Creating The World Of The Phoenician Scheme: A BTS Featurette

Natalie Brooks

5 min read

Post on May 28, 2025

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Crafting the Authentic Atmosphere: Set Design and Locations

Creating a believable world begins with its environment. For the Phoenician Scheme, this meant extensive research into Phoenician architecture, city-states, and settlements. The production design team meticulously studied historical texts, archaeological findings, and artistic representations to capture the essence of this ancient civilization. This research informed every aspect of the set design, from the layout of buildings to the intricate details of the surrounding landscapes.

• Research into Phoenician settlements and city-states: The team immersed themselves in studying the urban planning, building materials, and architectural styles of actual Phoenician cities like Tyre and Carthage.
• Location scouting challenges and solutions: Finding locations that could authentically represent a Phoenician city presented unique challenges. The team carefully considered factors like geography, climate, and the availability of suitable structures. Ultimately, several locations were chosen and combined using a mix of practical sets and digital enhancement.
• Building sets to reflect specific historical periods and styles: Sets were painstakingly constructed to reflect various periods within the fictional history of the Phoenician Scheme, creating a sense of evolution and change within the world.
• The use of CGI and practical effects to enhance the environment: Where practical locations were limited, CGI and visual effects were expertly employed to expand and enhance the environments, creating breathtaking panoramic shots and believable cityscapes. This blend of practical and digital elements allowed for maximum realism and visual storytelling.

Costuming the Characters: Visual Storytelling Through Clothing

The costumes in the Phoenician Scheme are more than just clothing; they're a vital element of visual storytelling. Each garment, meticulously designed and crafted, speaks volumes about a character's personality, social standing, and role within the narrative. The costume design team conducted thorough research into Phoenician textiles, weaving techniques, and garment styles to create costumes that felt both historically grounded and uniquely suited to the fictional world.

• Research on Phoenician textiles and garments: The team explored ancient texts and artwork depicting Phoenician clothing, paying close attention to the use of fabrics like linen, wool, and dyed materials.
• The role of color and texture in costume design: Color palettes and textures were carefully selected to reflect the social hierarchy and cultural nuances of the fictional Phoenician society, as well as individual character arcs.
• Creating unique costumes for key characters: Key characters were given distinct costumes that helped define their personalities and roles within the plot. These costumes often incorporated symbolic elements that hinted at their importance or their hidden agendas.
• The use of modern techniques to create historically-inspired garments: While aiming for historical accuracy, the team utilized modern textile techniques to create durable and aesthetically pleasing costumes that could withstand the demands of filming.

Visual Effects and Enhancing the Phoenician Scheme World

Visual effects played a crucial role in enhancing the world of the Phoenician Scheme. While practical sets and costumes provided the foundation, CGI and VFX were strategically employed to achieve certain ambitious scenes and create a truly immersive experience. This ranged from subtle enhancements to more fantastical elements that expanded the scope of the narrative.

• Specific examples of CGI used in scenes: CGI was used to create expansive landscapes, elaborate architectural details, and even enhance crowd scenes to achieve the desired scale and density.
• The challenges of integrating CGI with practical sets: Blending CGI seamlessly with the practical sets and costumes required careful planning and meticulous execution. The VFX team worked closely with the production designers to ensure a unified and cohesive visual aesthetic.
• The role of VFX in creating a believable and immersive world: The use of VFX wasn't about creating jarring fantasy elements; instead, it was used subtly to enhance the realism and amplify the scale of certain scenes, resulting in a more convincing and captivating world.
• The impact of VFX on the overall aesthetic of the "Phoenician Scheme": The clever integration of VFX significantly elevated the overall aesthetic quality of the Phoenician Scheme, seamlessly blending the historical feel with visually impressive moments.

Maintaining Historical Accuracy (While Staying Fictional): A Balancing Act

The Phoenician Scheme treads a careful line between historical accuracy and creative freedom. The production team understood the importance of grounding the fictional world in historical authenticity while allowing for the necessary liberties of storytelling. This balance was crucial in maintaining the credibility and immersive quality of the world. The research and design decisions reflected a constant dialogue between factual knowledge and imaginative interpretation. For example, while the architecture draws inspiration from Phoenician styles, certain liberties were taken to create a uniquely stylized and visually compelling setting.

Conclusion

Creating the world of the Phoenician Scheme was a collaborative effort, a testament to the dedication and creativity of numerous individuals. From the meticulous research underpinning the set design and costumes to the masterful use of visual effects, every detail contributed to building a richly immersive and believable world. The successful blend of historical accuracy and imaginative storytelling resulted in a captivating fictional universe.

Dive deeper into the fascinating world of the Phoenician Scheme! Explore more behind-the-scenes content and discover the secrets behind this captivating fictional universe. Learn more about the production design and the intricate details that brought the Phoenician Scheme to life.