Blog Archives
Second Dark Knight Trilogy Blu-Ray Case
This is the second Blu-Ray case design I’ve done for the Dark Knight trilogy, the first one (posted way back in early 2011) was based on the Tumbler. After seeing the costume display case in the Dark Knight Rises, I thought I’d attempt another one.
Oddly enough my first instinct for the original concept was the costume case from The Dark Knight’s Batcave. It was mostly a cage, so it wouldn’t ideally work (media cases need to be somewhat airtight). The fully-enclosed case from Rises works perfectly.
Whenever possible I will try to design standard case design, as most of my designs are too expensive to execute; at least that is the feedback I get from people in the packaged media business. This case is just a plastic box with a few door flaps and an action figure. A more attainable and inexpensive design, than say, that Helicarrier monstrosity.
The movies can go into a single thick case, like the recent Jurassic Park Blu-Ray release; or three skinny individual cases, like a TV show box set. The case is stored behind the figure, and is accessible via its own door flap.
The costume depicted is accurate to its portrayal in Rises, which is why there is no cape.
For this release I would include a static figurine (no joints or pose-ability), to keep costs down. A full-fledged figure could be included; ideally with a swappable head so you’d have both Batman and an empty costume. OR you could sell the set with no figure, so fans can add their own 5″ Batman. Then again, there is no such thing as a “frugal” collector’s edition. At least not yet.
These designs have come a long way. Check out this old design I made for Batman The Animated Series (my second Blu-Ray concept). Here is a similar concept for The Incredibles.
Geeky TVs Part 2: Batman
For this Batman-themed TV, I went with an industrial design that seemed at home in a BatCave. This is really just a fancy LCD display stand the suspends the monitor from an overhead beam, just like a bat.
The bolts are there just for show, though I imagine the configuration of this stand might make some wish this could be bolted down. I’d like to think it would be sturdy enough. The base could be a large single piece as well.
I designed the uprights to hold cradle attachments for your tablet or smartphone, which helps resemble the multiple monitor display that Batman usually has. Shelf attachments can also be added for your consoles or component hardware, allowing you to show off all those wonderful toys.
All you need is a wardrobe like this one (painted black) and you have a Batcave. Well, maybe a Batmobile and an industrial grade elevator wouldn’t hurt either.
Tumbler Batmobile Blueprint
Click To Enlarge
You can buy a poster of this image here (no commission). Click above for the Wallpaper size.
I did a post last week that featured a few Tumbler Batmobile blueprints. Unfortunately both images were rather low-res, so the largest poster size you could buy was 11″x 14″. I got a few emails asking for a larger size, so I remedied that and made a 300dpi version. I took my time with this one, and it looks great in my opinion. I ordered one personally.
I also incorporated the Wayne Enterprises logo into this poster. And as I often do when there is no decent image available online, I will make it myself and share it with the internet. Behold, the Wayne Enterprises logo from the Nolan films:
Click To Enlarge
The ‘Wayne’ text is Arial Black (squashed), and the ‘Enterprises’ text is a font called Euro Caps, which you can get here. Euro Caps needs to be stretched, and the word needed a space between each letter.
Dark Knight Trilogy Blu-Ray Case
For those keeping track, this is my second case that revolves around the use of a Batmobile. With The Dark Knight Rises coming out in 2012, I thought I’d make this case in anticipation of the trilogy release.
In 2008, Warner Brothers released a Blu-Ray package that included the Batpod, descendant of the doomed Tumbler Batmobile. Not a bad package at all. Though one would think that a case which revolved around the Tumbler had to have been considered. There is probably a prototype resting on a WB Executive’s desk. It must exist!
Conspiracy theories aside, I found the Tumbler’s squat, boxy shape to be ideal for a container. It could not ideally fit 3 standard Blu-Ray jewel cases. I opted for shorter, thinner jewel case, practically the same as a CD jewel case (remember those?).
Special thanks to Jeff Bell, who designed this poster for The Dark Knight Rises, and allowed me to use it here.You can find the original image here and Jeff’s portfolio here. I think it’s a beautiful one-sheet, would look great on my wall. Awesome work Jeff!
Unfortunately, because I opted for a square-shape case, I decided to crop out the title and put it on the side, sort of like a video game package. A full poster would have resulted in a very small image. These remind of the cases they use for Nintendo DS games.
Some bigger images if you are interested, including a ‘Blu-Ray Blue’ window variant:
Apologies for having this done ahead of the Transformers Trilogy case – this was just too engrossing to make.
In Praise Of The Tumbler
UPDATE: They are indeed bringing back the Tumbler for TDKR. Such an awesome sight. Although there is reason to believe it could be used solely for ‘flashback’ scenes. I don’t want to spoil anything, but there is some major baggage arriving from Batman Begins for Dark Knight Rises. Original article as follows:
I really hope they bring back the Tumbler for The Dark Knight Rises. It is a car that you can buy into as being a real, functional military vehicle – as opposed to a gaudy car with fins! Ugh.
