Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/820551
concrete block water pump house. The building and painting couldn't interfere with this location, which was actively servicing local fresh water. It was, of course, important to François that the smelting plant set looked believable as a working facility but have the age and erosion of a place deserted for decades. Set decorator Peter Lando and his team added details to sell the logic of the set: worn-out heavy machinery, long since abandoned, coupled with the signs of life and makeshift solutions of this small crew of mutant runaways. The set took up several acres, including its peripheral fence and train tracks, and was designed to be shot from all sides. Though extensive storyboards and previsualization had been created, we wanted to be prepared for cameras to be set up anywhere and everywhere, so every detail counted. Sure enough, on the initial walk-through of the set with James Mangold and the shooting crew, it was decided that the elaborate wreckage of the collapsed tank legs deserved to be featured, so a portion of the car chase would go right through them. Needless to say, this led to some rapid structural modifications. Four hours north, in Abiquiú, was the location for the fire-watch lookout tower, another practical set built right on the edge of a cliff with stunning vistas in all directions. While scouting there, we became aware of the fierce winds and storms that came through those canyons, so a structural engineer was consulted to make sure the construction would hold. The tower needed to look rickety and run-down, as it was long-since abandoned, so in some areas, steel members were clad with wood. The bunkhouse that accompanied the lookout tower was built on-site as an exterior set and an existing cabin further north would be modified to be the interior. Due to unpredictable weather, though, we were forced to build and dress the interiors of both cabins simultaneously to allow for cover depending on where the company was shooting. A few more hours north was the final shooting location at the foot of the Brazos Cliffs in Chama. This proved to be an impressive backdrop for the final action scenes. Several hours of highway separated the sets in New Mexico, so it wasn't uncommon in one day to race up to the northern border, drive down to Abiquiú to the construction site of the lookout tower, and then continue on a few more hours to Rio Rancho to see the final touches on the smelting plant. In the end, the varied locations that New Mexico offers portrayed a road trip from Mexico to Canada, all within a relatively close distance. Left: A Photoshop illustration by Joe Studzinksi of the interior of the fire lookout tower. Below, left and right: Photo of the finished lookout tower interior. Temporary wooden safety railing was in place at all times prior to shooting. The mutant children gather around a campfire next to the exterior of the fire lookout tower.