Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/859699
course development with tremendous production value right on the coast that would let us build sets. This became the anchor that opened the island to the production. While still exploring every square inch of the Vancouver area for relevant locations, I enlisted the help of location scout Lori Balton to dig into the California portion. This led to an extensive survey of the Sacramento Delta, Yosemite, Mono Lake, Death Valley…so many hidden treasures along the way. This part of the process always reminds me how lucky I am to be doing this work. Ape Fortress Back in Los Angeles, design was underway on the apes' hidden fortress. Since their old home had burned down in the last film, I knew I would need to relocate them and had been dreaming of new spaces. Matt wanted them to have a home deep in the forest, hidden from the human armies, a fortress hidden behind a waterfall. This was a tantalizing concept full of challenges. There were lots of scenes connecting the waterfall to the outside world so it was a complex puzzle figuring which aspects would be on location, stage or digital. It felt important to use the same architectural Top: Joe Studzinski drew this Photoshop painting over a location photograph for the abandoned oyster farm, built on location on Vancouver Island, BC, on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Pacific. Following the apes' path up the coast, this spot was used as a standin for Point Reyes. Above: Pencil drafting by John Berger of the abandoned oyster farm. Mr. Chinlund calls this one of the most stunning locations he has ever worked. Below, left and right: Two set photographs of the finished oyster farm set. This entire world was built from scratch by the construction and set decorating crew. The greens crew imported several tons of oyster shells to create the driveway.