Steven Zaillian Talks About Building Rikers Island on The Night Of
It’s not easy to build Rikers Island
There are so many different moving parts that come together to make The Night Of what it is. If one of them were weak, the entire thing would fall apart. The brilliance of the show, however, is that none of those pieces have faltered so far. There is a lot to be proud of in The Night Of, and so it makes perfect for sense for showrunner Steven Zaillian to sit down and talk about the noteworthy aspects of each episode.
This week it’s all about “A Dark Crate,” a title which refers to Rikers itself. As Zaillian points out, Rikers does not allow any filming, so the team was forced to build an elaborate set for The Night Of:
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"“It included about 40 cells on two levels, a central Officers’ Command Post, communal bathroom, TV room and hallways, all linked with a network of barred sliding gates. We called it The Annex, and spent several weeks shooting there.”"
Zaillian goes on to say that he wanted to show off as much of the set as possible when Naz enters, and so he had a single steady shot follow Naz through the action. It also included about 60 actors as officers and inmates, all going about their business. It’s a busy, deceptively complicated shot.
Watch it in action:
These post-episode scene discussions are one of the best parts about watching The Night Of. It’s likely that most people, ourselves included, wouldn’t give some of these scenes a second thought. When put into context by Steven Zaillian it becomes easier to understand the artistry behind them, and just how difficult it can be to pull some of them off.
Next: The Night Of Recap: A Sure Thing
It also makes sense that they would spend multiple weeks filming on the set, as there is little reason to believe that Naz will be seeing the light of day anytime soon. The Night Of has split itself into two halves; one inside Rikers Island, and the other on the outside. It’s a serious credit to the show that both are captivating.
Via: HBO