spanned five thousand square feet, half of which
was dedicated to manicured lawns, shrubs and trees,
including the iconic President Jackson magnolia
trees. Under the direction of lead greensman Steve
Hanks, the task of creating this lush garden was
nothing short of monumental. In addition, his team
capably handled the stunning South Lawn sets, shot
at South Coast Botanical Garden in Palos Verdes. Its
centerpiece, a stone greenhouse invented for our
story, needed to seamlessly blend into the natural
surroundings, while introducing an imaginative flair
to the overall aesthetic.
The greens work wasn't limited to the nation's
capital. A key story point involved a jaunt to the
Cloud Forest in Ecuador, for which a location shoot
(or scout!) was sadly beyond the budget. Thus, the
lush scenery would have to be created in Southern
California, both in Palos Verdes and in the Raleigh
Studio parking lot. These massive jobs could never
be pulled off convincingly without local vendors
like Take 1 and Green Set.
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