MENTOR'S DRAWINGS

FILM PRODUCTION DESIGNS

KING KONG
1976
CONCEPTUAL DESIGNS

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A very long time ago, Dino de Laurentiis contracted Mentor to design KING KONG. The film came out in 1976. Work on the film began much earlier. Probably Mentor started working on it in 1975. I don't remember.

The general public is frequently led to believe that the Technician who builds the mechanical entity is the designer. Though often very talented in his field, the Technician is not the original Designer. It's rare to have the Conceptual Design done by the same artist as the one who does the mechanical structure.

This was true for FORBIDDEN PLANET and the GREAT RACE, and every other Film Entity designed by Mentor. The building of Kong, as with every other one of Mentor's designs, exactly followed Mentor's view. That is why Mentor was contracted. To Design.

Every complicated tricky happening came out of Mentor's Conceptual Designs.

How Mentor's Conceptual Designs were handled is much the same as is true of how the Conceptual Designs for a Sky Scrapper are handled. One thing is certain, it is not usual for the Architect to also function as the carpenter. And visa versa.

It was necessary for Mentor to create drawings that could offer the full impact of Kong's size. he did super sized Concepts. However, it is impossible to achieve that same effect with the small screen of the computer's Monitor. The drawing of Kong lying on the ground is six feet long. Of course here ... it isn't.

These drawings are old and worn but fun to see.

I am sure you will enjoy them.

I'll display them all on the Site soon. So check us out again. They are quite risque.