Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1531774
that felt important to not include was any reference to Reagan's "Let's Make America Great Again" slogan, as that already felt co-opted by another politician. The team's first challenge was matching photos from Reagan's Oval Office and replacing the historic President with Dennis Quaid. We had 97 photos in the film that required Photoshopping. The Art Department also needed set dressing photos of Nancy (Penelope Anne Miller) and their children. We were able to secure one hour with the talent to get all the photos we needed for the film. Using different lighting setups, we were able to position them in such a way that the shadows matched the source photo and, with some de-aging, could be a passable replacement to Photoshop Dennis' head onto Ronald Reagan's body. This was quite challenging to do, as today's modern camera doesn't contain any of the grain or color profiles of a Kodak film camera from the 1960s or 80s. For each photo we were creating hybrid versions of ones that came from a different camera or decade, so I was constantly figuring out new ways to apply filters and reduce the image quality of the actors to better match the source photos. These photos for the Oval Office were just the tip of the iceberg in the graphics department. Several other graphics were required to be literal and figurative backdrops for the film, including the Brandenburg Gate, the inaugural ball banners and posters and signs for Reagan's gubernatorial and presidential campaigns as well as the 1976 Republican National Convention. From small scale to large, the Art Department reproduced coasters, napkins, buttons and menus for print. Viktor Petrovich, played by Jon Voight, had been studying Ronald Reagan since long before the Cold War days. His office was scripted to be a treasure trove of Reagan artifacts that required documents in both English and Russian. Luckily, Victor's office was scheduled towards the end of the shoot. SAG Office One of the most exciting sets to recreate was Reagan's office as SAG Vice-President, before he was elected SAG President. I reached out to the amazingly helpful Barbara Hall at the ADG archives, who was able to point us to some beautiful archival photos from Marc Wanamaker at Bison Archives, as well as a historian from SAG; Valerie Yaros. Valerie informed me of two helpful facts—back then it was not shortened to the "SAG" used nowadays, but was pronounced "S.A.G." but more importantly—Reagan didn't have an office at the Screen Actors Guild. Even though I expressed this point, I was still asked to build a Ronald Reagan vinyl for his office door. It was art imitating life. The scene in "Ronald's Office" in which Ronald meets Nancy and she checks her empty datebook before confirming dinner plans, taking place in Reagan's S.A.G. office that didn't exist, felt absolutely perfect. . Cold War vs. COVID During the second pause of short COVID shut-downs, Production Designer Chris Rose came to my office with a question. "How quickly could you make all the products for the commercial montage?" And my response was "How many do you need?" I already had three types of cigarettes built, I thought. How many more could he need? I received a list of fifteen products that were needed to match period branding A B C A. CREDENZA PHOTO. PENELOPE ANN MILLER AS NANCY REAGAN. B. CREDENZA PHOTO. RON AND NANCY BOARD AIR FORCE ONE. C. CREDENZA PHOTO, NANCY AT CHRISTMAS.