Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1529668
M A R I A | P E R S P E C T I V E 9 1 Open on black. We hear the introduction to Verdi's "Ave Maria," from Otello. Then a voice begins to sing…OPENING SEQUENCE I've been fortunate to collaborate with Pablo Larraín on several projects leading up to Maria. During the production of Spencer, our previous project, Pablo was already contemplating Maria Callas as the final woman in his unofficial trilogy. He often shared stories about how his mother introduced him to opera as a young boy, sparking a deep, lifelong admiration for Callas. By the time we wrapped Spencer, he had already started developing Maria with writer Steven Knight, and over the next eight months, we exchanged ideas and visuals while juggling other projects. Maria felt like a natural continuation of our work on Spencer, and I've learned to place complete trust in Pablo's vision. His talent for humanizing larger-than-life figures, particularly significant female icons, is unmatched, and I knew that he would bring the same complex character portrayal to Maria Callas. Maria is an intimate portrayal of the legendary opera singer Maria Callas, and being invited to collaborate on such a personal project always offers unique challenge. Small movies often come with tight budgets and demanding schedules, requiring artists to innovate and grow as designers. In this instance, despite the modest budget, the Art Department was tasked with creating a visual landscape that captured the grandeur of Callas' world, from the sweeping operatic scale of her public persona to the more intimate, private spaces she inhabited. Shooting across multiple countries became inevitable, as Maria Callas' life was lived on a global stage. The design team visited numerous archives and collections, including the Maria B. MARIA'S DRESSING ROOM. ILLUSTRATION BY GUY HENDRIX DYAS. WATERCOLOR WITH ADDITIONAL PHOTOSHOP ENHANCEMENT. VARIOUS ARTIFACTS INCLUDED A COLLECTION OF GREEK AND ROMAN BUSTS, MANY OF WHICH WERE MOULDED IN PLASTER WITH BROKEN FACES, SYMBOLS OF A DAMAGED PERSONALITY. C. MARIA'S DRESSING ROOM. THE INSPIRATION FOR THE UNUSUAL LAMPS CAME FROM A 1954 PHOTOGRAPH OF MARIA IN HER CHICAGO DRESSING ROOM. PHOTOGRAPHY BY PABLO LARRAÍN. B C