VivaVideography's video: La La Land - Q A with Production Designer David Wasco

Q&A panel with the award-nominated "La La Land" production designer, David Wasco, and set decorator, Sandy Reynolds-Wasco at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, CA. Sandy had worked independently on Curtis Hanson's "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle." The director of "Lala Land," Damien Chazelle, asked David Wasco to look at Jacques Demy movies like "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" and other classic Hollywood musicals. He used the Jacques Demy movies as their bible. Primary colored worlds that used practical locations, but the designer would go in and paint an entire facade of a street in a certain color. This would be a great way to showcase the city of Los Angeles, and paint with color. He wanted Sebastian's apartment in black and white to contrast with Mia's bright and colorful apartment. Damien Chazelle focused on tempo. Not just musical tempo, but also the emotional tempo, and he used color to heighten the emotional tempo. Colors and patterns became more frenetic when they needed energy with the love story, and the colors became more muted during the breakup. Damien loved the deep sapphire blue of the Los Angeles sky at night, because it never gets completely black. The also referenced a lot of California painters and artists. Patsii Valdez. David Hockney. Cindy Sherman. They used original painted backings during the epilogue sequence. They also took advantage of existing painted art in the city. They channeled "American in Paris" during the final sequence. He wanted to embrace the incongruous architecture of Los Angeles, with garden court apartments next to gas stations, next to single family homes, etc. The opening musical number on the freeway was shot for real on the 105 to 110 freeway interchange ramp. The art department worked directly with the choreographer, Mandy Moore. They shot on location at the Griffith Observatory and mimicked the exterior shot from "Rebel without a Cause." They recreated the planetarium on a set for the floating dance sequence. Shot and edited by Viva Videography. La La Land. La Land. Lala Land. Musical. Production Design. David Wasco. Set Decoration. Sandy Wasco. Sandy Reynolds-Wasco. Damien Chapelle. Jacques Demy. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Los Angeles. Patsii Valdez. David Hockney. Cindy Sherman. American in Paris. Architecture. Mandy Moore. Griffith Observatory. Planetarium. Rebel without a Cause.