Production Designer Christian Zollenkopf, a highly skilled professional and all-around great guy, enlisted our services to fabricate the live-action set for NBA 2K. Simple right? Nope, it’s Thursday night, we won't have a budget approved until tomorrow, and it has to be in Chicago in just over a week. Sometimes you work with someone long enough, and you trust their vision and they trust you to make sure it happens. First step, start piecing out the set, what can be stock units, what needs to be custom. Breakdown parts for CNC cutting to expedite fabrication. Next, as everything is getting pulled and prepped, find a freight operator who can guarantee our delivery date. Then hire a local crew in Chicago capable of assembling the set, doing the tweaks needed, and getting the final finishes just right. Check, check, and check. All the pieces were ready, loaded on a semi, and on their way. Chris met the truck and the team in Chicago and got to work standing this beast up. Art Director Kurt Gefke was on the ground locally, and construction lead John Slove brought a kick ass team on to get this done. Thankfully, we had a few days on site to get everything set up and the finish coat on it. As always, there were some adjustments. Can this arch flip? Can this wall have a hand-painted graphic? Can we extend this header for VFX? Yes, yes, and yes.