Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1152740
serves as a backdrop to a production, but I felt it needed to be an integral part of the fabric of all the characters and the story. Urban gentrification, due to in part to the success of the state of Georgia and the economic turn that has come from the entertainment and production industry, is a fact of life in the south. So in art imitating life, gentrification is as major catalyst in the story and the design of Atlanta in Ambitions. My and Will's involvement is what really led the production to be in residence at Tyler Perry Studios. The first production to be able to manipulate and adjust the facilities, including a twenty thousand square-foot soundstage, two ten thousand square-foot soundstages, two practical historical buildings, a farmhouse, and a number of additional facilities and locations. The Tyler Perry Studios facility has become one of the most sought- after locations to shoot in because of the easy access to production facilities and the acres of green space, including lakes, cabins, a historic district, diner and much more. I set out to have a multicultural and diverse creative team so we could speak to the reality of who these characters are. I felt this necessary so we could create authentic environments for these characters. Early in preproduction, the producers at WPM, OWN and Lionsgate asked if eight of the eleven main set environments could be ready in eight weeks to shoot for the pilot. My response was: "It would be like sending eight kids to college on the same day!" I was tasked with creating two worlds, opulent generational wealth and biotech funding. As with most projects, there is never enough time or money. One of the benchmark sets was Purifoy Pharmaceuticals. It is a biotech firm based on the discovery of an opiate drug pioneered decades ago by Hunter Purifoy. His wealth has grown and has become two generations deep, but there are problems with the drug made by his company. The space called for a main reception area with offices and conference rooms. My idea was to create an open, cold, glass-like box appointed with avant- garde art and displays for color. When entering into this space, which is two stories tall and spans over twenty-eight hundred square feet, it provides C A A. PURIFOY OFFICES. GROUND PLAN BY SET DESIGNER JOHN VERES DRAWN IN SKETCHUP. B. PURIFOY BRAND GRAPHICS BY GRAPHIC DESIGNER SCOTT KINNEY. C. PURIFOY LOBBY. SET PHOTO BY MICHAEL NEWMAN, SHANE MICHAEL PHOTOGRAPHY B