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‘Wednesday’ Production Designer Mark Scruton On Silhouettes & Modernizing “‘The Addams Family’ Aesthetic” – The Art Of Craft

Ryan Fleming
·2 min read

For Wednesday, production designer Mark Scruton was tasked with creating a modern world with “The Addams Family aesthetic.” Since most of the series takes place at Nevermore Academy, Scruton’s job was to ensure that the school maintained its’ eclectic style with some added modern touches. “It was always about silhouettes with Nevermore,” says Scruton. “If you just lit it from behind and you were left with a silhouette, would you understand what it was?” Another important location inside the school is Wednesday’s dorm room, in which Scruton needed to create a stark contrast between Wednesday and Enid’s sides of the room.

Nevermore Academy

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Nevermore Academy layout sketch
Nevermore Academy layout sketch

  • “Roof lines” were very important for the school, as Scruton says the drawn silhouette needed to have “Addams Family vibes”.

Low angle view of Nevermore Academy
Low angle view of Nevermore Academy

  • When the set was moved to Romania, the Ottoman influences of the structures gave Nevermore an “eclectic mix of styles” to match the mix of students.

  • Architectural moldings and brickwork were cast directly from the real location to recreate the indoor sets.

The Dorm

Wednesday’s side of the dorm room
Wednesday’s side of the dorm room
Enid’s side of the dorm room
Enid’s side of the dorm room

  • Scruton and the art department applied the color gels by hand to the large window to get a “clean split” in the light cast through glass.

  • The composition of Enid’s half of the room was a challenge, as an overabundance of colorful items would create a “muddying” effect, so they needed to focus on accent colors. These pops of color would stand out in the room and contrast Wednesday’s side.

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  • The items found on Wednesday’s side of the room were sourced from all over the world and originally bright and colorful. Scruton needed to desaturate the color by staining and dying the materials while maintaining the depth of texture.

  • Enid’s side was filled with miscellaneous items to fill the room with color, while Wednesday’s side only had items with a specific purpose, like the desk or bed.

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