Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1538080
Safety - (Safety is always first!) Fun - (The point of the show is joy.) Make a Good Show - (We genuinely want people to enjoy watching.) Respect the Budget - (Always!) Respect Elders - (I'm still not exactly sure who they are but cheers to them!) There was a lot of discussion about the experience of the people who walk onto the sets. I would go as far to say the experience of people on the set is the main focus of the show's approach to design. Not to say that we don't concern ourselves with the viewers at home, but they are almost secondary. Sometimes only a portion of what is built is actually seen on camera. The participants never see off set in any direction—there is nothing that takes them out of the feeling of the set once they enter. The feeling fostered by being in the set is the most important element in the design of this show. The design team is always working toward that moment where a real person comes in and sees a familiar place recreated to the nth degree. Our aim is to make sure all the details are correct— something we've been calling "exact mode." My hope for exact mode is that it gives them the feeling of comfort, and that it sets a tone that we take their desire to rehearse very seriously, so that they can trust the rest of the process. In comedy, sometimes a designer finds opportunities to add another layer of humor that was not originally called out in the script. At other times, the sets need to be the straight man for the integrity of the joke. I think with "exact mode," the straight man concept is taken even further with its extreme details. The Rehearsal also tells the story of the show's creative process on camera as part of the story. This is what I love about making this show: It reveals the mind of the creative team. It shows what our intentions are and how we do it: from our models and drawings to the literal heavy lifting of the prop makers, set dressers and other craftspersons. Every department under our direction has been featured as part of the show. Season 2 of The Rehearsal focuses on aviation. This meant one of the main sets of the season was a replica of the George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Oftentimes decisions on building a set are made spontaneously. The show's Art Director, Ayaka Ohwaki, and I had to travel to Houston on a moment's notice to scout the airport location. By lunch, we knew we had our work cut A. NATE'S CREATIVE RULES. ART DEPARTMENT POSTER. B. AIRPORT SET IN PROGRESS. C. AIRPORT TERMINAL GRAPHIC DESIGNED BY TAK BOROYAN. D. HOUSTON AIRPORT. SET PHOTO. E. HOUSTON AIRPORT GATE. SET PHOTO. F. HOUSTON AIRPORT. SET PHOTO. G. HOUSTON AIRPORT SECURITY. SET PHOTO. A B