Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/619377
Another major undertaking for this second season was building a backlot of London's Soho streets. All the street scenes in the first season were filmed on locations around Dublin. This season there were a lot of scenes that took place in Soho so building a street set of our own was a good solution to the many varied requirements. I felt the set needed at least one other street so there were opportunities to have different viewpoints and extra ways to revamp the set into other places when necessary. It isn't a faithful representation of any specific part of Soho, but the building types and styles are based on what would have existed and are what I felt the set needed to give the right atmosphere to various scenes. The set was built to about twenty- or twenty-four-feet high with a green screen border at the top where the rest of the buildings could be added with visual effects set extensions as required. Less of an undertaking but a very important set that alone represents almost two complete episodes, was an old cottage in the moors of the English West Country. Again, the script led the design by the descriptions of actions, which I then interpreted into the shape the cottage finally became. A full interior was built at the studio with a mezzanine floor, and an exterior version of the cottage was built on a location very close to the studios in Bray that had an almost 360ยบ view and the feeling of the English moorlands. Being this close to the studio made it convenient both for the construction and filming of the set. The series and its Victorian period lend themselves to interesting design challenges. I try to create atmospheres that give extra value to the scenes. ADG Opposite page, top left and right: Two views of the cut wife's cottage exterior, a set on location in Bray about fifteen minutes from the studio. Center: Detailed and evocative working plans of the cut wife's cottage, drawn and supervised by Art Director John King. This page, top: The interior of the cut wife's cottage showing the stairs to her mezzanine bedroom area on E Stage at Ardmore Studios. Bottom, left and right: Two more views of the E Stage interior set showing the living room and bedroom areas. Jonathan McKinstry, Production Designer Antonio Calvo-Dominguez, John King, Gary McGinty, Jo Riddell, Art Directors Nenazoma McNamee, Stand-by Art Director Adrienne McGrane, Graphic Designer Damian Byrne, Pilar Valencia, Graphics Artists Eleonora McNamara, Jamie Rencen, Model Makers Christine McDonagh, Junior Draftsman Ian McCaffrey, Storyboard Artist Anais Chareyre, Philip Murphy, Set Decorators