Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1512164
N A P O L E O N | P E R S P E C T I V E 1 3 1 The Jacobin Club was at the center of French Revolutionary politics, held the power of life and death over all the citizens of France and where Napoleon is introduced to Robespierre's Reign of Terror when he first arrives in Paris. The scene called for a theatre-like space in which to stage a heated political debate in a theatrical-style space which descended into violence and mayhem. It also required a scene where Robespierre is chased through the building by his political enemies until he is cornered and shot. The challenge was to find an architecturally suitable 18th century location with the appropriate space and style that would allow this level of violent action. Fortunately, the production found St. John's Church, a fine example of Georgian architecture by Sir Thomas Archer located in the heart of Westminster near the Houses of Parliament. Despite its prestigious location, it had been deconsecrated in 1980 and was now used mostly for concert recitals. The one feature we required was tiered seating for a crowd of one hundred delegates. St. John's had large balconies, but the main floor was completely open and empty. We designed seating platform units on wheels that could be prefabbed and assembled in place on the location. These were detailed to match the existing wooden panels on the ground floor and stained to match the existing woodwork. The film used an architectural centerpiece in London to serve as a grand avenue in Paris for Napoleon's triumphant return from Egypt. We also shot the scene in which Napoleon puts down a Royalist anti-revolutionary mob with cannon fire. The location we used has spectacular Baroque interiors which we used to recreate the famous coup d'état known as the 18th Brumaire, where Napoleon declares himself First Consul of France by force of arms, as well as for several street scenes of Paris by night. Blenheim Palace Many scenes were set in the Royal Palaces of Fontainebleau and Tuileries in Paris. These were combined using both the magnificently Baroque interiors and exteriors of Vanbrugh's Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire. The impressive grounds, including the Capability Brown Bridge across the Great Lake, worked well as our approach to Paris with some CG extensions creating the city of Paris beyond, as well as using the smaller side gate and outer courtyards for the entry to the tsar's Kremlin Palace in Moscow covered in snow. The main courtyard was dressed in a great many large topiary plantings in custom-made planters to enhance the impression of a parterre garden which were augmented digitally to complete the effect. The production shot various rooms and corridors that were transformed into Imperial bedrooms, state dining rooms and formal reception halls for a great many scenes of Napoleon as emperor. Great effort had to be made to remove the fragile furnishings of the permanent Blenheim collection for their protection and then redress the rooms with our own period pieces to enable these settings to be used as required. In some cases, those items C. LONDON COURTYARD LOCATION FOR GUILLOTINE SQUARE.DIGITAL MODEL BY DARIO NOLÉ. VECTORWORKS ELEVATION AND 3D RHINO BUILDINGS WITH SKETCHUP GUILOTINE AND CROWD. D. LONDON COURTYARD LOCATION FOR GUILLOTINE SQUARE.PRODUCTION STILL BY AIDAN MONAGHAN. E. INTERIOR JACOBIN CLUB. SHOT AT ST. JOHN'S CHURCH, LONDON. PRODUCTION STILL BY AIDAN MONAGHAN. F. ARC DE TRIOMPHE: UNDER CONSTRUCTION OVERLOOKING NAPOLEON'S RETURN TO PARIS. CONCEPT ILLUSTRATION. F E