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“One of Our Sets Burned Down” | Chloe Domont, Fair Play

Alden Ehrenreich and Phoebe Dynevor in Fair PlayAlden Ehrenreich and Phoebe Dynevor in Fair Play

Every production faces unexpected obstructions that require creative solutions and conceptual rethinking. What was an unforeseen obstacle, crisis, or simply unpredictable event you had to respond to, and how did this event impact or cause you to rethink your film?

One of our sets burned down the week before we were supposed to film there. It was a bar location at a theater warehouse. We were like, “Okay, what now? We don’t have a set.” It was also tricky because we were filming at another part of that location already, and another company move would have killed us that day. So we put our heads together. Our amazing production designer, Steve Summersgill, found another corner of the warehouse and we discussed building a new bar there and repurposing materials to make it work.

At first, the new space felt inhibiting. But it actually ended up working out so much better. It felt much more intimate, the ceilings were much lower which added a visual element of pressure to an already tense scene. Both characters feel cornered for different reasons in the scene and I think the angles and architecture speak to that. In the end, I was really happy with how it turned out.

See all responses to our annual Sundance Question here.

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