Seeing as the Tumbler exploded in The Dark Knight, they’d have to rebuild a new car from scratch. I hope it is as much an evolution from the original Tumbler as say, Batman’s new suit in The Dark Knight compared to Batman Begins.
Whatever they do – don’t design it to perform some unique function that is convenient to the story. The Batmobile ‘splitting’ to fit a crevice in Batman Returns, or scaling the side of a building in Batman Forever, just seems like a forced set piece. I won’t even mention the car from Batman and Robin (which they actually scaled back in ability, if you look it up).
It would just seem like a cohesive move as well. Too much of a departure and you partition the trilogy in a way – as odd as that sounds. I found it a bit too weird that Wayne Manor and the Bat Cave were excised from DK, as well as a lot of landmarks from Batman Begins, such as Wayne Tower and it’s boardroom (they went with a different building in DK), the unique train system, the Narrows, etc. Seemed like two different Gothams. But I digress!
Huge props to Nathan Crowley who designed this amazing car. It’s a pain in the butt to recreate in 3D, but well worth it.
Batman: The Animated Series Blu-Ray Case Mockup Completed
So here it is! I may touch it up later, but the overall concept is done. Here it is with a revolving cover bearing the name of the show:
I included the cover to keep dust out. It slides around to the back of the case, revealing the discs:
So here it is fully open. It reveals a bunch of labeled disc trays. Note how I included the BTAS ancillary movies! That is a hint to the folks at Warner Home Video:
Just grab the flap of the tray to pull it out of the case:
The trays themselves are encircled with a small lip for the edge of the disc to rest on. I didn’t want the owner to have to snap the disc into the tray – being extended out of the case would make the tray prone to breaking due to applied pressure. So just drop it in, and a snug enclosure inside the case will help hold the disc firmly in place.
The trays would swivel a full 180 degrees to make the disc fully accessible:
Doh! The door is clipping through the disc. Ignore it!
I think this sort of set-up would look great for other DC properties, as well as Christopher Nolan’s live-action films. The Tumbler Batmobile would look very cool perched above.
Note: I originally made the trays yellow with black labels. I might fix this model up later to address the illegible text. Here are some renderings of the previous prototype:
EDIT: If you like this, check out the Tumbler Batmobile Blu-Ray case I designed for the Dark Knight trilogy:
Click on image to take you to the Tumbler Blu-Ray post.
Batman The Animated Series Blu-Ray Mockup
UPDATE: This has been completed. To jump ahead and see it, click here.
I had a lot of fun creating a mock-up DVD case for next years eventual Blu-Ray release for Transformers: The Movie. I decided to make one for another property I enjoy: Batman The Animated Series. This is a work-in-progress, one I’ll eventually finish in the next few days.
While Batman The Animated Series (BTAS) doesn’t celebrate any milestone until 2012, marking the 20th anniversary of the show’s debut, the show is due for a Blu-Ray release. In the past several years, Warner Bros. Home Video has done a solid job releasing the series on DVD, albeit a little low on the extras side. Here are their previous efforts:
These box sets were released in 2004-2005. I think the packaging has a lot of great art, and truly says “comic book”. The extras were a bit skimpy, with the producers and cast doing the commentary track for the odd episode, and a few galleries here and there. Ultimately, these boxes are a bit on the cheap side, with the sleeves often getting a lot of wear and tear.
Then Warner Bros released this monster in 2008:
An additional art book makes for a great collector’s edition. I didn’t buy this, because I already have the box sets. Also, it wouldn’t really be worth it; it looks like the exact same discs from the box sets, meaning no new extras. The case would have been more durable, but in my experience, those DVD cases which are the size of a small game board (think Monopoly), never really seem to fit into a library.
So I am designing a Blu-Ray case which is a canister all the Blu-Ray discs would be packed into. On top of the canister is the Batmobile, which in the show parked on a revolving cylinder in the Batcave. Here is a work-in-progress look at it. The car is 75% done, the canister hasn’t really been started on yet. It will have a nice black matte finish.
The canister would have trays that would swivel out from a hinge to access the Blu-Ray discs. Each tray would be labeled to identify the disc. The platform on top of the canister would revolve as well, and the Batmobile would have some LED lights in the front and back – though that would mean this package would need batteries!
Also if it were up to me, this package would include a lot more bonus materials, such as:
- Interviews with Mark Burnett, Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, Andrea Romano, Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, and the rest of the gang.
- The movies: Mask of the Phantasm, Sub Zero, Mystery of the Batwoman, and Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.
- The Gotham Girls web series.
- Batman’s appearances in Superman The Animated Series and Static Shock.
