How relaible is concept art?

[Ian]

Master Thai looked awesome in the concept art (or artists impression, whatever you want to call it).

Although it ended up with an impressive entrance, the rest of the ride looks nothing like what was offered.

Paultons Park promised us this...

What we got was this...

Hansa Park said, "Ve are going to build this, ja"...

And yes, they delivered something pretty much spot on.

Personally I take concept art with a pinch of salt. In the last 6 or so years where I've actually paid attention to this sort of thing, I've rarely - if ever - seen a finished ride look exactly like the concept art.

I suppose the key word here is "concept". The artists impression is a visual representation of how they want the finished project to end up. Things may be cut or changed for financial, technical or other reasons, or maybe the artists imagine has gone a bit over the top in the first place.

Do you pay much attention to concept art? Do you consider it to be a realistic glimpse at what the ride will finally end up looking like? Does concept art really matter?

 

[Lofty]

Yes, I personally don't rely on Concept Art at all. Like you said, It's a concept. Sometimes they can give clues as to what's going to happen and how it's going to look, but I wouldn't take it for fact unless it was attached to a planning application, which can also not be 100% accurate (Saw).

 

[Frank]

I think I'd prefer the steampunk style Alton Towers had for Oblivion than the whole X-Sector thing they went with in the end:

Found a few concept sketches for Air a while back too. Not too sure about those, though (check dat Videopolis)...:

I mean, Air doesn't actually have much of a theme, really.

 

[Treeis]

Haha! Imagine a bird getting speared by the drill on Oblivion's concept art!

 

[Ethan]

Woah! I wish Air really had plane theming like that! All we got was fake rocks and blue glass

 

[SaiyanHajime]

Asking if it's reliable or not is misunderstanding it's purpose.

It's for communication between the designers, for conveying concept - the general look, feel, essence of what the attraction is about. Sometimes It's not even that far, it's simply a visual brainstorm, playing with an idea. Concept drawings are often used to sell a concept, so need to be outlandish and, well... Make it look good! Concept visuals are not plans.

In film and game design, where concept art is more of a big deal of the design process, the finished product rarely looks much like the original concept art either. But it's usually closer, since it's such an integral part of the art direction. Outside of Disney, it's just not the case with theme parks.

 

[furie]

That's fair enough Joey, but how much better is the Air concept art than what happened. There seems to be very little correlation between the concept and the actual finished product. I think we know that's because of budget issues with Air, but wow, that is a brilliant concept that came to naught.

 

[Nemesis of oblivion]

Im sure Air had to loose it's orginal theme due to the tragic 9/11 attacks.

 

[Lofty]

I didn't know about the Steampunk theme that could have been at Alton. Heart. Broken.

 

[furie]

Im sure Air had to loose it's orginal theme due to the tragic 9/11 attacks.

I'm not... Source?

I've read in a few places it was due to budget constraints (you see the budget in all of Tussauds' parks at that time reduced heavily as they looked at changing ownership).

I didn't know about the Steampunk theme that could have been at Alton. Heart. Broken.

Steampunk surely didn't even exist in 1997??? It was all gothic-punk at that time that was in vogue. Though, looking at that and the Air concept, it's incredibly influenced by Disney (the airship and Space Mountain areas) - which isn't steampunk is it, but rather the source of steampunk? Victorian Sci-Fi

 

[Frank]

The term "steampunk" has been around since the 80s, as far as I'm aware.

I've always thought of the Discoveryland area at DLRP as being Steampunk too. Especially back when they had the Visionarium

But now that you mention it, there's not actually that much steam-power there...

It probably just seems steampunk because it's drawing from the same influences as the steampunk movement, actually (namely Jules Verne). Whoops.

 

[furie]

Nope, you're quite right and I'm wrong. It's a style I've always been aware of, but it's just never been "mainstream subculture" until recently (it's this rather than the source I mean not existing). Living in the late 80's and 90's at university and into subcultures, Cyberpunk and Gothicpunk were the "rage" with very little notice paid to Steampunk (most of the people I knew then who are still "subversive" are now heavily into Steamounk).

I think it's a superb theme mechanism though for parks and always loved Disney for it

 

[Nemesis Inferno]

Always thought the Air budget died because of the ride system draining it rather than anything else...

 

[Venom2053]

I find parks like Disney and Universal make their attractions look as much like the concept art as possible, while other parks tend to run out of money for the project or have an artist who has a vision that isn't what the park is going for. I usually dont trust it, but I think Oziris turned out well this year....

