Production Blog #9: Miraz

WETA's Richard Taylor & Daniel Falconer and Costume Designer Isis Mussenden delve deep into the team effort that it took to realize the character of Miraz, Narnia's scheming usurper.

Weta Workshop

The design of Miraz's ornate armor had its roots in the back story of the Telmarine culture- that being one of pirates from ancient Earth who found their way into Narnia centuries ago and established a new civilization there. Searching for a unique shape and color identity to distinguish the Telmarines, Weta's artists mined this lost history for inspiration. Despite now being a people estranged from the sea, elements of their nautical past are evident in the direction of the design their armory took and in turn these same motifs were incorporated into Miraz's plate armor.

Miraz's helmet was the first component of his armor to find a strong direction during the design phase. From the outset Director Andrew Adamson suggested experimenting with the idea of masks and this eventually lead Weta's designers to create the stylized, bearded faceplate seen in the final helmet (crafted by Weta sculptor Max Patte). Designer Paul Tobin found inspiration for the shape of Miraz's helmet in the styles of the Spanish conquistador explorers, while the mask was influenced by the intimidating masks of samurai helmets. Paul reinterpreted them, using sculptural stylization derived from classical European statuary and the iconic representations of the marauding conquistador explorers to marry the helmet and mask together into something new and original.

Among the first of Miraz's designs to be finalized was his elaborate sword, which designer Brad Goff gave a distinctive, deeply etched hilt. The rich engravings were a mixture of pictorial elements, illustrating the Telmarines' history, and swirling wave and ivy motifs.

At the same time, Paul Tobin was honing the design of Miraz's shields, employing three motif themes; that of the compass (another hint to the Telmarines' seas-going past); stylized fish scales; and strong architectural shapes that would appear also in the design of Miraz's castle. The shields also established Miraz's color palette- one of deep sea blue-greens against burnished bronze.

The design of Miraz's armor flowed naturally out of the shapes being established by his helmet and weaponry. The conscious decision was made to create a broad, imposing figure that would stand in stark contrast to the color and style of armor worn by the Pevensie children and Prince Caspian. By choosing bronze as the metal base tones for Miraz's armor, he immediately stood out from his fellow Telmarine lords as something different, but also presented a heavy, aggressive contrast to Peter's lighter, silver-hued armor. Historically, Miraz's armor references later real Earth styles, drawing heavily from the romantic era and featuring more complex articulation and refined construction than Peter's outfit.

Designer Nick Keller incorporated Brad Goff's deep, pictorial etchings along with the wave and fish scale patterns when creating the design for the richly patterned suit of plate armor. The brigadine armor that became an icon of the Telmarine infantry was also assimilated into Miraz's design, under his breastplate. The entire process was deeply collaborative, with all the various components of Miraz's distinctive armor taking shape alongside one another and the various artists and craftspeople of Weta sharing ideas and designs to ensure the result would be a cohesive and satisfying filmic statement. Even once the drawings were approved, much of the design took place on the workshop floor as the details were explored and resolved by designers and crafts people working together.

- Richard Taylor and Daniel Falconer


Costume Department

When the costume department began Prince Caspian, we had no idea what a massive job was ahead of us. In our innocence we began, and one of the first jobs upon us was to define the Telmarine culture. To accomplish that we had to understand their leader, the ever-scheming Miraz.

From the military looks to the civilian garb, it was essential that Miraz was strong, Mediterranean, a bit Pirate, ruthless, barbaric in character but more sophisticated in style. I was inspired initially by images from 15th century Spanish soldiers. I came upon something I was not familiar with as an armor piece, and that was the Brigandine. After a wonderful visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NY, the curator Stewart Pryer educated me about the leather plated armor. Working with WETA workshop and their wonderful armorist, the bronze armor was adopted and executed to compliment and finish the military look.

I had already decided on my pallet for the Telmarines, taken from a set of paintings by El Greco. Considered a Spanish painter, although Greek (thus the name), these painting stand at the Prado Museum in Madrid. Gruesome images, acidic and cool, perfect for our needs. The next piece of the puzzle was a book about the Sardinian cultural dress I came upon on a shopping trip to Italy. A notorious rough and tough island, it was just the new look I was after. The mood was set. Skirts, vest, wide belts, gaters and jackets.......no capes! My Lord was going to be all Telmarine, and that was going to be a fresh and unique look.

But what is all that without an actor? Enter Sergio Castellitto, a dashing Italian with style and presence. I could not have asked for a more charismatic man to fit the shoe or should I say, boot!

