PRODUCTION DESIGNER: The events surrounding the Richard Jewell story were quite the undertaking. Recreating the 1996 Olympic event and tragedy required an expansive scope. Through the work of locations and our production team we were able to utilize Centennial Park. The park had gone through several renovations since the Olympics. Most of which were additional water features that encroached on the location of where the performing stage was located. It also surrounded the existing sculpture where Alice Hawthorne perished. The actual apartment the Jewells lived and the law firm Watson Bryant worked were also shot. The AJC, FBI and remaining locations were recreations.
The interior Jewell Apt was built on stage. We added a partial exterior for entrances and exits. This could also be covered at the location as we matched the entryway & staircase.
We built about 2/3rds of the overall stage. The width had to be shortenned due to the location in which the stage was spotted. The height was limited for cost savings needs. We established a height where most of the shots could be handled in camera. VFX would extend where needed.
The Lighting and Control towers were built as they existed. SPX rigged the side wall for the explosion.
The actual sculpture exists but in an inaccessible location. We inquired about relocating but it was immovable. So we built this replica along with the foundation. It was rigged for pyrotechnics for the shrapnel hits.
The stage was fully lit with rock-and-roll programmable lighting. The back screen 20 x 20 was a series of LED panels. Our Video playback sup. Liz Radley collected all the actual footage. All lighting and playback occured in camera