4 Shooting in a Non-Digital World
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 KING KONG
PRODUCTION NOTES
4Casting Kong:
4Filming Kong:
Shooting in Non-Digital World
4Other Stuff:
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 Even with all of the digital wizardry of Skull Island and 1933 New York, practical sets still had to be constructed to provide real-world filming spaces for the actors, filmmakers and crew.
A majority of photography took place on the back lot of Stone Street Studios in Miramar, New Zealand. Formerly a paint factory, the site now boasts several stages, one of which-Kong Stage-was expressly built for King Kong. Kong Stage is purported to be one of the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, measuring 2,276 square meters, and was completed just after the commencement of principal photography.
Additional shooting was completed on exterior sets constructed on a repurposed parking lot-most of these sets (which included the Venture) were backed by a blue or green screen to allow the insertion of digital backgrounds during post-production.
Other scenes were shot at Windy Point, a stretch of vacant land with a cliff face, located 10 minutes from the studio; Seaview, the site of the New York street sets, where craft services fed up to 850 people a day; and Mt. Crawford, the site of the Skull Island wall. Scenes of Ann's vaudevillian work were shot at Wellington's historic State Opera House, which features a large domed auditorium with a full orchestra pit, two tiered boxes and (according to rumor) the ghost of its architect William Pitt, who supposedly hanged himself when he discovered that the sight lines were not perfect. One of the few uses of actual location took place at Waikato River (the longest in New Zealand) in Taupo.
Scenes of Kong's New York stage debut were filmed at the recently restored Civic Theatre in Auckland, built in 1929 with an auditorium that seats 2,350 patrons.The sequence where Kong is first displayed and then breaks free required a crew of 250 and nearly 500 local extras; these extras were shot in plates, section by section, which (when later stitched together by Weta Digital) rendered the theater with a sold-out audience.
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As with the miniatures and digital environments and creations, set designs began with meetings between Jackson, production designer Grant Major and their teams. Those designs that received the go-ahead to become practical sets were then depicted in conceptual artwork (created by Major, Hunter or Bennett). Once approved, renderings became to-scale models, from which were drafted Major's technical drawings-the blueprints for actual construction. Major cites Victorian illustrator Gustave Doré as influential to his production design of Kong, particularly the artist's use of light and depth.
Of special concern was the eventual seamless combination with the miniature and digital elements. Major explains, “The whole nature of designing in film is changing as digital technology is evolving. Art departments are still building large sets, but they are now more likely to be pieces of sets, rather than whole environments that can be shot from any angle. With the extensive use of blue screen, the camera can now point in any direction and digital extensions will take care of background. So, as the art form becomes more advanced, the art department is becoming increasingly more involved in creating digital environments.”
A 179-foot coastal trader (or tramp steamer) called the Maniua was transformed into the largest prop in King Kong, the S.S. Venture. A plumb bow was added to the boat to mimic the shape that was popular in the 1920s and '30s. Major work was also done on the super-structure (the above deck buildings of the ship).
Though most of the scenes onboard the Venture were actually shot on sets, the boat was sent out to sea to capture second-unit footage of action on the water. The boat also provided great guidelines for the multiple other versions (sets, miniature, digital) utilized during production. To keep with as much realism as possible, the Venture's onscreen voyage from New York to Skull Island clocks in at six weeks-which is how long it would take such a steamer to travel the distance.
A replica set of the Venture was assembled at Stone Street Studios; the mobile set could be tilted on a 15-degree angle to shoot the crash landing on Skull Island. Smaller, detailed interior cabin sets were also built. Supervising art director Dan Hennah states, “With real ships from the 1920s, nothing is square, straight or level. The challenge for the construction department is to replicate the ship with all its bends, curves and weird angles, so we can shoot dialogue scenes in a controlled environment without losing the authenticity of the real ship.”Five different blocks of jungle sets were constructed for filming scenes on Skull Island. Each set featured one main shooting area and three or four minor jungle settings around it. These were dressed with rubber rocks (cast from real boulders) and live greenery, which kept the greens department busy running a full-time nursery.
The enormous New York streets set was the largest and most complex to construct. The site chosen at Seaview for New York is a flat, empty expanse measuring 200 meters by 160 meters. Several blocks were constructed with more than 80 shop fronts, which (when painstakingly re-dressed) stood in for both Times Square and Herald Square. Although most shops were merely façades, a few more were built with greater detail, including an Italian restaurant that boasted a complete set of tables, counters and waitresses. The Alhambra Theatre (where Denham presents the captive Kong in New York) was painted to match the architecture of the Civic Theatre in Auckland, where the interior scenes were shot. Macy's, the Empire State Building, the Globe Theatre and one of the burlesque theaters featured walk-in foyers. Constant upkeep of the set dressing was necessary, to combat the damage from the wind, rain and sun. This set also served (again re-dressed) as Tenement Street, the scene of the car chase involving Jack Driscoll.
Several “wet” sets were constructed on the back lot; these included the Skull Island Swamp and the Cove (the scene of the arrival on and departure from Skull Island). Working on the Swamp sets posed even more challenges to cast and crew, as most donned wetsuits (cast) or waders (crew) when filming. Cove scenes entailed battling wind (large fans) and water, replete with waves (created by the special effects department, who deployed large earth-moving vehicles fitted with barrels to replicate ocean waves).
The art department also built a replica of a Naval combat airplane (that would lead the aerial attack on Kong) called the Curtiss Helldiver; with no real versions in existence, the facsimile had to be reproduced in intricate detail using plans, blueprints and photographs. The impressive finished plane was fitted with guns capable of firing blanks.
A massive car hunt was also conducted all over New Zealand, and the production purchased 20 automobiles and four trucks, which were converted to the U.S., left-handed drive. Car enthusiasts and historic auto club members provided approximately 70 other vintage autos for the production.
Thousand of man-hours went into researching, securing, building and replicating period-appropriate set pieces and props. To keep costs down, once an authentic piece was purchased, it was then reproduced (often in multiples) by the crew.
The costume department was likewise charged with providing period clothing. Headed by costumer Terry Ryan (a first-time collaborator with Jackson), the team employed more than 20 people; that number swelled to 50 for the days where the hundreds of extras were involved. Costuming a film set in the 1930s meant extensive research and reliance on internet and public domain records, in addition to books and drawings from the era. Again, once existing examples from the time were purchased, they served as samples for reference and replication.
Ryan embraced the challenges of creating wardrobe for the widely diverse cast of characters (from Ann Darrow's vaudeville-to-movie-star rise, to Lumpy, the unhygienic cook and ship's doctor). He was also able to draw on several styles presented by the characters' differing nationalities and histories and create stylized costumes particular to a wide range of characters-burlesque performers, New York socialites, chorus girls and out-of-work men and women of the Depression. Ryan was also faced with the challenge of creating basic costumes that could be worn for long stretches of filming and not feel repetitious (Ann's robe and slip, Jack's suit).
4Next Page: 35-Year Journey Neared Its End
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