ON LOCATION: FILMING THE LINE

Far away from the inner city so commonly seen on television, 'The Line', filmed in visually striking high definition, takes the viewer to the outer reaches of the city and creates a visceral view of living on the fringe of urban society. In order to fully capture the unique and complex textures of this world, the entirety of the shoot was done on location. Filming the show on location brings a texture of veracity and authenticity that could not be achieved by filming in a studio.

While capturing the reality of the world was important, it was also important to create an interesting visual palette with which to tell the stories in the show. For this reason, the art department decided to move away from the bleak monochromatic tones typically associated with inner urban settings, and work with the richer colours found everywhere but too often ignored. In order to get a sense of the world, production designer Peter Emmink immersed himself in the world of the show: "I spent a considerable amount of time there, noting the people, buildings, signage and the various cultures that reside there. These observations gave me the tools I needed to create the colourful visual style for the show."

The product of these efforts is a visual style that jumps off the screen, highlighted by bright colours in all visual aspects of the show. This is particularly crucial when filming in HD, a medium which Emmink himself describes as "unforgiving." "Since the look for this series relies largely on scenic treatments to existing locations, set decoration and wardrobe, close attention must be paid to details."

This sentiment was shared by wardrobe designer Michael Harris, who was thankful for the "great deal of information within the text that, combined with insight from the actors, the unsparing honesty of the series' milieu as well as somewhat exacting technical considerations, all pointed towards the final product." These "exacting technical considerations" combine to create a complex and multi-layered visual palate with which to tell the stories of 'The Line'.