Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1490572
Jeremy Woolsey In late summer of 2020, like the rest of the world, I wondered what the future held after months of restrictions and work stoppages. Our industry, where proximity and personal communication are so vital, was in flux. Thankfully, I had just finished a commercial, which was a nice return to work, even if the new world of daily testing and proper spacing was trying. The real test of returning to work was looming as I received a phone call from my frequent collaborator Wynn Thomas. He had just made a deal for large period piece set in part during the Korean War, often referred to as "the forgotten war." He explained it was based on a book primarily about the real-life friendship of two American Naval aviators that was set in Rhode Island, France, on the high seas and the mountains of Korea. I said, "Sounds great, where are we shooting? New England? Europe?… Japan maybe?!" The other end of the line was silent for a beat, then Wynn replied, "Looks like Georgia." I knew there were some mountains in North Georgia, but we were headed to Savannah, which sits on a river, near a marsh and far from any snowcapped peaks. But after nearly a year down, I was ready for any film challenge. Before I began my seventeen weeks of preproduction, I had some early phone calls with producer Bruce Franklin. He informed me the idea was to build our own aircraft carrier island instead of trying to film on a decommissioned ship. And that we needed to have planes taxi and land in front of the set. Well, okay. Another challenge accepted as the plan was hatched to build this large set at a real airport in Statesboro, GA. One benefit of working in the area was our proximity to an Essex class carrier docked in Charleston, SC. The USS Yorktown was a great starting point to understand the scale of these massive structures (including the turrets) and the detail of their many bridges. All of which would be built full scale and finished with impeccable detail. A. CANNES STREET. SHOT ON STREET OF SAVANNAH, GA. SET PHOTO. B. CANNES CAFE EXTERIOR. MURAL DESIGN BY ALEXANDRA MIKLOS. SET PHOTO. C. CANNES CAFE INTERIOR. SET PHOTO. D. USS LEYTE SCAFFOLD BASE. A B C D