The unseen world of production design

A 1906 Foursquare-style home in Massachusetts

Saklad says he had the Joyce Maynard novel the movie is based on for “years” before director and screenwriter Jason Reitman turned in a script, so there are details everywhere that are specific to the book — but not necessarily mentioned in the finished film. For example: Post-it notes decorate the kitchen, so Adele (Kate Winslet), who has been learning Spanish, can associate objects with their translation. “But,” he notes, “nobody explains why they’re there.”

“We took the novel as a kind of bible for the characters and the town,” says Saklad. “There are reams of bits and pieces that tell us how these characters have lived in this house that don’t necessarily appear in the script. It was exhilarating because we [Saklad and set decorator Tracey Doyle] had so many things to sink our teeth into.”

Captain Kirk’s off-Enterprise futuristic bachelor pad.

Kirk’s (Chris Pine) a “sexually active young man,” says Chambliss, which means his bedroom had to be “tricked out” with “futuristic contraception devices and sexual aids.” Chambliss also packed futuristic workout equipment and a 1970s-era turntable into the room, along with an array of uniforms that were largely tucked away in the closet, off-camera.

“Actors are always so appreciative of the details; it helps them embody their characters,” says Chambliss. “All of this real-life detail means you’re enhancing the ability of the actor to convey the character. We really are world builders, and the more detail we can express in that world, the richer the story is going to be.”

A car Oscar is driving

In the film, Oscar (Michael B. Jordan) is shot by police after being pulled off a Bay Area Rapid Transit subway. But before that, he’s shown driving a car. Beachler slipped her own BART card into the visor of the car, so even though it doesn’t appear on camera, it’s there to keep Jordon focused and in the scene.

“Sometimes you have to think outside of the box a bit more on a lower-budget film, create things yourself,” says Beachler. “The card was my own BART card; it was the first time I’d ridden the BART, and I realized I still had $10 on it when we were done, so I could use it again.”

The Gaines home

Galvin points out that it was important to make the home feel lived-in, so they tracked down period-relevant issues of Jet and Ebony, which might be picked up by an actor and read, even if not on camera. But he recalls that director Lee Daniels was very specific about what should go in the candy dishes: Nuts.

“He said it had to do with the time period and the level of the characters’ sophistication and their hospitality,” says Galvin. “He wanted walnuts on the set in little nut dishes — it meant a lot to him. So we were out scouring New Orleans for nuts one day, which were out of season. It just about made us crazy.”

Dwarves’ backpacks

Filling the packs of the travelers was a key decision: Dwarf Ori, for example, was given a journal and charcoal, which he used to sketch things on the journey. “It was a good experience for him, and we got a well-aged and used prop back” at the end, says Hennah.

“For each of the dwarves, we filled their packs with individual items that personalized them, and although these were unscripted items and never seen on screen, they added to each dwarf’s individuality,” Hennah says. “To add detail in unlikely places is rewarding for the actor.”