Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1535796
D I S C L A I M E R | P E R S P E C T I V E 5 9 What followed was a whirlwind. The initial briefing offered only broad strokes, but the scope was staggering: a story spanning twenty years, grounded in London but stretching across the picturesque towns of Forte dei Marmi, Viareggio, Pisa, and Venice in Italy. A contemporary narrative originally structured as eight, one-hour episodes. On initial reading, the first breakdowns were created, by episode, timeline, location and studio. The series would be shot like a film, not in HETV blocks, with Cuarón directing every episode. The scale and ambition were unmistakable. Before long, eight episodes became seven. But in reality, it felt like three and a half Alfonso Cuarón films— each packed with cinematic detail and emotional depth. Two of the industry's most acclaimed cinematographers were onboard: Emmanuel Lubezki to follow Cate Blanchett's character, and Bruno Delbonnel, with whom I had previously worked on Half-Blood Prince, to lens Kevin Kline's arc. Two hugely talented technicians, but so different in approach and style, this could be cool… One of the main objectives was to show the gulf in style, class, privilege and background, between the main characters and their homes. Catherine, from a working-class background to a multi- award-winning documentarian, married to a successful lawyer, downsizing her Notting Hill townhouse contrasting to Stephen, a widowed, retired teacher, living alone in a modest end-of- terrace house in North London. So, where do we begin? The Art Department's longstanding relationship with the location department became key from day one. We'd worked with many of them before—on Potter, Fantastic Beasts 3 and a host of smaller films. The brief was clear but broad. We needed to find the two main exteriors—Stephen's and Catherine's homes—without locking A. INTERIOR CATHERINE'S HOUSE, LOOKING ACROSS LIVING ROOM/ DOUBLE HEIGHT SPACE, SET BUILT ON E STAGE, OMA X STUDIOS, ENFIELD, LONDON. SET PHOTO. B. INTERIOR CATHERINE'S HOUSE, LOOKING TOWARD THE KITCHEN. SET PHOTO. B