Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1521244
The more I learned about the history of the game and the different factions and environments, the more I began to like it. I realized the challenge was to really try to make the game with all its scope and detail come alive. Nara and I placed an array of game images that related to the story on the conference room wall and held a meeting with the production to say, "This is what it's going to look like." It looked great but it also was totally intimidating, we all now had to figure out how to actually make it happen. In more conversations with Jonathan, he said he wanted to give the show a retro technicolor feel. To achieve that, the production shot on film with an anamorphic frame ratio. Jonathan also wanted to push the epic elements in the game by finding ways to increase scale and scope. We discussed using a few distant wasteland location ideas and using a Volume digital stage as well. Nolan has been involved in developing Volume technologies and this would be the first time we could use it fully in series work. A first for me as well, as I only had some small experimental experience in working with Volume technology. With the task now laid out, I was fortunate to have a good amount of prep time, which I used every minute of it as there was a lot to accomplish. One of the first things was dealing with was the T-60 power armor suit as it takes quite a lot of development time. Nolan really wanted a working suit and to use very little CG. Because the design was direct from the game I felt I could get it going until the costume designer Amy Wescott was on board and could take it over. So I enlisted the two Prop Masters, Michael Jortner and Peter Gelfman to supervise, develop and find a manufacturer who could handle this type of suit. He is particularly good at motion models and was a good choice to starting to figure out how to make the suit function. We teamed up with Legacy, an LA-based company that has a lot of experience in making these types of suits, but the amount of functionality we were looking for was very difficult. The prop department worked directly with them. There was an 18-week projected turnaround to get the first prototype, which is why we had to develop it right off the bat. We ended up with a few types of suits for different functions. It required a small team of people to tend to it during shooting, who were provided by Legacy. But the effort was worth the result, wth the big benefit of having a real suit in the majority of the shots. Meanwhile, Supervising Art Director Laura Ballinger, whom I had also worked with on The Knick, got a very A B C A. EXT T-60 POWER ARMOR, PRODUCTION STILL, FILMED AT THE WENDOVER AIR FORCE BASE IN UTAH, THE SUITS IN THIS SHOT ARE ALL PRACTICAL AND WERE A MIX OF HERO AND MODIFIED COS PLAY SUITS. B. LUCY'S VAULT APARTMENT, ILLUSTRATION BY ALI KASHFI, SET DECORATOR REGINA GRAVES WORKED CLOSELY WITH ALI SO ALL THE FURNISHING AND LIGHTING WERE VERY CLOSE TO THE FINAL LOOK. ALI USED UNREAL ENGINE, TWINMOTION, RHINO, AND SKETCHUP PRO FOR 3D MODELS AND PHOTOSHOP FOR TOUCH-UPS. C. CHET'S VAULT APARTMENT, PRODUCTION STILL, FOR- MERLY LUCY'S APARTMENT WHICH WAS DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE NUMEROUS CHANGEOVERS. D. VAULT APARTMENT USED IN THE VAULT TECH SALES COMMERCIAL. SET PHOTO BY JOJO WHILDEN. E. LUCY'S APARTMENT, SET PHOTO BY JOJO WHILDEN.