 

[SaiyanHajime]

That's fair enough Joey, but how much better is the Air concept art than what happened. There seems to be very little correlation between the concept and the actual finished product. I think we know that's because of budget issues with Air, but wow, that is a brilliant concept that came to naught.

I don't really understand your point?

It's like saying "Nemesis is nothing like the original concept of an arrow pipeline coaster".

Are you forgetting there were other concept drawings for air that we saw? That look pretty similar to how it turned out?

Projects change. For whatever reason, air's concept changed drastically. Whether it was budgetary, due to 9/11, or after research found that original concept to not be appropriate for the target audience, we will probably never know.

And, what's more, its subjective that the steampunk concept was better anyway. It certainly makes as little sense as air, and air has gone on to become one of the strongest concept driven ride experiances in the world. Would theming have actually hindered the ride's ability to communicate the experience? Would it have, 10th years on, been as popular as air still is? We just don't know.

For the record, I think Alton's two steampunk concepts we never saw were wonderfully imaginative, (even if they were blatantly Disney inspired) but I'm glad Oblivion is Oblivion. Air, I'm not so sure about. Bit I would be interested to know how it would have effected the way it was received.

Sent from my HTC Wildfire S A510e using Tapatalk

 

[kimahri]

I kinda like Steampunk but that Concept art Oblivion is kinda ugh. Requesting that SW7 has some Biopunk elements in it.

Actually I have an idea for a thread.

 

[furie]

I don't really understand your point?

It's like saying "Nemesis is nothing like the original concept of an arrow pipeline coaster".

Are you forgetting there were other concept drawings for air that we saw? That look pretty similar to how it turned out?

Projects change. For whatever reason, air's concept changed drastically. Whether it was budgetary, due to 9/11, or after research found that original concept to not be appropriate for the target audience, we will probably never know.

It's just the way the project moved. I understand that it's an iterative process with each iteration closer defining what the project/budget demands (project being the lead designer or manager or whatever).

It's just frustrating that say, with Nemesis, the original concept was expanded. The iteration each time added to the concept and produces a much more detailed final plan. It expanded.

With the Air concept, it gradually got smaller and smaller, less grandiose, less imaginative. Until you hit the final production (where there are always degrees of changes) and it ends up exceptionally minimal - then it's glossed over as "deliberately sparse".

The Air shop with the airship would have not just looked fantastic, but it would have got your head into "taking a flight" mode as you walked past it. The rest of the ride could have stayed the same and the "concept driven" (read - didn't have the budget, winged it and almost pulled it off) ride experience would have remained.

Whenever I think of either Oblivion or Air, I just think of concrete, or large swaths of dull brick paths. I understand the conceptualisation they've managed to pull off, but I think with both it was more through luck than judgement. Oblivion carries it better.

 

[T0M]

It's easy to let yourself get carried away when viewing artist impressions, but following many from Ford flirting with ideas about agressive and sporty cars, I've learned to keep an open mind now.

 

[Gavin]

With the Air concept, it gradually got smaller and smaller, less grandiose, less imaginative. Until you hit the final production (where there are always degrees of changes) and it ends up exceptionally minimal - then it's glossed over as "deliberately sparse".

This reminds me of my theatre degree. You see an empty stage and stroke your chin at the director's decision to represent "timelessness", when deep down you know what it really represents is that the set designer took the kitty and ran.

Air and Oblivion are exactly that for me. The enthusiasts in us try to label the "minimalism" as some high concept, when the truth is there was no money left to do anything else with it.

 

[SaiyanHajime]

Gavin IS right, but I think it often works... And works better than the alternative fanciful approach.

One thing I dislike about Disney is that there is no room for interpretation, no room for your own narrative, your own experience. You are FORCED through pre-shows and scenery which then turns out to be the be-all and end-all of the ride. On Oblivion you're left to be involved or just enjoy the basic visceral experience.

And Furie, like I said, what's the point of heavy theming if it is deemed to be inappropriate for the audience? If it's not financially worth it, what's the point? Why SHOULD it be more?

I haven't yet been able to find a legitimate, convincing reason in favour of theming that warrants the expense. I believe it adds to overall guest satisfaction when done right, but getting it right isn't easy, and getting it wrong can be disastrous and have the complete opposite effect, doing as Gavin has mentioned several times in conveying cheapness, or dirtiness, etc.

None of this has anything to do with concept art accuracy though? If you want to question it's accuracy, look at the more recent air concept art, because the older stuff is irrelevant and a different question entirely of "why aren't Air and Oblivion heavily themed?" Concept art isn't accurate because it's NOT a plan, it's conveying an idea, selling an idea, expressing of an idea. Ideas tend to start out fanciful and are tamed down by budget in all areas of life.