Chappie comes alive in Titan Books’ The Art of the Movie book
If you’re lucky, there’s a chance you can still catch Chappie in theaters if you do a little searching. The movie made it’s splash not long ago, and its reception was mixed at best. Many film fans were hoping Chappie would wash away the sour taste Neill Blomkamp’s last movie Elysium left after the director’s outstanding debut District 9. Depending on who you talk to, Chappie either wasn’t strong enough to cleanse the palate, was a serviceable R-rated remake of 1986’s Short Circuit, or was its own enjoyable sci-fi robot actioner that’s simply attracting unnecessary criticism.
Regardless of what you thought of the film, moviegoers who can’t get enough of the behind the scenes magic that goes into the filmmaking process will appreciate the in-depth look that is Chappie: The Art of the Movie (buy the book!). The official art book from Titan Books is full of concept art, character analysis, and all the delicious eye candy that we know Blomkamp can do well. His movies may have mixed reviews, but the man has a strong eye for detail and an imagination that blows up on screen. To break open that brain and see how Chappie came to life is pretty awesome.
Take a peek inside Chappie: The Art of the Movie, which I can’t recommend enough for fans of the film, after the jump.
In terms of content and behind the camera development, this Chappie art book is one of my favorites from the folks over at Titan Books. Again, Blomkamp is known to be extremely hands on when it comes to the artistic direction and the aesthetic style of his projects, and seeing almost every aspect of the movie evolving from sketches to various design concepts to the finished product is fascinating. In some cases, characters and mechanical creations change drastically, and it’s just as interesting to see what didn’t make it to the screen as it is seeing what elements made it through the brainstorming phase of the process.
For example, if the book is any indication, Dev Patel’s character Deon Wilson may have been originally meant for Jason Cope (District 9), as the actor is prominently featured in early concept art. Cope did make it into the movie, but either not in his intended role or Blomkamp was simply using his image for character creation. Also, another cool snippet pulled from the pages of the art book – turns out the movie’s big baddie, the MOOSE, went through handfuls of different designs that just weren’t sitting right with the director. So, instead of settling on any of the early concepts, Blomkamp personally drafted up what would become the final version of the robot. Very cool stuff!
I’ve heard a lot of criticism/distaste for the film is simply because many didn’t like that Chappie focused as much on its stars Ninja and Yolandi (of the South African band Die Antwoord) as it did on the titular robot. The pair are most certainly an acquired taste, and their eccentric style lent itself to the film’s aesthetic appropriately. Blomkamp must be a fan, because he gave Ninja and Yolandi free reign when it came to the design and decorations that went in to their gangster hideout. The book takes a few pages to explain who the two are, how they got involved, and how they played a big part in bringing out some of Chappie’s more colorful intricacies.
Talk about some great character detail. Everything from color choices to decal placements got the Blomkamp treatment, and you can tell the director and his artistic team had a lot of fun experimenting with future tech as well as ghetto symbolisms and gangster accessories. I can imagine someone saying, “Let’s throw a gold chain or two on him and see how it looks” as Chappie was coming together. Most of the book is dedicated to this kind of almost happy-go-lucky customization that the artwork evolves through, and it’s pretty awesome flipping the pages as different pieces of the project take shape.
Even if you weren’t very fond of what Chappie became, there’s all kinds of great content in the art book that any film fan can dive into. Whether you’re an aspiring concept artist, a casual doodler, a student filmmaker, or anyone with a camera and some creative aspirations, Chappie: The Art of the Movie is an excellent example of how a few sketches can inspire a team of people to develop something crazy. I’m just blown away at how much detail went into the movie, and the art book broke everything down for me to dissect and enjoy at my own pace.
Again, easily one of my favorite art books on my shelf so far (check out my other book reviews/sneak peeks)!
