Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1433736
My favorite room in the apartment is the magical library which replenishes its store of books by its own accord and growing more levels as the years pass. The fi rst two levels were constructed in studio with VFX extensions of custom- built staircases, spiraling upward to add to the confusion and whimsy. The fi rst oor gives Alex another clue as to who has passed through these doors—statues of children from around the world hold up balconies while the heads of hunted animals decorate the tops of each bookcase. Every set in the movie was a studio build (apart from the forest scenes)—the blacklight ight ursery cave with custom built owers and plants where atacha creates her potions, Alex's parents' apartment, a basement and boiler room, NY apartment hallways and several story sets for the end of the movie that are borne from Alex's imagination. These begin with silhouette titles that open into theatrical sets—a classroom, an eerie playground and the everworm story that is built to mimic a theatre stage but with rigging that was installed in an empty space. For this set, artist Jess Sheridan and I drew the various elements on vellum, she painted the backgrounds separately and merged them in Photoshop and these were then printed on canvas and cut out for hanging. In the end, we were tired, our fi ngers hurt, and we had COVID and Zoom-fatigue but, I am very proud of my department for the amount of work they produced in such a short and extra stressful time. ADG A. MAGICAL LIBRARY HALLWAY BOOK ARCH ENTRANCE. SET PHOTO. B. MAGICAL LIBRARY SET IN PROGRESS. C. MAGICAL LIBRARY SECTION THROUGH BOOK ARCH BY FRED ESPINA. D. MAGICAL LIBRARY— PRODUCTION STILL WITH VFX SET EXTENSION ABOVE SECOND FLOOR. E. MAGICAL LIBRARY. SET PHOTO. A B C D