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LMGI COMPASS
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Fall 2021
stressful, and the scale was incomprehensible. Several
times the whole thing felt like it could fall apart—and yet
it didn't because Alison and her crew took the job very
seriously."
"As I watched Barry work, I realized he was a creative
genius, and on top of that, he is a very, very nice person,"
says Alison. "He was wonderful to work for. Barry,
production designer Mark Friedberg, cinematographer
James Laxton and 1st AD Liz Tan were all critical for
my work. I had clear communication from those key
departments. Knowing what was going to happen and
what someone might need, what the shot is, what the
camera positions are—so different from some other
projects that I have worked on. And I had a great location
team working with me, too."
Production designer Friedberg appreciated everything
Alison and her team were able to accomplish. "Sherman
burned Georgia down in 1864. Our world was set in 1850,
and it was probably built in 1820, so there was little of it
left in 2020. It was a challenge to nd it. Each place needed
a lot of work—closing towns, farms and communities. We
were dealing with all kinds of town Boards. Alison was able
to get the people excited about what we were trying to do.
Not all lmmakers do that. She helped make us a part of
Background: Jenkins directs.
Insets, top row, from left:
North Carolina town;
Valentine's Farm;
Rutledge house.
Photos courtesy of
Alison Taylor/LMGI
Photo Atsushi Nishijima/Amazon