SEE NEW PHOTOS FOR SEASON 2 IN THE GALLERY ABOVE!!!
“There’s no question that SUCCESSION, at its root, is a family story. There’s also a tragic side to it...you see how massive wealth and power distort and twist and wound this family...”
–Director/Executive Producer Adam McKay, HBO
SETDECOR checked in with Set Decorator George DeTitta Jr SDSA about the hit series...tragedy, drama & wry humor amid luxurious surroundings...just before the second season began, and again now that it has completed as fascinating a season as the first! Check the gallery above for photos from Season 2 now as well!
“HBO’s SUCCESSION centers around the Roy family, a tumultuous and contrarian group at the head of a billion-dollar multimedia empire.
Creating the world of the super elite on an episodic television schedule was an ambitious challenge. Working from a pilot that helped establish a distinct look, we faced the usual dilemma of finding and designing studio and location settings under strict time constraints.”
“Steve Carter, our production designer, and his team of art directors designed several stage sets: our main set, Logan Roy’s Townhouse, along with a complete luxury hospital wing and suite, a few other rooms, and a corporate gym. Along with the stage sets, we designed the corporate setting for the Roys’ international media conglomerate, Waystar, which was built on location in a completely empty floor in New York’s World Trade Center. Starting with a stark, raw space and uneven concrete floors, we faced the challenge of creating a modern, glistening corporate headquarters in under four weeks—floors, walls, ceilings, furnishings and all!”
“We didn’t want to draw overt attention to the family’s wealth with the decoration of the show, instead selecting a mix of pieces, both contemporary and antique, to tell the story of their elevated place in society more subtly. Sourcing appropriate, high-end set dressing on an episodic television schedule presented another very specific challenge, and we relied heavily on many gracious vendors to rush goods to us in very tight timeframes.”*
“Here is the end result of that hard work, and I’m incredibly thankful to have a brilliant set decoration team who delivered such beautiful work. Without their creative energy and determination, none of this could have been achieved. Many thanks to Lauren DeTitta, Daniel Kersting, Judy Gurr, Laura Nemesi, Dan DeTitta, my fabulous office staff, and of course Bryan Walsh and his set dressing team who worked tirelessly around the clock.”
*The gracious and exceptional vendors whom DeTitta particularly thanks include SDSA International Business Members:
Newel Props
Art for Film
Bridge Props
Carpet Time Inc
City Knickerbocker Inc
Eclectic/Encore Props
Prop N Spoon
Alpha Companies Motion Picture Rentals
Waystar Congressional Hearing,
Senate Hearing Room, Season 2...
“We very early on researched the different Senate hearing rooms, and we went with research from the Kavanaugh Senate confirmation for the Supreme Court for our stage build at Silvercup East Studios...”
Image courtesy of HBO.
Waystar Congressional Hearing,
Senate Hearing Room, Season 2...
“My biggest challenge was the set of large sconces adorning the walls.
The art department designed from the Senate research, and I had BB Props in Little Falls NJ create and build the large scones, which were then handed off to our scenic department for their final finish.
They were sensational in every respect.
All other furniture was from Arenson Prop Center & David Drummond.
Carpeting from Carpet Time.”
Image courtesy of HBO.
