Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1490572
To make Magic Mountain feel a bit more fair-like, set decoration brought in dozens of patriotic flags, banners, trashcans and farm-themed dressing. It all needed to be lightweight as we had to hand- carry everything in and out before the park opened. Unfortunately, the Santa Ana winds decided to blow the set dressing everywhere and it was a bit of a challenge to keep everything under control. Memphis Episode six took the show to Memphis, TN, with the famous Peabody Hotel becoming the "fancy hotel" where Ava and her mom, Jane, spend the night. Conceptually, the production wanted a historic luxury hotel; something Jane would consider fancy, but Ava would consider old and musty. As a built set, we had the opportunity to research the actual Peabody and explore some architectural details. Rough wall textures, layers and layers of paint and a matching/dated '90s bed and curtain combo helped carry this. My favorite subtle detail drawn by Bai was the panel molding behind the bed. Conceptually, the room would have been designed for a king bed, but over the decades the room became a double, giving a subtle sense of the lost glamour. Once Deborah makes "the click," the episode concludes with a montage of comedy clubs and writing sessions between Deborah and Ava. This required ten distinct comedy clubs, along with a few cutaways to backstage and bus shots. The design team had to get clever and layer different backdrops onto the same three stages to shoot these. The Canyon Club, Roosevelt Hotel and El Portal theaters D. STATE FAIR BOARDWALK. ILLUSTRATION. E. MEMPHIS HOTEL ROOM. SKETCHUP PLAN AND MODEL. F. MEMPHIS HOTEL ROOM. SET PHOTO. E D F