Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/891583
P E R S P E C T I V E | N OV E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7 57 I had the fields plowed in period-correct furrow widths and in directions which accentuated their length, leading the eye to the horizon. We encountered torrential rain and therefore, mud during most of our prep and throughout the entire five weeks of filming. Although perfect for what was seen through the lens, the muddy conditions made work difficult before and behind the camera, especially when adding in 90-plus- degree heat and stifling humidity. I believe the adverse situations added to the look of the film, as we, the filmmakers, were experiencing the conditions of the characters as described by the writers: Hillary, Virgil, Dee and yes, Eudora. The first two days of shooting called for numerous sets, so I did my best to consolidate locations. For the first day, we found locations for a funeral, a train station and a hotel room in New Orleans. On the second, an overgrown, unoccupied antebellum home north of the city provided the exterior for a house in Mississippi, the interiors for a home in Memphis and army barracks in Europe. The rear of the house and an adjoining field were used as the exteriors for the Jackson's new home. Each of the four vignettes required a major transformation addressing the palette and textures specifically to contrast with the muddy tone found on the plantation. The town of Lutcher, just across the river from the Felicity plantation, gave me a block of period storefronts that unfortunately had been thoroughly modernized. In a five-day sprint, we emptied, built, painted, aged and dressed the entire block for the one-day shoot of Tricklebank's Mercantile, the general store in our script. This covered not only the interior and exterior for the store, warehouse and rear-loading dock, but also addressed seven additional structures adjoining the main location. It rained for two of the five prep days. Not your typical rain, this was Louisiana thunderstorm A. Garrett Hedlund as Jamie McAllan building Laura a shower. B. The Jackson family church under construction. C. Henry and Jamie at the barn, built on site near the McAllan house. D. Production photo of Rob Morgan as Hap Jackson plowing the fields, showing the long vistas available on the Felicity plantation. E. Cinematographer Rachel Morrison checking the light to film her son Wiley, as one of the McAllan infant girls, on the set of the McAllan home in Memphis. F. An overgrown antebellum home that served as a location for four vignettes. D E F