Mad Men backdrops

[Matthew OSullivan]

Hi all,

 

The show Mad Men uses backdrops quite a lot in the Manhattan office set (skyscrapers outside the windows, everywhere...) I'm trying to figure out if they're using translights, paintings, projections... anyone have any insights? I'm working on a flexible system for doing this with rear-screen projections, with multiple windows in plain sight, on standing sets where the time of day changes often etc.

 

Thanks!

[K Borowski]

I want to say I read in an article about them that they were translights, but could be mistaken.

 

 

I'm a big fan of the show, but sadly don't have it available to me in HD. I can't really tell from the standard def. version.

[Matthew OSullivan]

Yeah it's hard to tell. I seem to remember seeing motion in one scene, which made me think that at least sometimes it's projection. If you run across that article, let me know if you think of it. Cheers!

[Christine Hodinh]

Matthew, the article was the cover story in October's American Cinematographer. Chris Manley said that Roscoe custom-made an 18-foot-tall Translite for them. It's a great feature--http://www.theasc.com/magazine_dynamic/October2009/MadMen/page1.php

[Matthew OSullivan]

Great read, thanks Christine!

[K Borowski]

Yeah, that was what I read. Very interesting to note that the entire office set is actually lit by the fluorescent fixtures on the ceilings (with tubes augmented for film of course, and occasional suppplements).

 

Thanks for the link Christine!