Dune: Part Two

Clients: Warner Bros., Legendary Pictures

Category: Design & VFX - 3D Designed VFX & Holograms

Designing for the House of Harkonnen

Harkonnen war table

The Harkonnen war table, featuring a highly detailed 3D holographic projection display, serves as a pivotal narrative prop in the situation room which features in the opening scenes and throughout. The scenes in this set operate to inform the audience on the status of the ongoing war between the Fremen and the Harkonnen. Powered by Mentat chant vibrations, Rabban’s command centre presents his army’s movements in real-time.

Design was inspired by the following line of dialogue…

“Your orders are to control the whole planet. I only see half of it.”

Glossu “Beast” Rabban (10132 AG – December 10193 AG)

Design Process

The Harkonnen are a ferocious and resource-laden faction in Dune. This consideration was key to helping us form our hologram designs and ensure they were narratively and visually appropriate within this world. We were inspired by the strict formations of their armed forces contrasted with the curved H.R. Giger-style organic forms of their ships and structures that create an visual system that feels both informative and organic in its detail but robust and physical in its structure. Though made of light, the physicality of the projected visuals evoke the distinct impression of the arid and karst landscape of Arrakis.

Harkonnen Typeface Design

Our typeface design was principally inspired by the insectoid language
adorning Harkonnen ships and sets, reflecting their minimalist aesthetic.

Further detail, soft edges and sharp points are inspired by the Hunter Seeker and capture the elegance and hostility and the Harkonnen carapace-like armour and unsettlingly smooth appearance. More than mere decoration; the font is an integral part of the Harkonnen world and a key part of an important piece which works to orientate audiences in the narrative.

UI Design

We took the braille-esque font, initially inspired by droplets of oil and insectoid shape language, as a springboard for the aesthetic of the UI itself for the console readouts on the table. In order to incorporate the Mentat chant vibrations into our design language, we researched musical annotations throughout history, looking at the micro-details that could help inject nuance and complexity into our work. Every element was carefully crafted to enrich the director’s vision and ultimately help create a sense of depth to the Dune universe.

Table Lighting System

Another important aspect of the table was the creation of a volume of light within which the table hologram operates. This was done to give the illusion of there being a more analogue nature to the projection, a physical reason for its existence in the space. It was also devised to give a soft reflection of the monolithic nature of both the table and the set itself. We devised various working concepts of this type of light display imagining the various ways the table could be projecting the light.

Holographic Concepts

Delighted by the brief and opportunity to build in this world, we enjoyed exploring a wild amount of concepts before landing on a direction that we confidently felt would align with the director’s vision. We were eager to present the harsh character qualities of the Harkonnens, leading us to a more physical design for the globes inspired by karst landscapes. This process ensured every design felt at home in his world.

Concepts Contextualised

Through collaboration with Denis we refined our concepts and presented them in the world that the team were already familiar with to find the designs that felt most appropriate to the space.

Reticle

Our approach to the reticle design extended beyond that of a conventional weapon sight. We conceived the markings in line with a Harkonnen typeface and symbol system that we designed for the War Table console display detail. The feeling of the motion is purposefully mechanical, the space between the line work and the centre reticle illustrates the potential impact of weapon shots.

Reticle Concept

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