Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1521244
Their journey was simple: hang out in their "booth" and then go to the shopping mall, which has a money transfer center to send money home and then back to their employer's home. Of course, the pandemic made it difficult for the production to get the real location, so we ended up with an empty mall where we had to redress all the storefronts, build our own "Western Union" set on the empty spot, and redo all the graphics. Yellow was the dominant color in this episode as I wanted to represent 2014 Hong Kong, it being the color of the Umbrella Movement which we recreated in the LA stage backlot umbrella and occupy sets. While Mercy's apartment set was not shown much in episode five, it reflects more of local housing in Hong Kong. Unlike Margaret or Hilary's luxury apartments, Mercy's apartment was situated within a four-floor warehouse-like building in Hong Kong. We were lucky to have this location because its versatility and the unique architectural elements traditional to Hong Kong, including the discounted tiles and symbolic iron window frames, were perfect. On top of this authenticity, we intentionally made Mercy's apartment set have a layout from the dark, narrow hallway, step into a spacious kitchen, adjacent to the end of the narrow hallway was a top-to-bottom faded pink-tiled bathroom, and exiting the bathroom through a cheaply made bifold, off-the-shelves double plastic door. This eclectic layout added depth and personality to Mercy's living space. Mercy's apartment becomes more than just a set— it embodies a representation of the community for the underprivileged. The supermarket Wen works at has a back door connected to the "Mei Foo walkway-alcove" building set. In its alcove, a mop formation that Wen sets is prominently shown in the series, as we find out that it's located right next to Margaret's "secret" apartment. This was a nice way to tie E E. MERCY'S APARTMENT. HONG KONG LOCATION. DIRECTOR'S PLAN BY PING SUN HSU. F. MERCY'S APARTMENT. VIEW FROM BEDROOM TO BATHROOM. SET PHOTO. G. MERCY'S APARTMENT. KITCHEN. SET PHOTO. H. MERCY'S APARTMENT. BEDROOM. SET PHOTO. F G H