Behind the Scenes of Hollywood Set Decoration: A Photographic Memoir
Moving Still is a photographic memoir by Lauri Gaffin, spanning 35 years as a set decorator, and is published by Damiani Books.
The book combines behind-the-scenes images with reflections on collaboration among directors, actors, production designers, and crew across a range of films from indie titles to blockbusters.
One notable example featured is the Chemosphere House by John Lautner (1960), used in Charlie's Angels, where a full stage build was required. The set included a precise tilt of wraparound windows to avoid camera reflections and showcased a panoramic Los Angeles backdrop alongside Scandinavian interiors.
The Aviation Warehouse in El Mirage, California, provided a 30-foot cockpit and jet-plane parts for desert-dune scenes. Special effects teams handled debris and post-production visual effects for these sequences.
For the Land of the Lost production, reproduction props such as wolf penis bones and early hominid skulls from Bone Clones and Valley Anatomical Preparations were utilized.
Thor’s Asgard feast sequences involved elaborate details, including 94 brass goblets, 200 golden apples of Idunn, large breads, gourds, honeycomb, cornucopias, and bloody-meat haunches arranged on the table.
The pilot episode of Fargo was shot in Edmonton, Alberta. It featured Babe’s deserted ice-cream stand topped with a big blue cow, which was built with doubles to accommodate multiple shots.
