Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/834282
84 P E R S P E C T I V E | J U LY / AU G U S T 2 0 1 7 Defensive attitude aside, taken at face value, a bare-bones description of the Art Department probably wouldn't inspire anyone to think outside the stereotype: • The show has an old-school setup, with Harry Matheu as Production Designer and myself as Assistant Art Director. Set Designers/Assistant Art Directors are added when they are required. We've had two shows in simultaneous production for the last several years now. • We work almost entirely in SketchUp ® . • The series is budgeted for 1 1 / 2 swing sets per episode. Over the last decade-plus, Harry and I have managed to turn out some high-craft, high-design scenery, all while working in this format. We've done it with the same executive producer and with many of the same co-workers, and maybe that's part of the synergy that allows us our successes. Working with many of the same people, including the same producers, for so many years is something that doesn't happen often in this industry. It informs you of your collaborators' skill sets, both their best features and their worst. Playing to your teammates' strengths will almost always allow you to extract the most from small budgets and even shorter construction times. Top: The initial SketchUp model of the Man Cave by Mr. Dalley. From the beginning, secret entrances were important (as can be seen by the labels on the left of this rendering). Above, left and right: A more developed SketchUp model of the set. Mr. Dalley writes: "We've added height (usualy via headers) to nearly every wall section in this set, though the set already tops out at 16' in this rendering. SUPERHEROES NEED SPACE!" The original inspiration for the elevator door was the entrance to the headquarters of Oakley, Inc. in Foothill Ranch, CA.