Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1531774
The interior of Dylan's apartment—where he lived from 1961 to 1964—was constructed as a stage set to accommodate five days of filming. Using scans of Don Hunstein's original negatives, we meticulously recreated every minute detail, from Dylan's furniture and record player to his typewriter, books, artworks and even his bathtub. The set featured layers of painted texture on the plaster walls, adding to the authenticity. A backing by Roscoe Digital Imaging, captured at the exterior location, was expertly manipulated to reflect the accurate 1960s New York skyline. We had the great fortune of shooting at the exterior of the well-preserved Chelsea Hotel in NYC, and Joan Baez's room and its connecting hallway were built on stage. The Chelsea Hotel of the early 1960s, known as the "Dowager of 23rd Street," was recreated with a neon HOTEL sign attached to a bay window overlooking a rented New York backing. I thought we captured the gritty, bohemian atmosphere that attracted artists, musicians, and poets like Dylan Thomas, Arthur Miller, Leonard Cohen, and Andy Warhol. The Monterey fairgrounds were built in a community park with a stage and retractable old cloth ceiling, accurately depicting the festival's atmosphere. The stage was redressed over two weeks to depict the Newport Folk Festival. This set was the most extensive, covering both the 1964 and 1965 festivals, including the iconic moment when Dylan "went electric," stunning his fans. While based on thorough research, I chose to enrich the wings and backstage areas with additional layers to support the numerous scenes transitioning between the stage and its surroundings. The set decoration team provided one thousand wooden folding chairs, and VFX extended the crowd beyond the two hundred extras available. For the night scenes, the set was repainted in a darker shade which A. DYLAN'S 4TH STREET APARTMENT INTERIOR. BEDROOM. 200 UNPUBLISHED PHOTOS BY PHOTOJOURNALIST TED RUSSELL WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN RECREATING DYLAN'S APARTMENT. SET PHOTO. B. DYLAN'S 4TH STREET APARTMENT INTERIOR. LIVING ROOM. SET PHOTO. C. JOAN BAEZ'S CHELSEA HOTEL ROOM. SET PHOTO. D. VIKING MOTEL EXTERIOR. SHOT AT THE VICTORIAN HOTEL IN CAPE MAY, NJ. SET PHOTO. A C B D