Production designer Dan Bishop was Demmeâs key to creating a realistic look for a period film that looks period in every single sense. Bishop says, "Early on, Ted said even though itâs a comedy and a drama, we should design it as a straight drama." Under Bishop's supervision, Los Angeles and Sacramento provided the setting for the Mississippi prison. "The camp we recreated at Disney Ranch in Valencia was pretty much true to the Parchment Farm back in the thirties. We made a few changes, but mainly in scale," says Bishop. Demme enlisted cinematographer Geoffrey Simpson to carry out the naturalistic look for Life. "I wanted a look that spanned the changes in time," says Demme According to Simpson, "When I first read the script, I saw a lot of visual excitement. There was so much opportunity there. It was a period piece, all the costumes and sets, and the progression of different time zones." He continues, "We have at least five different looks for this film. The opening of the film is present time, then we go through the 30âs, 40âs, 70âs and back to present." Another challenge for the production turned out to be Mother Nature and the relentless California rains of 1998. Since a great deal of the shooting schedule called for exterior locations, the production spent much of its time dodging clouds. Simpson adds, "I was looking for a look that matched hot Mississippi light and blaring sunshine and strong shadows. It ended not being as bright as we would have liked, but on the other hand it gave us a variety of different looks." Simpson's work then continued into post-production. He says, "The film went through an optical printer mixed with black and white. The first montage was shot in black and white. The 40's period was filmed slightly in another way and 70's footage was a combination."