Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1545081
The atmosphere switches from being nested in softer textures, warmer tones and traces of comfort and intimacy, to Simon's new normal—a floor with no rug, a pull-up bar wedged above a doorway, bulk canisters of protein powder, a schedule for the New Beverly on his fridge, and his mother's old sofa. The story is starting at the bottom with Simon, and his apartment shows it. But Wonder Man is full of contrasts. In Episode 3, the story moves to the Williams family home in Pacoima. For this set, we tapped into our own experiences growing up in immigrant households. While every story is different, common threads resonate. These are homes shaped by memory, resourcefulness and care. It felt essential to ground this set in a real and specific history. Due to racial covenants, in the mid-20th century, Pacoima became one of the few neighborhoods where immigrant and African American families were able to purchase homes, shaping a community rooted in resilience, activism and multi-generational continuity. That history informed how we thought about Martha Williams's house—as something protected and deeply valued. The architecture of the house reflects the modest, tract-style single-family homes common to Pacoima. We worked closely with the paint department, headed by Brett Bowden, to layer in color, wallpaper, and hand-stenciled patterns that bring warmth and fullness to the space. Even though Martha has been living there alone since the passing of Simon's father, the house doesn't feel empty. Due to stunt requirements, Martha's kitchen was built on stage. It needed to look like a modern renovation that still reflected her colorful, traditional aesthetic. From plans drawn by Set Designer Sloane U'Ren, construction coordinator Joe DelMonte and his team installed trendy zellige tiles and bleached oak cabinets and flooring, and built multiples of a bespoke kitchen island destined for destruction in one of the many explosive effects created practically by SFX coordinators Roy Cancino and Alan Roberts throughout the season. Property master Todd Daniels's research into Haitian food helped ground the cooking scenes in accurate cultural details. Set decorator Lizzie Boyle played off our palette of warm copper and cool robin's egg blues, while planning around the many camera ports and A. MARTHA'S HOUSE. LOCATION. PRODUCTION STILL. PHOTO BY SUZANNE TENNER. B. MARTHA'S KITCHEN. STAGE SET MID- DESTRUCTION. RADFORD STUDIOS. PHOTO BY SUZANNE TENNER. C. COLBY-STYLE POSTERS BY GRAPHIC DESIGNER SARAH M. GONZALEZ. B A C