Brooklyn's Finest, the latest release from Overture Films, centers around a drug-ridden housing project, and it was this gritty urban setting that the studio wanted to carry over into the design of the premiere party Tuesday night. After a screening at AMC Loews Lincoln Square, some 700 guests headed to the nearby Empire Hotel, where Overture director of special projects and events Tonya Toone and producer Wendy Creed had outfitted the rooftop lounge with rusty metal pieces, Brooklyn Bridge-inspired projections, and a clear-span structure lit with bare bulbs.
Rather than bring in over-the-top decorations that would distract from the site's panoramic views, Toone and Creed chose to complement the space and even created custom pieces modeled after existing furnishings. Highboys topped with honey-colored wood mimicked the Empire's own tables, while rust-toned pillows matched the brown banquettes and floors. Candles in glass vases of varying shapes and heights lined the windows and echoed the skyline backdrop. Projections of a crisscross pattern imitated the shadows created by the Brooklyn Bridge's cables and truss. To recall some of the edgier scenes from the movie, Creed built buffet tables and bars using rusted diamond plate sheet metal and hung bare light bulbs from black tie line.
Although the design was fairly understated, the decision to raise a free-standing tent on the east terrace of the 12-story hotel posed some logistical challenges for the production crew. The addition, which allowed the studio to extend the party's capacity, required a permit from the buildings department and necessitated an extra day of setup for the snow from February 25 storm to be cleared.
Brooklyn's Finest opens tomorrow, Friday, March 5.
