How the ‘Nickel Boys’ Team Delivered RaMell Ross’ Immersive Vision Through Detailed Design Work

RaMell Ross’ “The Nickel Boys” delves into the chilling truths of Elwood, portrayed by Ethan Herisse, and Turner, played by Brandon Wilson, as they journey through a harsh reformatory institution. The narrative is rich in emotional impact, intertwining powerful storytelling techniques with innovative methods.

In discussing her approach to adapting Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, production designer Nora Mendis shares that Ross’ vision was rooted in a conceptual mindset. She notes, “We drew inspiration from contemporary artists, images, and content, exploring the evolving meaning of justice throughout history.” Mendis further elaborates, “Our dialogues were centered around a lofty realm of art, with Ross entrusting us to explore our creative impulses independently.

The movie currently showing in theaters, titled “Ross”, employs old recordings to contrast the harsh treatment Elwood and Turner endured at Nickel Academy (a stand-in for the Dozier School for Boys in Florida, where over 100 students tragically died due to abuse) with the societal and technological advancements of the ’60s, such as the Civil Rights Movement and the Space Race.

The film “Ross”, currently playing in cinemas, uses archival footage to depict the mistreatment Elwood and Turner suffered at Nickel Academy (which symbolizes the Dozier School for Boys in Florida where over 100 students perished due to abuse) alongside the significant societal and technological developments of the ’60s like the Civil Rights Movement and the Space Race.

The story is narrated as if the speaker himself was there, using a first-person perspective. Instead of referring to it as “point-of-view,” cinematographer Jomo Fray chose to call it a “sentient image.” He wanted this image to seem connected to a real person in the present tense, tied to a conscious mind moving through space.

Jomo Fray, the cinematographer, opted for a unique term instead of “point-of-view” – he called it a “sentient image.” The goal was to create an image that felt as if it were coming from a real person in the present moment and was linked to a conscious entity moving through space.

Instead of using the term “point-of-view,” Jomo Fray, our cinematographer, coined the term “sentient image.” He envisioned an image that felt like it stemmed from a real person in the present tense, tied to a conscious mind moving through space.

All three options convey the same meaning but with slight variations in wording and structure for variety.

In the end, Ross aimed to create a sense of involvement, so that the viewers could feel as if they were living through the experiences of characters Elwood and Turner.

While they were creating their shot list, Fray took out a compact DSLR for some test photography, wanting to explore the visual aspects of their surroundings.

Here Fray and Mendis discuss how they helped deliver Ross’ vision for “Nickel Boys.”

The film is set in 1960s Florida, but the film was shot in Louisiana. Nora, how did you begin to build this world?

NORA MENDIS: We primarily shot our scenes around New Orleans. Being a research enthusiast, I had to gather plenty of references and visualize what Florida from the 1960s might have looked like. While Louisiana and Florida share similar aesthetics, it’s the specific period details that are crucial in making the setting feel authentic to that time.

In Hattie’s home, where she nurtures her grandson, the arrangement of spaces narrates a tale about her values and principles. This is evident in how her house and kitchen are organized. Recently, I sent my 99-year-old grandmother a photo of Hattie’s kitchen and asked, “Does this look appropriate?” To which she responded, “The JFK calendar was spot on, but the phone looked like it belonged to the affluent; switch it out.” Such minor details made a difference.

Additionally, it involved establishing contrasts within the settings. The landscape held significant importance, ensuring that the sugarcane fields at the finale and the scenery around Nickel Academy were accurately depicted to reflect their specific era and location.

This is your first time working with RaMell, so what was that like to be working with him?

Collaborating with RaMell, who possesses such profound conceptual abilities in filmmaking, makes one ponder every single facet of movie-making. What exactly constitutes an establishing shot, an insert, a cut, or a transition? These elements that we usually take for granted suddenly become genuine puzzles. Thus, it was thrilling to engage in discussions about the very essence of cinema at a fundamental level and explore the building blocks of an establishing shot.

Instead, I’d often discuss transforming conventional cinematography, focusing on elements that stir deep emotions through captivating visual storytelling, and then deconstructing and reinventing these aspects in a new artistic form.

In our attempt to minimize artificial elements, we opted for most of the lighting to come from outside the spaces, reflecting off mirrors and large fixtures either pushed in or integrated within the set. Additionally, great care was taken in creating a detailed shot list for every movement, pan, and tilt you observe on screen.

MENDIS: RaMell would examine the stands for the boxing sequence, and he asked, ‘How did you make it look older?’ That entire scene was constructed, nothing was original. So it involved gathering information, having discussions, and focusing on specifics, but also basing those discussions on specifics. Specifics were important because, in this movie, viewers see them in a way that is not typical.

The film shifts when we change point-of-view, talk about how that visual shift and executing that vision when we see the world go from younger Elwood to Turner’s, what changes did you make?

Ramell and I observed the practice session, and he interacted with the performers while I watched their movements and where their gaze landed. When it was our turn to direct, we aimed to replicate the energy we had witnessed during rehearsals. If we were controlling the action, we would be almost shoulder-to-shoulder with the actor, ensuring a close line of sight and a tactile connection. This way, they could almost touch each other in the scene.

MENDIS: To emphasize that Elwood is experiencing events as they happen while Turner recalls his past at Nickel, I aimed to depict their perspectives differently visually. This is crucial because Elwood perceives things in real-time, whereas Turner remembers them. As a result, the design may seem slightly inconsistent or disjointed in places. In Turner’s viewpoint, clocks are shown without hands, symbolizing how memories can distort our perception of traumatic experiences over time.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

2025-01-09 17:46

How the ‘Nickel Boys’ Team Delivered RaMell Ross’ Immersive Vision Through Detailed Design Work

The film is set in 1960s Florida, but the film was shot in Louisiana. Nora, how did you begin to build this world?

This is your first time working with RaMell, so what was that like to be working with him?

The film shifts when we change point-of-view, talk about how that visual shift and executing that vision when we see the world go from younger Elwood to Turner’s, what changes did you make?

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