Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1316563
6 6 P E R S P E C T I V E | N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 0 model he had created of an existing destroyer, the USS Kidd, located in Baton Rouge. The ship codenamed Greyhound in the book was an earlier destroyer of the Mahan Class, of which unfortunately, none exist today. The USS Kidd, a Fletcher-style destroyer also used extensively during the war, is moored on the Mississippi and is the only ship of that class that has been returned to its WWII configuration. The first production plan the producers described to me involved building the needed ship interiors on stage in Montreal, and then spending a week or so in Baton Rouge for exteriors on the Kidd. That plan was to change as often as the weather. Most of the story's action takes place in and around the bridge (the room from which the captain commands the ship), as well as below deck in the CIC (the Combat Information Center). There are also a few short scenes in the Captain's quarters, in the wardroom the officers' mess hall and on various decks of the ship. One early scene is set in a San Francisco hotel which helps establish the character of Krause. It was a tight script that pitted the cramped, claustrophobic quarters of the ship against the wide expansive ocean which held dangers both above and below its surface. Cold, grey and wet was all making sense. The sections onboard the Greyhound were to be filmed as realistically as possible, with the ocean and other ships being added in post. I had never worked on an action film where the digital effects were so integral to the final look, so it was an interesting project. I had worked with Gary Goetzman and Playtone on John Adams earlier in my career, so I knew their commitment to always trying to get things right and not taking unnecessary shortcuts. By the time we began, the production plan had moved entirely to Baton Rouge, allowing us a freedom to alternate filming onboard the USS Kidd and on our set pieces at Celtic Studios. As the project proceeded, it became clear that it also meant that some scenes could (and would) be shot in both places, meaning all the set finishes and dressing would need to match that of the ship rather precisely. These tight quarters meant the textures and details would play in sharp relief. Some might call it a challenge, and some might call it a case of heartburn. More often it A B C A. USS KIDD BEFORE ALTERTIONS, MOORED ON THE MISSISSPPI IN DOWNTOWN BATON ROUGE. B. ACTORS ON THE USS KIDD MANNING POSITIONS ON TOP OF THE NAVIGATIONAL BRIDGE. PHOTO COURTESY OF APPLE. C. PRELIMNARY WHITE MODEL USED FOR DETERMINING THE LAYOUT OF THE NAVIGATION BRIDGE. D. THE BRIDGE SET ON ITS GIMBAL. SET PHOTO. E. SONAR ROOM ADJACENT TO NAVIGATION BRIDGE. UNDER CONSTRUCTION. SET PHOTO. F. PILOT HOUSE BULKHEAD ELEVATIONS DRAWN BY TRISTAN BOURNE. G. EXTERIOR OF THE NAVIGATION BRIDGE SET UNDER CONSTRUCTION BEFORE AGING. SET PHOTO.