Hallmark Media 2024
When Calls the Heart, PRODUCTION DESIGN, Hallmark
Every new season of When Calls the Heart presents unique challenges for the production team, but Season 12 has been especially ambitious. From maintaining historical accuracy to expanding the show’s world beyond Hope Valley, Production Designer Sarah Mabberley and her team have had their hands full.
“As the production designer, I work closely with our director and showrunner to aid in developing the vision of each episode’s script,” Sarah explains. “Between meeting discussions, research, and then creative development, I build the design and concept that I then provide to the producers, production manager, director, assistant directors, director of photography, and all of our departments.” This includes overseeing the scheduling and uptake of the build with the heads of those departments who develop everything from construction drawings to paint concepts, furniture plans, props plans, and lighting plans.
This means managing a massive number of moving parts. “I begin a little before the rest of the departments at the beginning of our season (approx. one month). I spend a lot of time researching the new “year” that our story takes place in in the hopes we can incorporate, whether scripted or not, easter eggs of those realities. We’re typically given a brief overview of the season’s stories and arc, and we discuss the overall tone and goals that we’re hoping to achieve. We then work on the uptake of the town—repairs, repaint, and any potential new builds that we need for the first episode.”
Once filming starts, the schedule becomes even more demanding. “When we begin shooting, our prep time goes from one month to only 13 days. As soon as we start shooting a block, we begin the prep for the following. It’s all a very tight timeline. Every 13 days we are essentially shooting a block, prepping a block, and wrapping the previous block—all while keeping in mind the overall season, what’s happened, and what’s to come.”
One of the biggest challenges this season has been expanding the world of When Calls the Heart beyond Hope Valley itself. “We’re starting to step into new cities and worlds that aren’t meant to resemble Hope Valley, and so it’s been interesting to navigate our sets and our streets and try to transform them into something we don’t recognize as Hope Valley,” Sarah reveals. “We’re about to see more than we’ve ever seen on When Calls the Heart, and I hope that viewers are as transported as the characters in the show.”
With so many changes, how does the team keep things fresh without losing the show’s signature look? “This is always the biggest topic of discussion when entering each season, but I never want to change anything for the sake of change. There needs to be a reason for it. This reason may not be specific storylines, but it still has to serve the story.”
For Sarah, details matter. “I look at the town—would there be any improvements or renovations? Are there any new shop owners in town? Then I look at the characters; how are they evolving and changing, and does that warrant any change within their home or their place of work? That’s when we can begin to make these design decisions.”
One set, in particular, stands out this season, but Sarah isn’t quite ready to reveal it. “My favorite set has yet to be seen, so I can’t spoil anything.”
While Sarah’s favorite set remains under wraps for now, fans can still enjoy the little surprises hidden throughout Hope Valley. The design team has also sprinkled in hidden details for eagle-eyed viewers to discover. “The Mercantile and the schoolhouse are always fun places to add little Easter eggs,” Sarah reveals. “The jail and the saloon have some fun details as well. We always like to play around with the photographs around town and the signage… make sure you’re looking at the picture frames and reading the little signs on the boards!” And, if you like maps, they’re coming!
Beyond set design, ensuring historical accuracy is another key part of the production team’s process. “I am huge on making sure we are doing things historically accurate. That’s half of the fun of getting to do a period piece! A lot of people expect things to look old when, in reality, it was all new to them back then. The audience needs to approach any period show with that perspective and reality.”
This dedication to authenticity is evident in every detail. “For example, Allie’s birthday party includes elements that are true to the era. The balloons, the lights, the streamers, the colors—those are all period elements that I researched and found historical evidence of, down to a 1920s ‘how to decorate with streamers’ guide.” Of course, due to limited resources in Vancouver and the challenge of recreating a show set over one hundred years ago, some items must be reproduced or substituted. “We certainly don’t have lights from the 1920s, but they certainly existed, and all we can do is use what we have now and hope that the ambiance and the decor aid in making it a true and realistic interpretation.”
As When Calls the Heart moves deeper into Season 12, Sarah hopes fans enjoy the journey just as much as the cast and crew did while making it. “I truly want this season to be the most fun our audience has ever had because we certainly had fun bringing these scripts and these stories to life. Like always, you’ll find the same soul that we get in every season, but there are some shiny and new aspects this year that are unlike anything that we’ve ever seen. Keep an open mind and jump right into this exciting world.”
Don’t miss out—come back next week for part two of my exclusive interview with Sarah Mabberley, where she shares even more behind-the-scenes insights and exciting reveals about the set design of When Calls the Heart.
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