Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/610353
P E R S P E C T I V E | N OV E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5 77 pre-vis sales pitch was a slam-dunk and Gortimer got to take on that damn frog in the climatic fourth act. A creative solution was again required when a flashback sequence detailing the origin of the nemesis frog could not fit into the schedule or locations. One evening during prep, director (and subsequent show runner) Matheny spent the night at his coffee table creating a simple paper-collage animated sequence to stand in for the missing scenes. The Amazon executives loved his clever adaptation of the piece, and through the magical portal that is the Internet, came across a talented Texan named Brandon Ray. Thus was the birth of what we call storybombs. These little animated moments of flashback or exposition have added another uniquely whimsical element to the series, and there is now a small stable of animators and visual artists consulting with the show. Amazon Studios has a distinctive way of testing their pilots: every single pilot is launched online free of charge for one month while Amazon collects viewership data. Based on that data, the series was green lighted and nine months after filming the pilot, Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street began season one principal photography. Immediately, resourceful as always, Richard King secured a small stage near Echo Park with a collection of quaint offices and support space for working trucks. As a true testament to the pilot's fun and creative work environment, nearly 90% of the crew returned for the series, including cinematographer Eduardo Mayen who carefully crafted the moodier, darker side of Normal Street, while adding so much to the visual language. I was happy to have pilot set decorator Beth Wooke back on board, and to re-team with construction coordinator Mark Knightley (with whom I had started working twenty years ago). A longtime friend and co-worker, Yvonne Garnier-Hackl, jumped aboard as Set Designer and launched the series through construction and the first few episodes. The lovely (and unflappable) Sarah Palmrose took over when Yvonne left to fulfill a previous commitment. The pilot episode established a period for the series that we referred to as a timeless present. Care was taken to edit out most computers, cellphones and advanced technology from the Normal world. These kids won't be asking Siri what to do about a magic frog, or take a selfie with the golden-eyed boy or play Candy Crush for hours on end. Visually, this timeless present means a rich color palette, with a soft patina and lots of wallpaper. Opposite page, top: Mel and Ranger direct a ship of pirates for the Normal Day play. The custom-built proscenium, apron pieces, set elements and drapery were installed on location under the supervision of Assistant Art Director Sarah Palmrose. Center: A pencil concept sketch of the pirate ship and wave elements by Ms. Andrews. Bottom: A pre-vis concept for the third tableau of the Normal Day play showing the founding of Normal Street, created by Ms. Andrews in Illustrator ® and Photoshop. This page, top to bottom: Graphic Designer Simon Jones's steampunk-inspired periodic table, a hero prop in Mel's observatory, was first started in Illustrator for the text, table and layout, and then pasted into Photoshop as a vector smart object for the layers of color, texture, aging and distressing. Ranger at home on stage with his parents in a kitchen with custom teak cabinets, faux soapstone countertops and a brick backsplash painted in a John Deere green. Van Goethen's bibliophile apartment, a set built on stage with an exterior to match the location and extensive decorations by Beth Wooke.