely with the script and the film. As someone working in CG this is an
important thing to remember and take forward while designing.