Recreating '50s NYC: A Set Designer's Vision

Set designer Stan Fisk brought the 1950s Lower East Side to vivid life, recreating its tenement houses, shops, and street vendors for a new film. His meticulous attention to detail ensured an authentic backdrop, transitioning from New York's bustling streets to a climactic match filmed in Tokyo's Ueno Park. Fisk emphasized capturing the core of the character's environment before his journey began.

Collaboration with director Josh Safdie fueled the creative process, with Safdie providing visual ideas and shared enthusiasm for location scouting. Fisk drew inspiration from period street photography and Ken Jacobs' documentary "Orchard Street" to capture the neighborhood's lively atmosphere. Key locations like Marty's shoe store required extensive restoration to achieve period accuracy.

Fisk and his team uncovered authentic, muted color palettes by examining layers of paint behind fixtures, a stark contrast to modern neutral tones. This deep dive into how people lived informed the visual design, focusing on an era rather than a specific year. They also recreated the iconic Lawrence's Broadway Table Tennis Club, a significant Black-owned business from the period.

Unexpectedly, the film's final scenes were shot in Tokyo due to logistical constraints with extras in Buffalo. Fisk worked with a local art department to finalize the concept and graphics, successfully capturing the spirit of Japan. The Japanese segment, filmed in Ueno Park, added a distinct yet powerful layer to the film's visual storytelling.