Episode 7, Season 5 - Hitting Home

  The Production Design mantra is, “If you notice our work, then we’re not doing our jobs.” Making natural-looking set decorations and artwork takes a lot of effort, especially when shooting a retro time period like the opening scene set in Harvey’s childhood home. Rather than going over-the-top with 1980s details, the team opted for a few subtle ones: a genuine rabbit-ear television set and a couple fictitious “Bleecker” beers.

  Harvey and Donna have been celebrating their work anniversary at their favorite restaurant on this night every year… but until this scene, that restaurant never actually existed. Although production regularly uses local eateries as shooting locations, this set was built specially for their dinner scene. When shooting at a real-world restaurant, the kitchen is usually made available to the production, but in this case a whole prep kitchen had to be built so the team could assemble dinner for dozens of extras.

  Using small props during conversations – opening letters, moving boxes, tossing file folders – is a directorial trick to add dynamism to otherwise straightforward scenes, and can be used to convey subliminal information. When Jack makes his overture about honesty to Mike, the letter-opener adds an edge to their exchange. Can Mike really be sure Jack won’t stab him in the back?

  When Jessica asks Mike, “You know how hard I worked to get a view like this?” we know all too well the blood, sweat and tears she’s referring to. But a lot of behind-the-scenes work also went into making Jessica’s office view a reality. A member of the art department flew to New York and photographed the skyline from a rooftop in daytime and at night. Those photos were then stitched into a panorama and printed on sixty-five-foot screens. Between location, travel and printing costs, each backdrop can end up costing thousands of dollars. 

  The climactic fight between Louis and Harvey is a big deal story-wise, so the execution had to be just right. And because action scenes, even brief ones, require extra planning to ensure everyone’s safety, the team was prepared to shoot this scene all night. But, although several tempered glass tables were at the ready, the moment when Louis crashes through the glass was captured in a single perfect take.