Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1260764
The company returned from Morocco owing COP and mountain scenes spanning eight episodes and five directors. Soon thereafter, we were rolling again on American soil and depicting the Korengal Valley of Afghanistan. The heavy lift up Bear ountain was expertly achieved by special effects, construction, scenic, set decoration, greens, transportation and locations. Ultimately, Alex Graves and the shooting crew—some of which road a chairlift to work—safely brought home an amazing sequence. Perhaps the most cherished aspect of Homeland was that from the onset, the writers empowered the directors and production team to sort out the creative on the battlefront. I've worked on shows where there are eight folks on the speakerphone asking us why are the drapes red? Homeland was never that show. It was not unusual that, by this time in the game, I have yet to receive a single call from the creator/showrunner, Alex Gansa. Throughout the eight seasons, I never really felt unreasonable pressure on the budget. Generally, the crew fielded scripts, put forth our best effort, and moved on. But here we were several months over schedule, with still two final episodes to produce, and for the first time on Homeland, we start to feel the pain. And there is no way we were going to back down now! I learned early on in show business that "tomorrow is going to be harder than today." And the last month of Homeland cast that notion in bronze. The remaining set lists called for East Coast likenesses of the United Nations; CIA Langley; Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania suburbs; New York City streets and Washington, DC. The scripts also reached for East erlin circa and oscow one more time. Eventually, I did get a call from Alex Gansa. The phone lit up at a.m. on a Tuesday when we had about six days left to shoot. Alex's new idea was that Carrie Mathison had authored a tell-all book, a featured prop that will ultimately provide an illustrative conclusion to this decade-long experience. Additionally, we would need to create her Moscow study and thousands of research documents plastering the walls via Carrie's iconic methodology. e had hours to achieve the first, and days to complete the latter. While motoring in darkness down the , I did a uick calculation in my head and confirmed that we could get it done. The warm gathering of cast and crew at the season premiere in New York City, pre-COVID-, cemented in my mind that this whole experience was indeed about family. And by far, the largest portion of this tribe would be the unruly mob of dreamers, misfits and weirdos that make up Homeland's collective Art Department family. I want to thank you all from the bottom of my soul. One more request please? Hang in there and stay safe and healthy! We'll meet up for a beer and a laugh on the other side. ADG A B A. BOOK COVER AND CONTACT SHEET FOR THE COVER SHOWING ALEX GANSA'S PICK. DP DAVID KLEIN, PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL KLICK, KACEY KOEBERER AND ALAN KOBAYASHI, GRAPHIC DESIGNERS B. UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ROOM LOCATION BUILD, LA TIMES BLDG. CONCEPT ILLUSTRATION IN SKETCH- UP, PODIUM, PHOTOSHOP AND EXPOSURE BY JOHN D. KRETSCHMER. C. UNITED NATIONS ANTE ROOM. CONCEPT ILLUSTRATION IN SKETCH- UP, PODIUM, PHOTOSHOP AND EXPOSURE BY JOHN D. KRETSCHMER. D. UH-60 "CHALK TWO" GIMBLE RIG FOR DIRECTOR'S SCOUT. CONCEPT SKETCH IN SKETCHUP AND PHOTOSHOP BY JOHN D. KRETSCHMER. E. CHALK TWO CRANED INTO LOCATION AT BEAR MOUNTAIN RESORT. F. CHALK TWO CRASH SITE. PRODUCTION STILL. G. MOSCOW PENTHOUSE —CARRIE'S STUDY. LA LOCATION. CONCEPT ILLUSTRATION IN SKETCH- UP, PODIUM, PHOTOSHOP AND EXPOSURE BY JOHN D. KRETSCHMER. C