Criminal Courthouse - “61st Street”
To capture the imposing scale of the George N Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago, we constructed a massive set that was continuous from the entrance, lobby, cafeteria, corridors, and two distinct courtrooms, to accommodate a continuous take (somtimes called a “one-er”) throughout the complex.
The high curtain glass fascade allows for dramatic lighting to enter the space, which in the real-life court building, is not nearly as high.
The prolonged pandemic-related pre-production period helped us get all of this massive construction done on time, and under budget.
The entire 24’ wall section behind the jury box wilds for camera, by the way.
The judge’s bench and jury box also move on casters for camera.
We took advantage of the Cinespace South Studio’s expansive stage space to build a nearly 300’ continuous set, which Production Designer John Kretchmer believed would allow the Director to set up any shot they wanted, anywhere.
