Netflix - Archive 81 : Let’s talk with  Production Designer Toni Barton

By Mulder, New York, 16 february 2022

Archive 81 is an American supernatural, sci-fi mystery horror streaming television series developed by Rebecca Sonnenshine and executive produced by Sonnenshine, Paul Harris Boardman, and James Wan. The series is based on the podcast of the same name, about researchers cataloging the video archive of a missing filmmaker. It stars Mamoudou Athie and Dina Shihabi in leading roles. The series was released on January 14, 2022, on Netflix.

Q : Please can you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your background ? 

Toni Barton : I am a New York-based production designer working primarily on narrative films and television shows. My design career began designing scenery for both theatre and short films while studying architecture in Los Angeles; assisting several Broadway scenic designers, and designing at a themed architecture and an industrial set design firm in New York. I recently designed Netflix’s Archive 81, a series based on a supernatural horror podcast, and Out/Side Of Time a short film by British Nigerian artist Jenn Nkiru, installed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Afrofuturist Period Room exhibit. Over the past few years, I was an additional production designer for INVASION’s Morocco scenes; production designed season one of the ABC episodic legal drama For Life, the pilot episode of ABC’s Stumpton, and the last season of Marvel’s Jessica Jones. Previously, I worked for many years as an art director and as an adjunct professor at New York University. 

Q : You have worked as a production designer on some great Marvel Series such as Luke Cage, Jessica Jones but also as an art director on Daredevil, Iron Fist, The Defenders and other series such as Rubicon, Person of Interest, and Girls. How do you choose which project to sign onto ? 

Toni Barton : I am truly blessed to have worked on many projects with wonderful collaborators. Around ten years ago, I worked on a television pilot with production designer Loren Weeks, who invited me back to art direct the first seasons of the Marvel Netflix shows. When Loren began designing the Iron Fist scenery, we still had a few episodes on Luke Cage to film. He recommended that I step up to production design. I will be forever grateful for Loren opening the door to design.

Q : What is a typical day on set like for you ? 

Toni Barton : The production designer is brought on very early to prep. I started researching, location scouting about four months prior to our first day of filming, and immediately started designing the stage sets with our amazing art department. By the time we start shooting and everyone is on set, I am usually prepping with the next episodic director to make sure everything can be built and ready on time. 

Q : What have you learned during your time in the film industry ? 

Toni Barton : I have learned how to prioritize the important elements for storytelling. There are many design decisions I will need to make, but will make sure that every choice helps to move the story forward, and is not merely a decision based on aesthetics alone. 

Q : Which are for you the good ingredients to create a good series as Archive 81 ? 

Toni Barton : Archive 81 would not exist if it were not for the story showrunner Rebecca Sonnenshine brilliantly wrote. And then, the team of artists that made every aspect of it come alive. Early on Becky Brown, set decorator, and I sat down to breath life into the residents of the Visser Apartments. Even though Melody, Jess, Cassandra, Tamara, Beatriz and Samuel, and all of the 1994 residents come from different socioeconomic backgrounds, they live in the same older East Village building. Which contrasts greatly from Dan’s present day new work place compound, and differs even more from the 1920s Vos family home. 

Q : What was the most difficult aspect of this series ? 

Toni Barton : Honestly, the most difficult aspect was navigating design, communication, and staying socially distanced while filming in the times of Covid. But Zoom and Facetime has made everything possible while keeping everyone very safe. 

Q : How much direction do you require? Or, how much freedom are you given to do your work ?

Toni Barton : After reading Archive 81’s eight scripts early on, I spent time laying out the architecture of Dan’s Compound and Melody’s Visser Apartments to determine how they would move through the hallways, environments, to interact with other residents and more importantly each other. After Dan breaks through the back of the Compound kitchen pantry and walks down a dark staircase and hallway, it was important to determine where he goes next…and how he eventually opens up the hatch to the otherworld… Freedom to explore was important, since these worlds do not currently exist and very little was shot on location, many on built sets on our soundstage. 

Q : How different is film production from TV? At least in terms of your position ? 

Toni Barton : There are many varying factors between designing for film or television. The first is the amount of prep time – generally speaking, film is allotted a much longer prep time then television. Unlike film, since there are multiple directors in television, many of the creative design decisions are made early on with the Showrunner and Executive Producers. 

Q : What did you learn and retain from working on this series ?

Toni Barton :  I have always had a healthy fear of horror and paranormal activity. After reading through all eight scripts in one sitting, sometimes with my hands over my eyes, I definitely spoke back to the imaginary noises calling out in the middle of the night. Somehow my fear increased when I watched several references for inspiration: Rosemary’s Baby, Suspiria amongst many. But that fear turned into a desire to place the viewing audience in my same place – fearful, but eager to complete Dan and Melody’s journey. 

Q : What advice would you give to someone who wants to become a production designer ?

Toni Barton : Every production designer needs to know how to visually tell a story. There are many ways to communicate, conceptualize, sketch your ideas for the director, writer, cinematographer and your team in the art department to execute your ideas. And with each new project, how you tell that story visually might be different. 

Q : What are your current projects? 

Toni Barton  Well, perhaps we can speak again in a year when my current NDA is no longer valid, but thank you for allowing me to share my work and why I love what I do.

Toni Barton (Production Designer) :
Toni Barton’s design career had an eclectic start on both coasts: designing scenery for both theatre + short films while studying architecture in Los Angeles; assisting several Broadway scenic designers, and designing at a themed architecture + an industrial set design firm in New York. Each of these experiences leads to her transition into the design for film + television. Toni’s design strategy fosters a collaborative environment for the written word. She recently production-designed Netflix’s Archive 81, a series based on a supernatural horror podcast. Over the past few years, she designed season one of the ABC legal drama For Life, the pilot episode of ABC’s Stumptown, and the last season of Marvel’s Jessica Jones. Previously, Toni worked for many years as an art director and as an adjunct professor at NYU.

Synopsis : 
Archivist Dan Turner sets out to restore a collection of damaged videotapes from the early 1990s. He discovers the work of a documentary filmmaker who was investigating a dangerous cult. Dan is convinced that he can save her from the terrifying end she met 25 years earlier...

Archive 81
Based on Archive 81 by Daniel Powell and Marc Sollinger
Developed byRebecca Sonnenshine
Starring  Mamoudou Athie, Dina Shihabi, Evan Jonigkeit, Julia Chan, Ariana Neal, Matt McGorry, Martin Donovan
Music by Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow
Executive producers : Rebecca Sonnenshine, Rebecca Thomas, James Wan, Michael Clear, Paul Harris Boardman, Antoine Douaihy
Producers :Bobak Esfarjani, Amanda Kay Price
Cinematography : Julie Kirkwood, Bobby Bukowski, Nathaniel Goodman
Editors : Tyler L. Cook, Michael Scotti Jr., Amelia Allwarden, Patrick J. Smith, Joel T. Pashby
Production companies : Atomic Monster Productions, Sonnenshine Productions
Distributor : Netflix
Original network : Netflix
Original release : January 14, 2022
Running time : 45–58 minutes

We would like to thank Toni Barton for answering our questions and Kate Twilley for her important help with this interview.

Photos: Copyright Netflix // Photos Toni Barton : Copyright Quantrell Colbert