Inside the Recreation of ‘Saturday Night’ Set: An Exploration of Nostalgic Design and Construction Challenges

The film «Saturday Night,» directed by Jason Reitman, brings to life the tumultuous countdown to the inaugural episode of «Saturday Night» in 1975, a show that would go on to become the renowned «Saturday Night Live.» The movie, which has garnered theatrical attention despite barely crossing the $10 million mark at the box office, blends comedy and drama in a retelling of television history.

One of the most notable aspects of the film is the meticulous set design, intended to evoke the atmosphere of a bygone era. As described in an exclusive piece featured in The Hollywood Reporter, the film’s production designer, John Gonchor, employed vintage Mole-Richardson lights sourced from across the country to recreate the show’s aesthetic with authenticity. Although these lights are outdated in modern production, they contributed to the look and feel of the two-story studio set built for the film.

In a pivotal scene, Lorne Michaels, portrayed by Gabriel LaBelle, decides to lay real bricks to enhance the set’s New York street-corner appeal—a decision made a mere 90 minutes before the live broadcast, amplifying the tension depicted in the movie. «It motivated everybody to get on the same page,» Gonchor mentioned, highlighting this moment as a testament to the cast’s unity.

Further enhancing the period authenticity, the set designers drew inspiration from various historical details. For instance, seats used in the film were modeled on those taken from Yankee Stadium while it was under renovation in 1975. Underneath the scaffolding of the set, multiple departments, including prop and sound, contributed to the film’s dynamic environment.

The construction of the film’s central stage was a joint effort of Gonchor and his son, who crafted a scaled model using 3D printing technology. This process took approximately three weeks, leading to a physically constructed set completed in about 12 weeks.

The film serves as both a celebration of «Saturday Night Live» and a dramatization that entertains while acknowledging its creative liberties, as noted by film critics like John Serba.