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32 P E R S P E C T I V E | J U LY / AU G U S T 2 0 1 6 The Devil's Carnival and the film calls itself Alleluia! The Devil's Carnival, both elaborate horror musical films, have been some of the most challenging and yet most artistically rewarding projects I have been involved with from a Production Design perspective. Both films' stories are centered on God and Lucifer, heaven and hell, yet not truly light and dark. Hell is depicted as a carnival, existing only in the darkness of night, where three lost souls are sentenced and tested in a game of wit. Each of the three trials is based on a single Aesop's Fable (e.g., The Scorpion and the Frog), and each has a moral lesson. Similarly, heaven is a crumbling, once glorious world, ruled by a merciless tyrant (God). Both worlds are in decline, aged and antiquated, but filled with magic and a whimsical notion that takes existence deep within the realm of the fantastic. From the start, the budget was very low and our dreams were very big. So many artistic ideas and concepts get eliminated from low-budget films, merely because of the lack of time and money. It was heartbreaking, but an extremely hard-working crew, giving their all every day for a project they believed in, was inspiring and kept me focused. My talented crew went above and beyond expectations; every person contributed something extremely valuable to each film, and their hand is visible in its finished composition. Organization and efficiency was key in the films' success within our abstract confines. Art Directors Hunter Brown and Paul Bickel worked tirelessly on these films. It simply could not have come together without their efforts. I researched vintage carnivals and circuses from their heyday in the early 1900s. Many of these carnivals traveled in gypsy-like caravans or by train and cultivated a distinct look of wear and tear. This transient and travel-worn aesthetic seemed a perfect fit to the script and attainable within our resources. After scouting several locations, we decided to film the entire production at L.A. Circus, the Los Angeles Foundation for the Circus Arts, in Riverside, CA. The combination prop house and circus/carnival research facility already had some basic bones. Existing structures saved a great deal of time and money, two precious commodities in low-budget filmmaking. The dances and musical performances written into the script narrated their own stories, so it was important that the sets contain space for the choreography. This was always a concern of Darren and screenwriter Terrance Zdunich, who also played Lucifer in both films. Lighting was key. Many times entire sets were lit with practical fixtures, using carnival string lights as accents. Cinematographer Joseph White was a master at shooting with available light from the set dressing, unflinchingly using colored gels to increase saturation, isolate areas with light pools and extend sets when resources to dress areas ran short. Lucifer seemed the most intriguing character in the story, and his study was the first set I designed. I always loved the idea of Lucifer having intense body heat and thought that over time his entire study would be scorched from the inside out by heat emanating from his red skin. For me, the set needed to be black, burned, charred, almost smoldering. In the quest to find techniques to create a burnt wall set, I consulted the local fire department. Should we build a full set and burn it (safely) in the desert? Have Scenic Artists distress and paint it to look burnt? With the LAFD's help, I contacted the owners of two houses that had burned within a couple months of each other in the Hollywood area and each had a plethora of alligator-textured Top: The red and yellow clown logo of the carnival was used many places: the front gate, as shown here, along with signage, components of the games in the midway, even decals on the trashcans. Above: A plan fo the midway, showing game tents, carnival rides and the sideshow tent itself.