The Walking Dead's production designer Grace Walker talks about cleaning up the prison for Season 4 and the secret to making it look like the world has ended.

Q: What projects have you been working on for the new season?

A: We're trying to form better conditions for the survivors at the prison. We figured because we had a lot more people coming in -- like the people coming from Woodbury -- that the cellblocks were starting to overflow, so we made more room for them. We had to have better shelter, and conditions where they can now eat outside.

Q: Last season, which episodes were more difficult for you: those that took place at Woodbury or the prison?

A: I think we learned a lot with the Woodbury stuff. We only used to have, like, three hours to get it set up. We'd get in there early in the morning and put up our big barriers and the walls and get everything all ready in the main street area. We'd go like crazy and then we'd shoot for a day, and then we'd have to pull it all down again. And if we went back the next day, we'd have to do it all over again. The exteriors were kind of easy, and we were fortunate enough to have a couple buildings within the town where we'd build out a set, as well.

Q: What are some tricks you've learned on the show that have made set construction easier?

A: With the prison, the interiors have worked really well, as we go into them time and time again. We've got it down now where we can remove walls from the cells a lot faster than when we did the first episode there. The main block has 18 cells; nine below and nine above. And we can shoot in any of those cells and take out all the walls, including the rear walls on the second floor as well. We've got mobile towers that we quickly put in. We're just completing a new cellblock for this season, and it's looking almost better than the others. But like everything, we're not quite ready -- there's always a moment when we're nervous and trying to get things done. But we always do, and it looks great!

Q: Are there any sets you dreamed up that never ended up getting built?

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The Walking Dead Executive Producer Gale Anne Hurd talks about Season 4's ravenous new walkers and which characters from the show would make great producers.

Q: Sports teams have a boot camp-like practice to get back in shape for the season. What do you do to get everyone back in the swing of things on the set of The Walking Dead?

A: We have to hit the ground running every season. We do have zombie school every year, so our walkers get up to speed. It's really more of a winnowing-out process -- that extras who are eager to become zombies come in and audition for Greg [Nicotero] and he selects the ones that are most unique and believable. But in general, this is our fourth season, and people are so eager to get back. After the first set-up this year, everyone applauded and cheered.

Q: Every year the walkers show us something new. What can fans expect from Season 4's walkers?

A: I think we'll have walkers who are even more ravenous than before. We're in a world where there are fewer people and more walkers, and I wouldn't be surprised if we saw that on-screen this season.

Q: What's been one of the biggest challenges of producing a show like The Walking Dead?

A: We have serious weather issues to contend with. We had one day where there was a torrential downpour and a tree fell on the set, so you just have to roll with stuff like that. Other times, you realize that a character that you thought might live actually has to die.

Q: Is being Executive Producer of a show about a zombie apocalypse similar to surviving one in any way?

Continue reading "Dispatches From the Set - Gale Anne Hurd (Executive Producer)" »