Supernatural Production Design with Jerry Wanek
Supernatural production designer Jerry Wanek on a location set from the second to last episode, “Inherit the Earth.”
All Supernatural podcasts
Production designer Jerry Wanek and set decorator George Neuman celebrating the final days of filming on the iconic Harvelle’s Roadhouse set.
Final Days on Supernatural
Emmy nominated Jerry Wanek is the immensely talented Production Designer on Supernatural for the duration of the 15 year run of the series. I admired his work for many years both as a fan and producer of the extras for Supernatural (starting in season 4). But it wasn’t until season 9 that we were able to highlight his work when we created the extra “The Men of Letters Interactive Set Experience.” Jerry was invaluable in providing blueprints and designs for our featurette graphics and interactive menu. And he was gracious enough to be the host of the set tours for all of the various rooms in that set. The creation of the “Men of Letters” set was a seminal point in the series as the lead characters Sam and Dean finally had a home, in this case, an actual bunker, where they were safe from the demons and vamps and other creatures that they hunted. While they still went out on hunts and stayed in cheap motels, they now had access to a treasure trove of lore and potions and knowledge that made them even more formidable hunters.
Season 13 brought another creative challenge to the production design team when they had to build the alternate universe “Apocalypse World.” Jerry discusses the unique challenges to creating a desolate world in the lush environment of British Columbia, Canada. And he reveals details about the Angel Blades and church steeple protruding from the sand, before taking us underground to the construction of the church and Iron Maiden used to contain Lucifer. The original extra we revisit is “Into the Apocalypse: A World Without the Winchesters” on the season 13 release.
Supernatural Season 13 Blu-ray
Jerry mentions a book for Supernatural fans and I have included a link to it here: Supernatural 15 Seasons: A Crew Member’s Souvenir
To find out more about Jerry, check out his website.
Visiting the Men of Letters Set
I had the pleasure of visiting the set during season 11. The detail and care that went into each dial and lever, each lamp and table, the floors and warding, all of it impressed me as I made my way through the set. That set has been dismantled and the best way to revisit it is by watching the extras on the season 9 DVD/Blu-ray release, or in the Complete Series box set.
Titles profiled in the podcast are available for purchase on Amazon
The Extras is an Amazon affiliate and by selecting these links we may earn a commission. Thank you for supporting the podcast and website.