How Étoile Production Designer Bill Groom Stepped into the Ballet Realm

      Production designer Bill Groom had limited experience in ballet when he joined Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino’s new Prime Video series, Étoile. However, after years of working on diverse projects such as A League of Their Own, Milk, Eat Pray Love, and Boardwalk Empire, he was confident in his ability to research and creatively contribute to the ballet drama.

      The Palladinos, who collaborated with Groom on all five seasons of their Emmy-winning series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, relied on him to shape the visual style and ambiance of Étoile, a project particularly meaningful to Sherman-Palladino. This series marks her second ballet-focused endeavor, following the one-season Bunheads that aired from 2012 to 2013.

      “As we began work on Maisel, the approach was more conventional in presenting sketches and photographs and research to establish a common language for our project,” Groom explains. “This time, it was somewhat different. There are always new aspects to explore and grasp with a fresh show, but we’ve developed a more efficient communication style.”

      Étoile is a dramedy centered on the dancers and artistic directors at two prestigious ballet companies located in Paris and New York. The leaders of these companies, portrayed by Charlotte Gainsbourg and Luke Kirby, agree to exchange key talent to rescue their organizations. They also negotiate with a questionable funder, played by Simon Callow, and seek media attention to engage new audiences.

      “In this case, it’s about researching various stories within different settings,” Groom notes. “Our art department amassed numerous books and folders from the Library of Congress for this project. We conducted research on different ballets and dance styles, all tailored to the specific scripts.”

      Groom mentions that his fresh perspective on ballet allowed him to find entry points to the series that would resonate with viewers as they follow the characters through the talent exchange and their subsequent training and performances.

      “There’s a distinct stage vocabulary compared to a screen vocabulary regarding the spaces we designed, and I started to envision myself as a stage designer, drawing from my college background,” Groom explains. “I had to revisit some of that—the layouts, backstage areas, masking, arrangements, and scenery. We then adapted it for the camera and worked out those components.”

      Bill Groom discusses Crossing Continents for Étoile

      Étoile production designer Bill Groom. Photo by Nicole Rivelli

      Following the characters offstage and developing shared elements of their lives was crucial for understanding the artists committed to a beautiful yet harsh discipline.

      “Viewers will be pulled into ballet as I was while working on this. They’ll witness the demanding nature of ballet, the incredible skill of these dancers, and their dedication,” he shares. “I gained an appreciation for ballet unlike I ever had before, and that will be evident in how this show unfolds.”

      A part of that immersive experience involved ensuring there was space on set not only to highlight the dancers but also their audience, while working within traditional ballet environments to emphasize the emotions and narratives from the scripts.

      Hiding cameras and crew in a studio filled with mirrors posed a challenge. Additionally, coordinating shoots across two countries while managing time zones, work styles, and languages complicated matters. The crew ended up constructing some New York sets in Paris to accommodate logistics.

      “I bet you wouldn't be able to tell which ones,” he challenges. “However, there’s also an advantage to filming across countries, as you gain different perspectives and cultural references to enrich the show.”

      To distinguish between the New York and Paris ballet environments, Groom and the Palladinos balanced modern and classical elements. He sought modern locations and color palettes for New York scenes while opting for classical designs and tones in Paris.

      The team utilized Lincoln Center in Manhattan and the Garnier Opera House in Paris for certain scenes, while also blending various elements to create unique settings.

      “There’s a discernible difference in how ballet is both created and executed in the two cities,” Groom observes. “This contrast enhances the storytelling that Dan and Amy envisioned.”

      In Paris, Groom collaborated with a team including crew members he had worked alongside during Season 2 of Maisel when that series was filmed in France. Together, they built a dance studio with a scenic view of Paris that featured columns and exposed brick.

      “We crafted every detail on stage — sculpting every inch of it,” he states. “While we could have filmed similar scenes at the Garnier or other opera houses, scheduling conflicts made it unfeasible.”

      Remarkably, one of the largest scenes in the premiere episode had no connection to ballet whatsoever. In this sequence, viewers meet Cheyenne (played by Lou de Laâge), the étoile of the Parisian company, who is set to be transferred to New York. Unbeknownst to her, she’s on a boat during a storm, attempting to confront a ship involved in ecological crimes.

      This humorous scene significantly impacted the budget, as it was filmed in a large tank in Brussels and required the