Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1152740
Canary Islands, while I took on the UK, mainland Spain and Italy—focusing first on a landscape that would have either an existing airstrip, or that allowed an airstrip to be created. (We had a pretty good sense as to where we would find Rome, Bologna, Palermo, etc.). With help from the amazing website Forgotten and Little Known Airfields of WWII and technical feedback, we ruled out Malta, Spain and the Canary Islands. In February, George, Grant, producer Barbara A. Hall, executive producer Richard Brown for Anonymous and Steve Levinson for Paramount TV joined me for a scout of one very cold, windy and wet location in Cornwall, UK, and one undeniably perfect location in Olbia, on the island of Sardinia. This landed us squarely in Italy, which seemed an all too perfect and inevitable choice. We made Rome and the legendary Cinecittà Studios our home. With Karen Schulz Gropman of the US and Alexandro Santucci of Italy sharing the role of Supervising Art Directors, we quickly set out to divide and conquer. Alex would take control of Sardinia and the ten acres of USAAF base. Karen would take control of the stage sets, Rome locations and all the aircraft. We did much the same with set decoration, dividing the sets and locations between Anna Pinnock of the UK and Alessandra Querzola of Italy, both of whom I had worked with before. With the exception of longtime collaborator Art Department coordinator Wylie Griffin, the rest of the Art Department team were all Italian. Rome and Cinecittà were the perfect place to be. The level of artistry and craftsmanship is heaven. B A A. SERVICEMEN'S TENTS. MANY OF THE TENTS USED WERE FROM A COLLECTOR IN THE UK WHO HAD PURCHASED THEM FROM THE FILMS THE MONUMENTS MEN AND FURY. AS GEORGE AND GRANT POINTED OUT, THEY BOUGHT THOSE TENTS TWICE. B. THE AFTERMATH OF A GERMAN NIGHTTIME BOMBING. AS THIS OCCUPIED THE STRETCH OF RUNWAY NEEDED FOR BEFORE-AND-AFTER LOOKS, THERE WERE ONLY THREE DAYS TO DIG CRATERS, UNLOAD FIVE TRUCKLOADS OF PRE-DISTRESSED PLANE PARTS AND DEBRIS, AND (SCENICALLY) SCORCH THE EARTH. C. LAYOUT OF THE BRIEFING ROOM MAP WALL BY GRAPHIC ARTIST SILVIA FONTANA. C E D