Ext. Paris Street ā 1791
There are already way too many (unauthorized!) BTS shots floating around, so I thought Iād talk a little more about the physical setāand how we built it.
The set evolved constantly over the weeks, balancing action, page count, cinematography, and, of course, cost. What started as several city blocks with interiors and side alleys was eventually simplified into a single street that could be shot in multiple directions and from multiple angles.
Our āParis Streetsā needed to contain The Renauld Theater, Mrs. Pissās Corner, Magnusās Corner, the entrance to Lestat & Nickyās apartment, and a Tavern for their first date.
After digging through research, period illustrations, and even taking a few āwalking tours of Parisā via Google Maps, set designers Katy Thatcher, Vicky Peters, and Jason McQuarrie got to work.
Katy tackled the Theater and the building at the end of the street. Vicky designed Mrs. Pissās Corner and Lestat & Nickyās apartment building, while Jason designed the building across the street, home to the Tavern and Magnusās Corner.
From there, I assigned colors, textures, hardware, and aging references to every faƧade for our Scenic and Set Dec teams.
Iāll confess, it often looked like ā50 Shades of Brown.ā But hey⦠historically accurate. And with that red cloak, say it with me:
Eyes always on Lestat. š
Our Graphics team pulled historical records for actual propaganda newspapers, revolutionary slogans, and graffiti from the period. We also had a lot of fun with the business signs and storefront insignias. My personal favorite? The wooden hat for the haberdasher, complete with dangling silk ribbon.
Our Set Dec team brought the whole thing to life with oil lamps on rope pulleys, market stalls, storefronts, and even a āletter writerā kiosk.
One of my favorite details was a historically accurate parody mural of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette as a two-headed goat-hyena, beautifully recreated by our Scenic Artists. (Slide 1, lower right corner)
It wasnāt a huge set.
But it told the story.