Gaslit depicts the story of John Mitchell, Richard Nixon's attorney during the 1972 Watergate Scandal. This production shines a spotlight onto the lesser known people involved in this political event. This includes Martha Mitchell, John's wife who was frequently in the media. Production designer Daniel Novotny talks about sets and the visions behind them in the Art Directors Guild publication, stressing the importance of historical authenticity in a story focused on a time of conservative Republicans in 1970s Washington D.C.
On Air's design capabilities shine in the "Kennedy Caucus Room" where the Watergate Senate Committee held a trial with multiple suspects under investigation. Novotny explains that this is one of the most iconic rooms of the trial and is highly recognizable. This particular set needed floor-to-ceiling marble, which posed an issue to the art team. Budget limitations led them to decide it would be best to make half of a room that was 20 feet high, anything beyond that being digitally created. On Air printed the production's custom marble design on Sintra plastic panels, which were then applied to the fabricated walls. All other pieces on the set were matched to maintain the accuracy of the time period.
Source: Perspective magazine, July/August 2022
