Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1500164
8 6 P E R S P E C T I V E | M AY / J U N E 2 0 2 3 The concept of The Consultant centers around Patoff, played by Christoph Waltz, the titular character. Patoff mysteriously comes in to take over a successful gaming company whose CEO has been taken out. The viewer is immediately captured by his personality, which comes off as a mixture of intrigue and mystery, and at the same time, dark and sinister. These qualities ensnare the characters in a sense of desperation and unease. The consultant, over time, corners all whom he comes across and vacuums them into an intense entrapment vortex. This became the thread which all the design stemmed from. The exterior façade of CompWare's main permanent set has a cavernous entrance that evokes a prison-like cave. Just inside the main set, the color palette is a mix of stark and subtle coloring, emphasizing tones of gray and intentional red, alongside yellow enhancements. A major set element is the wall of monitors with a structure reminiscent of prison bars that hold them up within the space. The logo graphic, which contains a labyrinth maze, is a subtle clue into how employees are feeling internally as the story unfolds. A large graphic behind the staircase and repeated over the top of the stairs as a light fixture is emphasized as a key element within the space. The main stairs in the lobby are a precarious, seemingly unstable steel spline and glass structure that is like navigating a tightrope of fear. This steel and glass staircase was designed in two days and built in one week. Show runner Tony Basgallop's written words and direction were my biggest inspiration. His clear sense of all the intricate puzzle pieces of this story working together was uncanny. The producing team of Steve Stark, Andrew Mittman, Matt Shakman, Kai Dolbashian and Ann Kindberg. were engaged in every aspect of this project. H e I s a D a r k M y s t e r i o u s F a ç a d e T H E C O N S U L T A N T B Y C L A R E N C E M A J O R , P R O D U C T I O N D E S I G N E R A. MAIN PERMANENT SET FOR COMPWARE. BUILT ON LOCATION IN MARINA DEL REY. SET PHOTO. B. ILLUSTRATION OF FRONT FAÇADE OF COMPWARE. C. CLOSE-UP OF GLASS AND STEEL STAIRCASE. PRODUCITON STILL. D. TECHNICAL DRAWING OF GLASS AND STEEL STAIRCASE AND BRIDGE. E. INITIAL SKETCH OF STAIRCASE BY CLARENCE MAJOR. A