Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1531774
But what made the Village, the Village? For me, it was the mix of artists living closely together within a small footprint. Folk singers, poets, painters, beatniks and jazz musicians all sharing the same space. With low rents, they could afford apartments, coffee shops and studios. This rich, layered visual tapestry of the Village was essential to our storytelling. Inspired by this art scene, I took a humanist approach to the Production Design, meaning that I decided all the scenery would highlight hand-made craftsmanship. I mandated we forgo digital production techniques whenever possible and lean into old-school crafts, like hand-painted signage, sets built using hand tools, and scenic painting with as much character and age as possible. I wanted to see brush strokes and all the rough edges of this world. In terms of color, I was particularly inspired by the New York Kodachrome photography of Saul Leiter, Ernst Haas and Tod Papageorge, and shared their images with cinematographer Phedon Papamichael, as well as my scenic team. Using these many visual references, I worked closely with Concept Illustrator Kristian Llana to influence the lighting of the sets, who explored various lighting scenarios in Blender 3D. The film unfolds with Dylan hitchhiking to New York City in the back of a 1962 Ford Galaxie station wagon. The production chose a stretch on the Pulaski Skyway, a 3.5-mile-long bridge leading toward Manhattan's skyline. I sold Mangold on a POV shot of the Kearny power station—a landscape framed through the bridge's blurred railings—panning to reveal Dylan in the back of the vehicle. Utilizing the BlackMagic app on my iPhone, I adjusted the shutter speed to 1/25s and improvised with polarized sunglasses to "stop down" the camera and blur the railings. To my delight, Mangold embraced the concept, and this shot evolved into the film's captivating opening. Dylan's drop-off was shot at the Holland Tunnel's exit at dawn on a Sunday, with a five-minute window provided by the New York Port Authority. Our dozen picture vehicles had to loop back to New Jersey for each reset, making the shoot both authentic and challenging. I was amazed we were permitted to disrupt traffic even for a short period, as over a million vehicles per month rely on the tunnel. MCANNS BAR SIGN TOP VIEW Scale: 3/4" = 1'-0" - 02 10 1/2" 17'-2 1/2" 4'-4" 11" 10 1/2" 8'-7 1/2" 1 - 2 - 3 - BAR SIGN BAR SIGN OUTRIGGER SIGN LINE OF SHED ROOF BELOW APPROXIMATELY 7" RISE TO 14" RUN DISCUSS PUTTING SPREADERS IN WINDOW OPENINGS TO SUPPORT SIGN REST BAR SIGNS ON SHED ROOF REST BAR SIGNS ON SHED ROOF BAR SIGN BOX Scale: 3/4" = 1'-0" 3 02 6 1/4" 7'-5 1/2" 6 1/4" 8'-6" 11 1/2" 1'-10 1/2" 1 1/2" CAN LETTERS ON RAILS WITH NEON PAINTED LETTERS ON SIGN FACE WITH NEON STRAIGHT NEON TUBE 2'-11 1/2" STEEL ANGLE AS NEEDED TYP WALL MOUNT SIGN VERT SC Scale: 3" = 1'-0" 1A 02 3" CAN LETTERS WITH NEON PER GFX 11 1/2" 4 3/4" 11 1/2" 1'-10 1/2" 1 1/2" 10 1/2" 3/4" LOCATION SHED ROOF CUT SIGN END COVERS PANELS TO ROOF EDGE 9 3/4" 4" 1" 4" R 4" 2" 7" 2 1/2" LEAVE OPEN PROVIDE SIGN METAL COVER FOR ENDS ONCE COPED 2'-11 1/2" 1 1/2" 4" 1 1/2" 2 1/2" 1/2" NEON STRAIGHT TUBE SIGN METAL FACE WITH NEONS MOUNTED BAR SIGN BOX Scale: 3/4" = 1'-0" 1 9 1/2" 15'-6" 9 1/2" 17'-1" 11 1/2" 1'-10 1/2" 1 1/2" CAN LETTERS ON RAILS WITH NEON PAINTED LETTERS ON SIGN FACE WITH NEON STRAIGHT NEON TUBE 2'-11 1/2" DISCUSS RIGGING TO LOCATION OUTRIGGER SIGN HORIZONTAL SECTION Scale: 3" = 1'-0" 2A 02 CAN LETTERS WITH NEON PER GFX SIGN METAL FACE 3" PLYWOOD PLUG FOR CURVE SIGN METAL FRAME R 4 3/4" R 5 1/2" 11" 3/4" 9 1/2" 3/4" 3'-10 1/2" 5 1/2" 4'-4" A. MACDOUGAL STREET EXTERIOR. SET PHOTO. B. GASLIGHT CAFE SIGNAGE. GRAPHIC LAYOUT BY ASHLEY WALDRON. C. MCANN'S BAR. CONCEPT ILLUSTRATION BY KRISTIAN LLANA. D. MCANN'S BAR EXTERIOR SIGN. CONSTRUCTION DETAIL BY BENJAMIN COX. E. GREYSTONE STATE HOSPITAL EXTERIOR. CONCEPT ILLUSTRATION BY MATTHEW SAMA. F. WOODY GUTHRIE'S HOSPITAL ROOM. CONCEPT ILLUSTRATION MODELED IN BLENDER BY KRISTIAN LLANA. G. WOODY GUTHRIE'S HOSPITAL ROOM. BUILT IN THE DAYTON STREET SCHOOL IN NEWARK, NJ. PRODUCTION STILL. C A B D