Thread by @Lin_Manuel

Okay, going to post a bunch of bts pictures of the Sunday sequence from #ticktickBOOMmovie now. This was an early draft of the tableau, though we didn't end up putting Howard McGillin aka the longest running Phantom on the roof... -LMM #SundayDeepDive

Would not have happened w/o my fearless 1st AD @MComitini, who had to juggle LEVELS of quarantine & keep artists 6 feet apart at all times. Almost every group shot you see is several separate shots put together in postproduction. We had 3 days to get it. -LMM #SundayDeepDive

Example: @Andre_DeShields and @heebyfluff shoot at the same time, same with @MjRodriguez7 and Joel Grey, but I had to shoot them separately and put them all together after. Multiply by *you've seen the movie* and you get a sense of the logistics involved. -LMM #SundayDeepDive

Before the Legends arrived, we rehearsed with Ryan Heffington's incredible crew of dancers to work out blocking. Every dancer in the film, from No More to Susan's dance troupe, helped us out, wearing Legend signs. -LMM #SundayDeepDive #ticktickBOOMmovie

Yes, the goal was to have each Legend have something that evokes their theater history: @heebyfluff got so back into character as Big Al from Fun Home she started sketching again...-LMM "Your swagger and your bearing..." #SundayDeepDive #ticktickBOOM

@heebyfluff And Joel Grey brought his Cabaret cane from home. Can't look at this pic without crying. -LMM #SundayDeepDive #ticktickBOOMmovie

The final shot of the sequence pulls back so far, we had to take out a wall and roll into the soundstage next door 🤣 Here's the master shot rehearsal. -LMM #ticktickBOOMmovie #SundayDeepDive

In praise of Andrew Garfield & @OfficialBPeters:
Originally I had Jon adjusting Bernadette's hat, like George does Dot in Sunday in the Park with George. On the shoot day, Andrew was like, "This feels...wrong. it feels fussy." We brainstormed the right gesture... #SundayDeepDive

@OfficialBPeters Then Andrew remembered, "Can we do the Sondheim 80th heart squeeze?" I had showed him the moment when @OfficialBPeters & @PatinkinMandy sang "Move On" at Sondheim's 80th Bday celebration, & Bernadette squeezes her heart on "I would be so pleased." We did THAT. #SundayDeepDive

@OfficialBPeters @PatinkinMandy Rehearsal of the Jon bringing Moondance wall down--@MComitini calls it while @alicebrooks looks on. We eventually extended the "forever..." -LMM #SundayDeepDive #ticktickBOOMmovie

That was supposed to be a movie, lol. Here you go. -LMM #SundayDeepDive #ticktickBOOMmovie

Wasn't supposed to be in it. Originally it was Chip Zien & Joanna Gleeson, aka the Baker & Baker's Wife from Into The Woods in the kitchen. But the pandemic made their participation impossible, & I was already quarantined so. Dressed as a chef half the day. -LMM #SundayDeepDive

The Rent alums--Daphne, Adam and Wilson--had an emotional reunion. Between setups, I snuck them over to the set of Jonathan's apartment. Adam says he first met Daphne in Jon's apartment. -LMM #SundayDeepDive #TickTickBoom

The legendary @Andre_DeShields and @MjRodriguez7, between setups.-LMM #SundayDeepDive #ticktickBOOMmovie

Real talk: this was the most stressful sequence in #ticktickBOOMmovie . We were always behind schedule & we were always out of time. Lots of emotional energy to keep everyone's spirits high during reshoot after reshoot. All that to say...

When Pippa & Renee showed up, a huge weight lifted. My friends were here & they came to play. I'll never be able to repay them for rallying the crew, lifting me up, & their kindness that day. Love you forever @Phillipasoo & @ReneeGoldsberry. -LMM #TickTickBoom #SundayDeepDive

Flash forward 8 months to June 2020: additional photography. We rebuilt the set & went back to work because we needed 100% more @Chita_Rivera. In picture 2, she holds forth for the cast...-LMM #SundayDeepDive #TickTickBoom

It's during this additional photography that with choreographer Karla Puno Garcia, we decide to adjust the Rent alum's choreography to reference their Boho Days table choreo...-LMM #SundayDeepDive #TickTickBoom @daphnerubinvega @alicebrooks

Yup. June 2021. Time is a Dalí clock right now, forgive me. 🤣 -LMM

In JUNE 2021, we have VACCINES, which we did not have the November prior. So I was able to have the actors in the same shot at the same time, and use a steadicam to add movement to the sequence and bring it home...-LMM #ticktickBOOMmovie #SundayDeepDive

That's all for now. Thank you for watching #ticktickBOOMmovie. Grateful for you. -LMM