Summer 2019
AT WORK WITH
By Matt Gamarra
The thing that was really exciting was each episode felt fresh and new," says veteran 2nd AD Michelle Parvin of Amazing Stories, a reboot of the acclaimed 1980s anthology series executive produced by Steven Spielberg. "We had a new cast, new stories and new settings, so the director and the creative team were creating a world, similar to a pilot, every episode."
What drew her most to the work was the collaborative nature of an anthology series where "so many of the departments had to come together to add their ideas and suggestions to create a visual world that was different" for every installment.
On one episode, "We had need for background to portray high school athletes at a track meet," explains Parvin. "I reached out to many of the local running clubs to recruit athletes who could sprint, throw javelin and jump the high and long jump. This is a much more laborious process than just making a call to casting" but makes a real difference, she says. "I befriended 100 athletes and coaches, and when they actually showed up on a cold morning at 5 a.m., it was immensely satisfying."