Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/780285
P E R S P E C T I V E | M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 7 53 various journalists, publications and news outlets about how the look of this unique production was achieved. The following are selections from recent interviews published in the fall of 2016. ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST – October 4, 2016 by Elizabeth Stamp From The West Wing to The American President, the White House has long been a favorite setting for Hollywood. The latest political drama to take place in the Oval Office is ABC's new series Designated Survivor, which stars Kiefer Sutherland as a cabinet member who suddenly becomes president after an attack during the State of the Union Address. The team brought on Production Designer Cabot McMullen to create the pilot and many of the show's permanent sets. "We did our homework," says McMullen. "We visited all the key places that we were re-creating. Through the creation of these sets, we tried to tell you something about the characters that the script couldn't tell you with words." Through research and meetings with active FBI agents, the Secret Service and the Washington, DC, Metro Police, and even a visit to the West Wing and the real Oval Office, McMullen and his team worked to get the details spot on. "In a world where you've got House of Cards, Scandal and a 24/7 news cycle, these are places that everybody is familiar with and that we see every day on our screens," he says. "Therefore, to accurately tell a fictitious story like this, set in completely real surroundings, is a challenge." While the establishing aerial and driving shots were done in Washington, DC, the majority of the pilot was filmed in Toronto, giving the team complete control over the surroundings. Left: A concept sketch by Mr. McMullen of the FBI safe house office where HUD Secretary Tom Kirkman, the designated survivor, is sequestered during the annual State of the Union speech. The hand-drawn sketch, in graphite on vellum with digital enhancement in the Procreate app on an iPadPro, was inspired by various Cold War military interiors and by Canada's "Diefenbunker." Below: A screen capture of the finished set, built on Stage 2 at Downsview Studios, which had a visual effects backing outside window where Kirkman could see the Capitol building go up in flames. Bottom: Another screen capture of the POTUS motorcade route, based on stories told to by FBI agents and the DC Metropolitan Police. A 2nd unit shot this sequence on the streets of Washington, DC, and in Toronto, and it was then played back as full- scale video process plates on stage to complete the SUV interior shots of the driving sequence.