Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1480624
4 0 P E R S P E C T I V E | S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 2 So, I did the only thing I could do…get to work. I set up my desktop computer in the hotel room as soon as it arrived via FedEx and started modeling. My process always starts with a crude SketchUp model, developed from different angles with basic paint colors, textures, greens and furniture. I needed a device for conversations with producers in Los Angeles to discuss the proportion and scale of our Miami Palms Junior High set. I prefer dimensional scenery to backings when possible, so placing the classrooms and "exterior" hallways around the cafeteria made sense. I also had concerns about the number of appropriate backings we could reliably get to the island given availability and worldwide shipping delays. But as great as windows and doors are for depth and background action, we still needed to feel like the school grounds and daylight were all around. We needed sunlight and thick, rich greens. I reached out to DP Sonnel Velazquez, hoping the naturalistic style I'd seen in his previous film work meant he was a daring collaborator. All designers know cinematographers who hate hard ceilings or white surfaces, two prevalent characteristics at the lovely school location. But when I proposed popcorn ceilings in the apartment and a plastered canopy over the cafeteria, he welcomed it. My shoulders sank as I continued to offer an abundance of practical lighting and whatever else he needed to make his job easier, but now that I really know him and his gaffer, Tyson Cintron, it's clear I didn't need to "bribe" anyone with lights. Sonnel's focus was always the same as mine. Realism. Putting a lid on the sets grounded the space and dictated scale in a way that erased the sound stage feel. I added a large round opening in the center of the cafeteria for live palm trees, mimicking the school location's entrance, then pitched the idea of a small amphitheater with grass steps to producers. It created a multi-use space and reinforced the landscape beyond, also giving a middle ground between the single backing and the lunch tables. Above planters, I opened three other sections of the canopy, so Sonnel could create shafts of sunlight, then worked with the greensman, David Joe, to install large grow lights so he wouldn't have to pull the palm trees outside daily for light. A. SCHOOL INTERIOR AND COURTYARD. FLOOR PLAN DRAWN IN VECTORWORKS BY CHEYENNE BELL. B. CUCU IN THE CLASSROOM. PRODUCTION STILL BY LAURA MAGRUDER. C. CUCU IN THE CAFETERIA. PRODUCTION STILL BY LAURA MAGRUDER. D. CASTELLI APARTMENT. SKETCHUP CONCEPT MODEL BY AMY LEE WHEELER. E. CASTELLI APARTMENT KITCHEN. SET PHOTO. F. CASTELLI APARTMENT LIVING ROOM. SET PHOTO. G. RESEARCH PHOTO OF A HIALEAH, MIAMI APARTMENT COMPLEX. H. CASTELLI APARTMENT COURTYARD. ANNOTATED SKETCHUP MODEL BY AMY LEE WHEELER. A B C