Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1474575
O N L Y M U R D E R S I N T H E B U I L D I N G | P E R S P E C T I V E 4 5 With Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez guiding us through the contained world of the Arconia, the audience understands that everything is probably going to work out. We also understand that there will definitely be laughs along the way. For the characters, however, the stakes could not be higher. Each of them is dealing with painful pasts, uncertain futures and sudden present dangers. Striking a balance between audience expectations and depth of character in the design of the show was the challenge. The design task was to keep it real within the world of the characters' lives, light and attainable by New York standards, and warm in tone; but allow room for something sinister to penetrate the layer of comfort. Getting there looked easy on paper. Three main apartments featured in the series—one for each of the main characters. Many of the other sets were to be additional apartments in an iconic fictitious building, similar to our heroes' environments, with different architectural details and decor. Coming off of Hunters, a sprawling period piece covering wartime Eastern Europe up to the early 1970s in New York, Only Murders in the Building might have seemed like less of a challenge. When we considered that, the team made a conscious decision to attempt the absolute best apartments we had ever seen. The result was a joyous collaboration that brought the best out of all of us who had the pleasure to be involved with the project, achieved during the most challenging days of returning to work from the lockdown. The Arconia—If It's on Google Maps, It's Real The Arconia is not a real place, kids. But somewhere along the way, someone created it on Google Maps at one of the show's locations. I take this to be a compliment of the highest order. What this does not take into account is that our Arconia A. CHARLES' LIVING ROOM. ILLUSTRATION.BY ALI KASHFI DONE IN RHINO AND TWINMOTION. B. THE ARCONIA COURTYARD. PLATES WERE TAKEN FROM THE BELNORD ON 86TH AND BROADWAY FOR VFX AND PRACTICAL BACKINGS. C. CHARLES AND MABEL'S APARTMENTS. TOP VIEW OF DIGITAL MODEL CREATED BY ALI KASHFI IN RHINO AND TWINMOTION. B C