Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1542693
optimistic view, and made the decision to shoot the film in Charlotte. As usual, the plot thickened as soon as we arrived in town. The complexity of commercial real estate negotiations meant that days and weeks passed with no access to the store. While the production dealt with real estate brokers and contracts, the Art Department tried to stay productive and make use of our limited prep time. We started designing the concept for the store's layout by balancing the director's wish for space with our modest budget. It was a daunting task, exacerbated by having no access for a proper survey. Art Director Shawn Bronson decided to be proactive and surveyed the store by walking around it and peeking through its windows. Set designer Diana Rehnlund then took the rough measurements and built a SketchUp model so we could discuss staging and shelving placement, sight unseen. After a few rounds of discussions using rough floorplans and models, we settled on a plan encompassing twenty-three thousand square feet. With only five weeks of prep left, we were finally allowed into the store. We stormed it equipped with our floor plans, but once inside, reality hit. The structure had no working ventilation system or running water, and copper thieves had stripped most of its electrical wires. We realized our task wasn't just to design the store—we also had to restore its infrastructure and make it functional for the shooting crew. Thankfully, construction coordinator Bryan Stewart and his resourceful team of carpenters generously supported the location department through the complicated process of rehabilitation. Director Derek Cianfrance has a particular working method: He required a fully functioning A. SET DEC PLAN FOR SHELVING AND MERCHANDISE. DRAWN BY DIANA REHNLUND. B. TOY AISLE ELEVATIONS WITH GRAPHICS LAYOUT. DRAWN BY DIANA REHNLUND AND ANDREA JOHNSON TEJADA. C. VIEW FROM JEFFREY'S NEST. SKETCHUP MODEL. DRAWN BY DIANA REHNLUND. D. TOYS "R" US ENTRANCE. SKETCHUP MODEL. DRAWN BY DIANA REHNLUND. E. BIKE WALL/JEFF'S HIDEHOUT. SKETCHUP MODEL. DRAWN BY DIANA REHNLUND. A