How
![Construction of the teeny cityscapes began by looking at photographs of the actual miniatures produced for the original <em>Neighborhood</em> series. Still, Healy and her team of artists had to experiment to get things just right. "We did cardboard cutouts and foam [as a base], and it was always about making it a little more kidlike. It was a work in progress constantly," she remembers. "They were in their own warehouse, and I'd go over there and visit [during production]. We were figuring it out on the day [of shooting]!"](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/bEMCFe0BP9dw0G16cvYouQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTcyMA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/entertainment_weekly_785/d9f93118254e6b3387c282f708a23100)
![Her team's dedication to authenticity extended the scope of her expectations... and the camera's field of vision. "There are little miniatures of the Land of Make-Believe that sit on the shelves in the kitchen, and they’re so small and you never see them, but we made every single one of those match exactly what they looked like [on the original show]," Healy says with a laugh. "My decorator and buyer would be searching forever to find exactly the thing in the corner. It didn’t matter that no one would notice."](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/YitRTQsG8aixuHzajdiyAA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/entertainment_weekly_785/21d72882a7f6d6f13146d4e4d3af04c2)
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Building Fred Rogers' beautywood
Between now and the Oscar nominations on Jan. 13, EW will speak to numerous contenders in below-the-line categories about their work and craft. This week: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood production designer Jade Healy. In order to enjoy a beautiful day in the neighborhood, you actually need a neighborhood. For production designer Jade Healy, that meant designing and shrinking two cities (and one of TV's most iconic avenues) down to miniature size for director Marielle Heller's new film about a cynical journalist whose hardened heart softens after meeting Tom Hanks' Fred Rogers. The film transitions between plotlines in New York City and Pittsburgh using Healy's interpretation of the tiny models first popularized on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, which serve as segues that paint Heller's gripping drama with a touch of childhood whimsy. Ahead, Healy tells EW about her process in working with Heller on their shared vision for crafting a safe space in a grown-up film for the child in us all.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood movie's production designer on film's miniature models
