Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1529668
5 6 P E R S P E C T I V E | N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 4 As production gained momentum, the constraints of the project became apparent. We faced a tight pre-production timeline, an even shorter shooting schedule, and a budget that was, to say the least, focused. While challenging, these constraints encouraged a streamlined and efficient approach, ensuring the film remained nimble and often fueling creativity. Our base of operations was in London at Leavesden Studios. To navigate these challenges, I brought on Nick Gottschalk as my Supervising Art Director and David Morison as my set decorator. Together, we rapidly assembled a talented Art Department, eager to be part of what promised to be an exciting and creatively rewarding production. As both the Deetz house and the town of Winter River played a minimal role in the early drafts of the script, returning to Vermont for just a few scenes seemed impractical. Instead, we intended to film those moments in London using a combination of set pieces and matte paintings. We invested considerable time planning these builds on the backlot and scouting for suitable locations around the area. However, as the script evolved and the house and town became more central to the story, it became clear that this approach wouldn't provide the authenticity we needed. In response, I made a late-stage trip to East Corinth, Vermont, to revisit the original hill where the Deetz house once stood and to explore the town. Despite being greeted by a thick blanket of snow, I was amazed to see how little the area had changed. Tim Burton soon joined me, marking his first time back on that iconic hill in thirty-eight years. It was a surreal experience, standing in a place that had existed only in my memory of the film. While Tim is pragmatic about shooting on location in unpredictable weather—something that's certainly the norm when filming in England—the thick snow and wintery conditions led him to remark that, for the shoot, we should aim for the clear blue skies and fluffy white clouds that gave the town its idyllic look in the first film. It was a tricky request, to say the least, but I'll come back to that later. C A A. INTERIOR DRY CLEANERS. FIRST NOTE BOOK THUMBNAIL BY MARK SCRUTON. B. INTERIOR DRY CLEANERS. DIGITAL MODEL VIEWS BY KATRINA MACKAY. C. INTERIOR DRY CLEANERS. ILLUSTRATION MODELED IN BLENDER BY THOMAS DU CREST. B