Client: Legendary Pictures & Warner Brothers
Year: 2023-24
In 2023, I had the incredible opportunity to contribute to Dune: Part Two, working on the concepts and 3D design of the holographic projection system for the Harkonnen War Table.
Working alongside an exceptional team — including Pamela Gray, Dan Herlihy (Art Director), Jacob Wrigley, Sam Keenan (Creative Director), and Ashton Hertz (Producer) — we were tasked with designing a key narrative prop that appears prominently throughout the film.
The War Table functions as a strategic command centre in the Harkonnen situation room, first appearing in the opening scenes and recurring throughout the film. It visualises real-time troop movements in the escalating war between the Fremen and the Harkonnen, serving both as a narrative device and a rich visual focal point.
Given the Dune universe's religious restrictions on advanced technology, we established early on that the table’s holograms were powered not by conventional computers, but by the chanting Mentats wired directly into the structure. This steered us away from designing anything overtly ‘sci-fi’ or ‘tech’ and instead focus on creating something that felt ancient, physical, and ritualistic.
Visually, we drew inspiration from the strict, brutalist formations of the Harkonnen military, contrasted with the organic, H.R. Giger-inspired curves of their ships and structures. The resulting system aimed to be both legible and symbolic — a tactile, almost sculptural representation of war data that felt grounded in the world of Dune.
Working on this project was an absolute career highlight, and I’m incredibly proud to have contributed to a film whose visual effects went on to win both Oscar and BAFTA awards.
