Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1006097
www.postmagazine.com 17 POST JULY 2018 SUMMER MOVIES One of the most complex materials the artists needed to shade was terrazzo used in the floor of the Parrs' 1960s futuristic house. THE HOUSE "We had to figure out the iconic textures for mid-century architecture," says Bryn Imagire, shad- ing art director. "Grass cloth. Nubby fabric. Etched glass. Sleek, simple shapes. Terrazzo was expensive then, so we put terrazzo everywhere." Adds Eggleston: "Terrazzo is even expensive in the computer." Terrazzo is an aggregate material made from marble, quartz, granite, glass and other materi- als poured together with a filler and then ground down smooth. It meant the shading artists had to create a variety of textures and reflective surfaces within one element. "We started with a base filler, layered in other textures, and added reflections," Fariss says. "Then, we used colors for displacement texture, different manner of light reflections, dirt and little metal bits here and there. Every square was different." Because the film was moved up in the release schedule, the architects had less time than usual to design the Parr's house. "We had eight months to do the house," Eggleston says. "And then, when we had just finished it, Brad [Bird] needed to consolidate a number of sequences into one. So, I pitched the idea of a larger house. We had two to two-and-a- half weeks to redesign it. The first week, everyone did everything. The next week, we broke it into parts — the swimming pool, the secret room, the patio lounge and so forth. Palm Springs was a big inspiration for the 'wow' room the family first sees. The original film embraced the mid-'50s. But, we wanted to incorporate elements of the late-'50s, early-'60s. It's not specific, but it feels right. We have water running through every room, which the Parr family thought was cool at first, and then it was an annoyance." Dash uses the remote control to slide around the room elements — sections of the floor, the couch, chairs and so forth. When the floor panels slide apart, they reveal a swimming pool beneath. Dash accidentally slides the couch into the pool. "We had a blast doing this film," Eggleston says. Because the changes in the new house occurred after sequences were already finished for the old house, the designers tried to re-use as many ele- ments as possible. "We had a finished sequence of the characters having dinner together, and we were able to lift the camera, layout and composition work from the old house and arrange the space so all that work wouldn't have to be redone," says Philip Metschan, visual designer. "Also, the bed in the new house, the old house and the motel are all the same size, so we could lift the camera work from one to the other." Costumes now fit over the characters' bodies. Helen's 'elastic' motorcycle The new film comes 14 years aer the first release.