Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/747534
Above, clockwise from top left: A preliminary sketch of the hero church. The church in mid-construction, sided with 3/8" thick stock to give the clapboard a warped and weathered look. The town in mid construction; and nearly finished with its church at the head of the street. Left: Ms. Yingling's rendering of the Rose Creek town from the south shows the townspeople's crops on the left, the windmill and water source of the town, and the approach from what we called South Street. The road to the right leads to the miner's camp, and the smoke in the air was from the gold mine being blasted. secured, north of the city of St. Francisville, on the Mississippi about thirty miles north of Baton Rouge. The two different layouts that Art Director Sean Jennings and I came up with show the flexibility that one must have to adapt to the ever-changing decisions on a movie. The town went from trees to more of a desert landscape. In Louisiana, that was a challenge in itself. I knew that two of the main characters would be introduced in this town, so I tried to make it a memorable moment in the film. The same challenges were present that were encountered at Rose Creek: shipping containers for protection from a potential hurricane, other containers for storing equipment and several practical interiors with windows looking out onto the street to create an environment where, when a stranger came to town, he would be noticed by everyone. In this particular town, I had Illustrator Kathryn Yingling create sketches based upon the location, rendering various angles from Chisolm's (played by Denzel Washington) point of view. What I like to start with, after establishing an approved layout for the town, are black-and-white sketches from the actor's point of view as he sees the town for the first time, followed by his ride into the town. Then, color can be added which gives an entire different dimension to the look of the town.