Building illusions: Life on a Hollywood set
Redondo Beach resident Dave Thomas builds sets for Hollywood productions filmed in the area. Photo Dave Thomas builds optical illusions for a living. He’s created a 30-foot structure of graded arches that on camera looked three times as long and a foot-high tunnel that appeared full-sized on “CSI: Miami.” He modified a shipping container to resemble, onscreen, the interior of an aircraft carrier. He built a Plexiglas platform that enabled Jesus in “The Watcher” to walk on water and he plastered Dr. Evil’s in-studio lair. “I’ll say this: You don’t wanna watch a show with somebody that worked on its set because they won’t shut up and watch the movie,” Thomas said. “I’m always going, ‘That’s fake. That’s fake. That’s not.’” The Redondo Beach resident works according to the unpredictable whims of showbiz. Hours are irregular and can run long, as filming hinges on the coordination of up to 50 people, the right natural lighting, and time-constrained permits. Thomas, 57, has a portfolio of projects so extensive he can’t cite them all from memory. The list includes sets featured in such box office hits as “Jurassic Park 2,” “Tango & Cash,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Bubble Boy,” “Fun…
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