Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/916056
Visitor's Center to change their lives, they feel a sense of security and familiarity with the future that awaits them. One of the most exciting parts of designing the movie was inventing the process for downsizing people. Even here I wanted to be as realistic as possible while also suspending the sequence in a sort of surrealism, a surgical surrealism. That's why white was chosen as a symbol of rebirth and purity (with a touch of irony). That was a lot of fun. A series of white rooms were built for each of the specific medical procedures; signing documents, full-body shaving, colonic cleansing, dental removal and finally, a big white microwave to shrink the mass of your body. There was also a very subtle connection with Paul's workplace; a meat-packing factory where workers are handling meat in a white, sterilized environment. Once Paul has been downsized and crosses over into the "small world," I began to play with scale without being too invasive. When I read the script, I forgot after a few pages that the characters were transported into a miniature world. I wanted to maintain this effect with the overall design of the film. With the exception of a few reminders, where a prop might be oversized, or when the downsized people interact with full-sized people, viewers should be largely unaware of Paul's new diminutive size. I played the game of big versus small just a few times. These subtle effects were achieved by focusing on removing the details. The lack of craft and an understated exaggeration of scale were intended to create a "dollhouse" environment. For example, when Paul wakes up in the recovery room after his transformation, this new world is seen for the first time through his eyes. Giant-sized floor tiles, clean and sparse surfaces, an oversized saltine cracker, and a giant door handle all suggest that, although his surroundings are oddly familiar, Paul has definitely entered into an entirely new world. I didn't want to overwhelm the audience, but rather just have them second-guess what they're seeing, making them squint their eyes to look closer. After an initial shoot in Los Angeles for some of the Leisureland exteriors, the crew moved on to Toronto. The E F G H