"I had to search for an antique bell for the front desk that Ti wanted," says Healy. "I went to a dozen antique stores, so eventually finding one was very satisfying. I went to Ti like I had found this prized possession but he wasn't as overjoyed. It was just a bell after all."
Walking into the Yankee Pedlar, the filmmakers' choice of color paletteand decor subtly and playfully conjured old school horror favorites The Shining and Evil Dead II and the comedic murder mystery Clue. The piano, which belongs to the hotel, and a bowl of a candy are two signature props that also appeared in West's previous film The House of the Devil.
"The deer head in the lobby is perfect example of knowing how to create a Ti West-esque film set," says Healy. "He never asked me to get one but I knew he would love it. Sure enough it's now hanging on the wall in Ti's apartment. I lucked-out in the deer looking so glum. It was the cheapest one on Craigslist!"
"We decided to paint the lobby walls a golden brown color," says Jade Healy, the film's production designer. "I wanted a color that worked with the red and also a color that was kind of regal but at the same time kind of drab. We built the library bookshelf to plug the entrance to the hotel bar next door. And we added crappier furniture and old art and replaced anything that was modern."
A small cluttered office behind the hotel's front desk became a makeshift headquarters for West, where he'd return after filming to jot notes and watch dailies. Note the Schlitz cans on the right, which could be found all over the set. "Schlitz fit the colors and patterns of the hotel really well," says West. "We considered having the characters drink Old Milwaukee, but Schlitz was a better fit. The company okay'd the use of it, but I don't think they gave us free beer. Actually, I don't know. [laughs]"
"We're staying at the hotel night and day, and there are not a lot of windows," says cinematographer Eliot Rockett. "The entire hotel is like that. The hallways are great, very regular up-down, left-right lines, but then the entire place feels off-kilter and crooked. The camera will pan into a hall that goes 90 degrees and look down and all of the doors are crazy-looking. I love that."
Writer-director Ti West takes a break inside the re-fashioned lobby of the Yankee Pedlar to consider the next shot of The Innkeepers. "My aesthetic is very composed for this film," says West. "That's how I grew up watching movies, reading about them, you see how composition is very important. Every day I make a weird color-coded list that I keep in my pocket, and I do shots just like I wrote them down. That's how I'm able to finish early all the time."
