Black Is King - Production Design
It’s important now more than ever to know who you are, where you come from, and what you want from and in life. It is important to know your values and The Circle of Life.
The new Beyoncé produced Disney movie “Black is King” is a much-needed celebration of Black and African culture. It takes the story and some audio from the beloved Disney classic The Lion King and translates it from a cartoon to a modern music video walkthrough of the true history of “The Circle of Life.” This movie touched my soul and amazed me from beginning to end.
Because I am sure that you know the story of The Lion King, and because it is your duty to learn/know the history and truth of African heritage, I will leave it to you to get the storyline and just watch/enjoy the film. Let it sweep your thoughts and keep your jaw dropped in awe.
What is great about the story is that it really highlights the concept of Kings, Goddesses, and human nature. We all begin our lives pure and with purpose, Men are all kings and Women are all Goddesses. Humans are not born with the knowledge or concept of evil we learn evil from our habitats and surroundings. We are all brothers and sisters of the universe and planet. Beyoncé was able to take love, compassion, and purity of people and show how simple it is for evil to seep into our world and take over. It is human nature to be curious and the 7 deadly sins always surround us: Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride. I won’t go much further with this… you get the idea.
What fascinated me was Beyonce and her team’s ability to re-image and fuse the story into a musical fantasy. Which leads me to my favorite part, the production and costume design. It is simply a stunning, an artistic masterpiece, and a huge manifestation goal for me to work on one day, hopefully in the near future. For a list of who the Production Designers and Costume Designer is please see the bottom of the page or the movies IMDB. But here are some of my favorite sets and decor.
Disney’s Black Is King - MOVIE Screenshot
Disney’s Black Is King - MOVIE Screenshot
I once heard that poverty makes for more creativity and that that is where trends really begin. I think that saying is 50/50 - true/false however, in the recent years we’ve certainly seen fashion and interior design trends be heavily influenced by African and Latin patterns, culture, and colors. The designers of Black is King incorporated natural environments and traditional patterns of Africa and fuse it beautifully with the costumes and theatrical music video movie moments.
The set above is able to take animal skins (I will pretend it is vegan leather skins) and create a camouflage. I mean it is INCREDIBLE that even the horse blends. And this is seriously only a sliver of their amazing work.
Disney’s Black Is King - MOVIE Screenshot
Disney’s Black Is King - MOVIE Screenshot
The above black and white set needs no explanation but this kind of almost kaleidoscope space is always an impressive hit in my opinion. But this staging was created in what I can only assume is a solid white cathedral re-created set…. so essentially it’s a SET inside a SET. Again, this is only me assuming.
Disney’s Black Is King - MOVIE Screenshot
Disney’s Black Is King - MOVIE Screenshot
Disney’s Black Is King - MOVIE Screenshot
Also utilizing the white set is the funeral scene that is insinuating the death of Mufasa. The white cathedral, the white clothing and even the white painted bodies is a symbol of good. What caught my eye too was that they left the mens feet unpainted. Like mentioned above this film really captures the universal reality of good vs. evil which is mentioned as dark and light - black and white.
“Dark and Light the duality and the balancing of Good and Evil. Only this is what you need to make a move, understand that good and evil often appear together, nothing is complete on its own. There’s an on going battle between good and evil”
- Black is King movie Quote
Disney’s Black Is King - MOVIE Screenshot
The Lion King is not The Lion King without a kingdom. The Beyonce and JZ palace is this amazing and semi humorous Renaissance style interior. And of course like any palace the garden is a lush oasis. The palace scene is amazing and I won’t cover the entire scene, that would take too long, however one of my favorite moments was the dinner between young Simba and Nala. They made it an abundant and almost Jesus like communal table. There are bug gummies as a hidden reference to the Timon and Pumba rainforest. The young blossoming love is toasted with a goblet glass filled with milk. And there is an oversized JZ oil painting that prominently portrays him as a king and it sits on the center wall at the table and at B and JZ’s TV dinner scene.
Finally you know I am a sucker for amazing floral production, and you also know that I love making them. Therefore I want to take a moment to admire the amazing florals from the film, and there are several! All of them are made in a gem tone color palette and are a bright pop and contrast to the scene. The instillation is constructed in a whimsical and wild form. They are playful and several times they take you into an almost Alice and Wonderland playground.
For more inspiration from Black is King visit my Pinterest board HERE