Dylan Cole
Avatar, Lord of the Rings, Maleficent, TRON: Legacy, Alita: Battle Angel, Alice in Wonderland, and dozens of other visually stunning movies have one man in common: Dylan Cole.
Over the course of his 20 year career in Hollywood, Dylan has been a concept artist, matte painter, and now production designer for over 60 films. He has helped build and design captivating, complex worlds including Avatar’s Pandora and Mordor in the Lord of the Rings, which is no small feat. World building encompasses everything from inventing an environment to thinking through how the environment shapes the culture and societies of the life that interacts with it.
His work has an ethereal, dreamlike quality to it. Each piece, layered with narrative depth, reads like a novel you can return to again and again, uncovering something new each time. The scale and detail of his scenes creates an immersive experience that feels like diving into the dreams of an alien being.
Given his impressive track record, I’m shocked I’ve only recently learned his name. I’m bewildered that one man, whose work has inspired countless moviegoers and artists, has managed to hide behind his work for as long as he has. As I’ve gotten to know him and his work, I realized that Dylan is one of the rare ones, a true master of his craft. He’s clearly put in the time and effort to make creative work as natural as breathing to him. What many talented artists would struggle to create, Dylan does with ease.
Being more interested in creating art than talking about it or himself, Dylan has historically shied away from social media. But thanks to the urging of his friends, he’s finally started sharing his work on Instagram, and has become one of my favorite accounts to follow. I’m excited to see him step out from behind the curtain. It seems strange to say this, given how much he has already achieved, but I get the feeling that he’s about to step into a new level of success and recognition, and I can’t wait to see what he does with it.
Dylan Cole
Age 41
Los Angeles, California