One really fun aspect of making Catching the L Train has been all of the field research. While Google can instantly load up thousands of reference photos, I have decided that there is something personally enriching about walking around in a real location and making my own observations.
After completing the short, I drove down to a building I hadn’t visited in nearly 20 years. The decommissioned downtown Modesto Post Office is an architectural gem that has been beautifully restored and preserved. It made quite an impression on me the first time I walked into the once shabby, poorly-lit lobby when it was still used to process the mail. As I recall, there was water damage, peeling paint, and one of the WPA paintings had been missing for decades (it was later found during renovations). Despite the tarnish, one could still catch a glimpse of its former glory. Since its restoration, it looks as if it might have been 80 years ago!
As I designed Catching the L Train, I pulled several elements specifically from my memory of this location. The arches, WPA artwork, the lighting fixture, and the sandy brown bricks on its facade, to name a few.
In preparation for the film and throughout production I took little detours to visit any locale I could think of that might hold a source of inspiration.
Of course, I never tire of visiting the Sacramento Train Museum.
Griffin confronted with two trains
