Slow Burn

From the beginning, we wanted to re-create the visceral feeling of being an average American at the time. The specialized production approach we call the "room" is designed to put us back in that American living room for a first-hand experience.

Developing pre-vis looks and art direction for the space, we worked to envision not only the nostalgic, 70's aesthetic, but also the lighting and camera techniques that could capture the series' ranging narrative tones.

After the studio shoot, directed by BigStar ECD, Josh Norton, we transitioned into another important part of the series: TV compositing. Central to the living room layout and the story, the television is perhaps the most important prop in the room.

It served as a portal in and out of archival footage and interviews, as well as a general-use frame. Often we pull out of the TV to reveal a wide view of the room in various states. The state of the room is always informed by the story - day, night, timelapse, clean, cluttered and so on.

In addition to crafting the atmosphere of the room, comping various archival, and even staging an insert shoot for additional tabletop elements at the BGSTR studio, we created several bespoke animations. From easel explainers, to fully illustrated drawings of our main characters, and custom, occasionally tongue-in-cheek informational graphics, we continuously allude to the time period and nature of the story in unique ways.