If you're a fan of Money Heist, you bet this virtual visit to the show's set, along with recorded interactions with the costume designer, art director, a few key actors (the Professor included) and the creators of the global hit, was one big treat. Understandably, it would have been much more exciting to physically be in Madrid, Spain, and actually walking through the set while meeting the minds behind Money Heist, but with the pandemic still on, we'll settle for what we can get.
The Red Jumpsuits in 'Money Heist' Saw Changes Across Seasons
The virtual tour was lead by Luka Peros, who you will recognise as Marseille in the series. Our first stopover was with the Costume Designer, Carlos Diez - the man who gave the Professor and his team red jumpsuits and the Salvador Dali mask that are now so identifiable with Money Heist.
"Dressing all the characters individually and as a group, with the iconic red jumpsuits they use in the heist, has been a huge challenge. That was an idea that came from the initial script by Alex Pina. Then the jumpsuit had different iterations. The jumpsuit from the first and second season was different from the current one. We redesigned it for the third, fourth and fifth," reveals Diez.
Guess how many red jumpsuits each of the actors own? Diez has the answer, "Just think that when we shot the third season, we shot the fourth season too. And it's never shot in the order that we see it on screen. So, we have to have all the costumes—even from previous seasons—in case the writers want to do a flashback to something that happened in episode 1 of season 2. So we keep all the characters' costumes. And each one has their red jumpsuit. Every actor, and more so because of COVID, has at least 8 red jumpsuits. One is clean, one may have some dirt marks, one may have dirt all over it, one may have blood, more blood, a lot more..."
The 'Money Heist' Dali Masks
Diez and his team look after not just the costumes but also the accessories worn or used by each character and they team is also in charge of the now popular Salvador Dali masks. "Each actor has their own mask and they have several. They are custom-made and, as you can see, there are different sizes. For men they are bigger, and they are a bit smaller for the women. These masks were custom-made for Money Heist," says Diez
Creating the World of 'Money Heist'
One of the biggest challenges faced by the team of Money Heist was recreating the Bank of Spain, art director Abdon Alcaniz spoke about creating the world in which the series is set in. "For me it is key to fill an empty space and fill it with art. It's about soaking up a style and an economic and social context, taking a historical moment in time related to art, like neo-expressionism in this case, and trying to capture it to create this underworld. Throughout this creative process, we start with a visual, documentation, and then we advance little by little in the designs. Together with my colleagues, we form a team that is in charge of making and maintaining any object the characters carry in their hands. Right now, there are 40 people on that team. Plus, three construction companies that are working with us on this fifth season to put together the sets according to the schedule determined by production," said Alcaniz giving us an idea about the scale of production involved.
Berlin on 'Money Heist' Coming to an End
It's not just the crew we got to meet on this virtual tour, we also got Peros to exchange a few words with Pedro Alonos (Berlin) who's trying not to be very emotional about the series coming to an end. "I try to be clinical about it when projects come to an end. I leave it behind," says Alonos and then goes to tell us how excited he was about being a part of something that changed the way people perceived Spanish shows - "It is true that some big things have happened. And somehow, I feel like a door has opened, or at least it has opened a little, which, beyond any personal considerations, has given visibility to a type of work that was being done here for the world. And if we make a small contribution in that sense, I think it is spectacular. I'm a guy who started shooting series at a time when you could kick a screen and ruin an entire set."
The Professor's Best Memory of 'Money Heist'
If you're wondering if the core team of Money Heist gets to watch series before all of us, here's what Alvaro Morte (Professor) had to say when asked if he could reveal what exactly happens in the final season. "I don’t know how the series ends yet. I’m on episode 8. I’ve yet to receive episode 9 and 10. So I can’t tell you how the series is going to end –they would cut my throat- and I can’t tell you if it’s as good or not. Man, I hope so. What I can tell you is that it is a season with a lot of tension, a lot of action, and it’s very exciting. And it’s very rewarding for an actor, but you have to get into that mindset and it’s quite exhausting, in a good way," said Morte.
The actor also spoke about his best memory about working on popular series. "The best memory I have, without a doubt, is the team. No doubt about it. Of course, my connection with this character has given me a lot. I've had a great time; I really enjoy it and I have a great time every time The Professor has to do his thing. But everything about working with this team has been a great experience. We knew from the beginning that this was a very tough project. To do this kind of series, here in Spain, when things had not been done with so much action? We knew it was a very tough thing to do and you had to put yourself in this team's hands. That feeling of working together, like a well-oiled machine, so this could turn out well has been a great experience," said an emotional Morte.
"Lisbon Will Be Inside the Bank of Spain"
But Jesus Colmenar, Director and Executive Producer of Money Heist, gave us a peek into what to expect in the finale. "In fact, the new development this season is that Lisbon will be inside the Bank of Spain. And I think that's a very new element and that gives the series a boost. Suddenly, seeing Lisbon with the red jumpsuit in charge of the heist and in constant communication with The Professor is totally new. And, as Alex says, there are going to be big surprises, not just from one character but from several. In the first few episodes of the season, we are going to start seeing big surprises involving the women."
The Selection of 'Bella Ciao'
Talking about how the late 19th century Italian protest song Bella Ciao has become such a big hit with the new generation thanks to Money Heist, Alex Pina, Show Runner and Executive Producer of the series said that they were looking for a song that sounded like an anthem and that's how they came across the iconic track.
"We were looking for an iconic sound. We always look for an identity: with the color red, with the Dalí masks, with an almost pop iconography at certain times... And, obviously, we needed a soundtrack that sounded like an anthem and that was associated with freedom and resistance. And suddenly, one of the scriptwriters, Javi, came in with that song one day and we said: "This is it! We had been looking for songs for a month before we found 'Bella, ciao'. And I think it was key," said Pina.
Money Heist or La Casa de Papel Part 5 releases in two volumes on Netflix. While volume 1 will be out on 3 September, volume 2 will drop on 3 December.
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