This Is How You Design the Avengers' Helicarrier

Production designer James Chinlund had his work cut out for him piecing together the eclectic puzzle that was Marvel's The Avengers. But among the most challenging designs was the film's iconic Helicarrier.

In a recent interview, Chinlund explained some of the struggles of bringing the massive airship into our 2012 reality. Said Chinlund, "It was a huge challenge bringing together all of the various ideas and iterations of the Helicarrier that have occurred throughout the Marvel history... During our research we looked at all sorts of historical, current and conceptual military vehicles, particularly naval vessels and stealth aircraft, in addition to all of the versions from the Marvel pantheon. We tried to distill from these something that the fans would recognize as the iconic craft and people unfamiliar with the history could accept."

In addition to the exterior, Chinlund also had to consider the look of the various interiors. "The bridge of the carrier was the first set we started on, knowing that the ship would need a gathering place for all of the heroes," he continued. "My biggest fear was that after the first look at the carrier we would wind up in an interior space that didn’t match its majesty... There is some artwork in The Ultimates, with Nick Fury at a giant viewing window, that was incredibly inspiring to me. I felt that S.H.I.E.L.D., this international intelligence gathering organization, should have the ultimate 'eye in the sky' and Fury as its leader should have the catbird seat."

When asked if any of his favorite designs didn't make it into the film, Chinlund replied, "I can honestly say that we left it all on the court. We shot every drop of the sets we built and that is a testament to the amazing efficiency of the Avengers team. The process was so chaotic at times, but in the end it all wound up on the screen, which I am so proud of."

For the full interview, which also covers Stark Tower, Thanos' outer-space digs, and more, head on over to Hero Complex.

Source : http://www.ign.com