Zathura (2004) - Game Board Design

One of the props I'm the most proud of. The game board for Zathura was a hero element of the movie, really a character in itself in the film, as it was itself the main antagonist! Production designer Mike Riva and director Jon Favreau wanted something that evoked a classic tin-plate wind-up toy, complete with crimped and rolled sheet-metal edges and crude, off-register silkscreened graphics. Propmaster Russell Bobbit did a truly spectacular job bringing this prop to life, managing to fit a functioning chain-driven mechanism into the full-size hero prop so it could perform all its functions in-camera.

Final game board design. Greyscale marker colorized in Photoshop.

Final game board design. Greyscale marker colorized in Photoshop.

Final gameboard graphics. Pen on illustration board, colorized in Photoshop. Note the off-register colors :)

Final gameboard graphics. Pen on illustration board, colorized in Photoshop. Note the off-register colors :)

Various ideas for the critical wind-up game key. Ultimately the most simple and classic design was selected. Marker on marker paper.

Various ideas for the critical wind-up game key. Ultimately the most simple and classic design was selected. Marker on marker paper.

Design for the game pieces, also intented to be stamped tinplate. Marker sketch.

Design for the game pieces, also intented to be stamped tinplate. Marker sketch.

Elevations for the game board.

Elevations for the game board.

Storyboards to illustrate potential ways to shoot the game board. The idea was to try to anthropomorphize the game by including "game POV" shots that might feel menacing or foreboding.

Storyboards to illustrate potential ways to shoot the game board. The idea was to try to anthropomorphize the game by including "game POV" shots that might feel menacing or foreboding.

More game POV storyboards. I really liked the shot from inside the card slot.

More game POV storyboards. I really liked the shot from inside the card slot.

More game POV Storyboards.

More game POV Storyboards.