In this Production Design Talk Production Designer Jeannine Oppewall breaks down her work and design process on the 1998 film, Pleasantville. Moderating this conversation is Michael Shock.
She notes that, for once, the tag line was apt: “Nothing is as simple as black and white” for a film that was a comedy, albeit also pointedly political – dealing with racism, freedom, conformity, and oppression.
Oppewall describes designing, constructing, dressing and landscaping an entire town – consisting of a main street and one cross street. The unique challenge of this project was that it was filmed both in color and black and white, so everything had to be designed to be comprehensible and appropriate in both modes.
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