PRODUCTION DESIGN: The Mule is the story about Earl Stone, daylily farmer and unwitting drug mule. Story takes place from 2005-2011. Here I wanted to connect the audience to the characters in a more compassionate fashion. Earl Stone’s actual nursery was a lot more commercial. The location chosen is steeped in charm. The actual story takes place in Michigan where Earl’s daylily farms is located. Drug runs take him through several states and ends in El Paso, Texas. We played Georgia as Michigan and New Mexico as Texas. The roads included both previous locations but did extend toward Michigan. Our daylily farm was located in Augusta. Mary’s home as well. Tire shop and drug lord mansion were located in New Mexico. Not to bore the other locations were primarily in Georgia.
Both beautiful and terrifying. Day lily flowers have a 12 hr lifespan. They bloom in the morning and wither that night. Imagine my anguish trying to make sure the production had flowers to shoot. I have to give my greensman Luke Castleberry all the credit. He sourced flowers that would bloom around the time of shoot.
There were actually three states of distress. Pristine in the beginning. Slightly decayed to show Earl’s decline. Finally the foreclosure and the highest level of distress.