His positive response to the look was an immediately sign it was all coming together. Sergio works every costume he wears with the confidence of Lord Miraz. It is a wonderful feeling of accomplishment for a costume designer when the actor "feels" complete once they are dressed. Sergio was a joy, the pleasure was all mine. The hours of hard work and endless fitting hopefully will pay off once the evil Lord Miraz shows his villainous face, and such a nice face it is.

- Isis Mussenden

Richard Taylor blogs on Armor and Weaponry of Prince Caspian

Weta Workshop on Prince Caspian

For "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian," Weta Workshop was excited to have the chance to return to Narnia once again with Andrew Adamson. Having provided design services and armor and weaponry for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the opportunity to revisit and build upon our previous work in this wonderful world was one we looked forward too.

Narnia had changed since both we and the Pevensie children had last visited. While elements of the Narnia we knew were still present, a whole new culture had to be designed and created and even the familiar Narnians had changed and required new work.

Weta Workshop provided new design work in the form of environmental concepts and armor and weaponry designs, working closely with Director Andrew Adamson and the Los Angeles creative team leaders, Production Designer Roger Ford and Costumer Designer Isis Mussenden. The Pevensie children required new elements to compliment their royal gear from the first adventure and the look of the Narnians' armor and weapons had to be evolved in a new direction since we last saw it. In addition the Telmarine culture had to be conceived from scratch and a great deal of work was done in the quest to find their unique design signature.

Weta's armor and weapons departments were kept busy turning these concepts into reality and in sufficient numbers to arm two opposing armies. For the Telmarines Weta made two-hundred polearms in two different styles, two-hundred rapiers of varying design, over a hundred falchions, two-hundred and fifty shields and fifty-five crossbows. The Telmarine cavalry were equipped with soft shields and stunt gear for use with live horses. Weta made stunt-safe horse faceplates for the warhorses and sculpted unusual faceplate helmets for the soldiers.

Befitting rulers of a vast kingdom, Miraz and his lords needed special weaponry. Weta created individual swords, scabbards and sculpted faceplate helmets for the featured lords including Glozelle, who also had a beautiful dagger. Miraz himself had a special shield, sword, scabbard, full plate armor and an ornate faceplate helmet.

Hero Prince Caspian needed a sword, a variant of the Royal guard swords made, while Weta also made prop weapons for specific scenes, including a crossbow for Prunaprismia's room.

Among the children's equipment, which had to be refitted and restored after The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Weta made new armor for Edmund and a new vambrace for Susan.

New characters Nikabrik and Trumpkin needed swords and daggers, while the grand Narnian army seen in the first film had to be aged back and re-imagined as a rebel force, gone wild. Familiar armor and weaponry was mixed with new elements to create a more organic, individualized and heavily worn look. New items added included a Minotaur mace and Centaur flail as well as specific weapons for the lead Minotaur, Asterius.

Even Reepicheep, who would be a digital character, required an exquisite little sword to be made by Weta at life size.

In addition, Weta's miniatures department was tapped to provide highly detailed 1/24th and 1/100th scale miniatures of Miraz's great castle and its environment.

Richard Taylor
Weta Workshop

BIO

WETA WORKSHOP (armor/weapon designs and fabrication) is a multi-faceted effects company based in Wellington, New Zealand, which produces effects for television and film. Founded in 1986 by five-time Academy Award® winner Richard Taylor and partner Tania Rodger, Weta has produced creature and makeup effects for all of Peter Jackson's films, including his Oscar-winning "Lord of the Rings" trilogy," "Meet The Feebles," "The Frighteners," "Braindead," "King Kong" and "Heavenly Creatures."

Taylor, along with the firm's innovative co-founder and partner, Rodger, won four Academy Awards® for his contributions to "Lord of the Rings" -- Best Visual Effects and Best Makeup for "Fellowship of the Ring" (in addition to a nomination for Best Costume Design) and Best Costume Design and Best Makeup on "Return of the King." He won British Academy (BAFTA) Awards for Best Costume Design on "The Two Towers" and Best Visual Effects and Best Makeup on "The Fellowship of the Ring," and earned additional nominations for Best Makeup on "The Two Towers" and "Return of the King" and Best Costume Design on "Return of the King." On his most recent collaboration with Jackson, Taylor won his fifth Oscar® and another BAFTA honor for Best Visual Effects on "King Kong," Jackson's epic retelling of the 1933 horror classic.

Taylor grew up in Te Hihi, near Pukekohe, New Zealand. He first attended Wesley College in Pukekohe before winning a spot at the Wellington School of Design. Upon graduation, he first designed board games for a Wellington design studio before joining a local television studio, where he became a model maker for TV spots. His work attracted budding filmmaker Jackson's attention, and they first joined forces on his 1989 debut feature, "Meet the Feebles."