The early 1960s marked a pivotal shift in American culture—an era in which music, art, and society converged in a melting pot of creativity. The film sets of A Complete Unknown vividly recreate this transformative time in history. Directed by James Mangold and starring Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan, the film offers a glimpse into the moments that defined Dylan’s early career. For production designer François Audouy, his role went beyond recreating a historical period—it was an opportunity to bring the energy of New York’s Greenwich Village to life, as it served as the backdrop for a cultural revolution.

In Part 1 of our deep dive into the film sets of A Complete Unknown, we cover:-
• The Greenwich Village Influence: Streets and Small Venues
• Designing Bob Dylan’s Apartment: A Time Machine to 1961
• Layered Street Scenes and Signage: Handcrafted History
• The Village Folk Scene

Read on, watch the video interview below for more insights, or listen along on The Film and Furniture Podcast on Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all your favourite podcast platforms.

The Times They Were A-Changin’

When approaching A Complete Known, François found himself diving into the heart of the early 1960s, a time of profound change. “The movie is about witnessing the very epicenter of that cultural change,” François Audouy explains. “What the film is really about is the change that was happening year by year, from 1961 to 1965. It’s about seeing the birth of the 1960s we know today.”

François’ design choices and those of set decorator Regina Graves reflect this dynamic evolution, as the early 1960s were still largely influenced by the ’50s in terms of fashion and design. By capturing this transitional moment, François gives us a glimpse into a world on the cusp of cultural upheaval.

The Greenwich Village Influence: Streets and Small Venues

One of the most immersive elements of A Complete Known is its depiction of Greenwich Village, the creative hub that fueled Bob Dylan’s early career, with Cafe Reggio, Cafe Wha, Gaslight Cafe, and various other bars and small venues making appearances in the film.

François notes, “Greenwich Village was a very small section of lower Manhattan, but at the time, you had all of these artists—poets like Dylan Thomas and Allen Ginsberg, painters like Edward Hopper, and writers like Jack Kerouac—living and working shoulder to shoulder.”

The streets of Greenwich Village were where artists exchanged ideas, and François wanted to capture that vibrant energy. The film’s street scenes, which depict characters walking among the crowd, emphasise the intersection of culture and conversation that defined this time. François continues, “It was really like a Petri dish where they’re all being influenced, and they’re all tapped into what was happening around them.”

Designing Bob Dylan’s Apartment: A Time Machine to 1961

Among the most iconic sets in the film is Bob Dylan’s apartment, where he lived from 1961 to 1964. François and his team meticulously recreated this space using over 200 original photos of the real apartment by Ted Russell. “It wasn’t really a set as much as it was a time machine,” François reflects.

The apartment is filled with period-accurate furniture, including Dylan’s wing-back gold chair with studded arms and Cabriole legs with (a tricky item to source, eventually found on Amazon Marketplace from the home of the seller’s grandparents). Other furnishings were sourced in antique and thrift stores across New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

A blue/grey Olivetti typewriter sits amongst the books and papers on Dylan’s desk. It’s possible Dylan’s own real typewriter was an Olivetti Lettera 22 typewriter, but the art department team settled on a 1960s Olivetti Lettera 32 typewriter because they needed one which actually worked for filming! 

François and his team were obsessive about the details: “We recreated everything from the furniture to the newspaper clippings that Dylan taped to the wall,” François explains. “It was a labour of love to make it feel as authentic as possible.”

Even books, albums, artworks and a stuffed plush toy were included, along with a working oven and bath. The bathroom was tiled in New York subway tile, chipped away to reflect years of disrepair.

Layers of painted texture were applied to the plaster walls to add to the authenticity. A hardwood floor was installed and overpainted with a gray deck paint—commonly used by landlords and tenants in old buildings to make floors look better. The stairway leading to Dylan’s front door featured actual salvaged antique stair spindles.

In researching items for the film, set decorator Regina Graves told us that it’s likely Dylan had a Decca portable record player in the 1960s (as seen in photos), although the exact brand was never confirmed. “We needed a record player from that era that was still in great shape and functional for filming,” she says. “It was a very hard task finding one with all those qualities. We eventually found one in pristine condition that looked quite similar. Sometimes we have to take liberties on a period film. The one we bought and used in the film was a Philco Stereophonic portable Model G-1412. It had two speakers with it.”

---

Book Breakout

Saul Leiter and other influential photographers of the time such as Tod Papageorge, we’re an important influence on the look and feel of A Complete Unknown – the film about Bob Dylan’s rise to fame in the early 1960s.

---

Layered Street Scenes and Signage: Handcrafted History

François’ background as a graphic designer played a significant role in how the streets of Greenwich Village were brought to life in the film. He and his team created thousands of handmade signs, ensuring that every piece of signage, from café names to street vendors, was authentic to the era. “The texture in this film is pushed a little bit more,” says François. “All the signage was handmade and hand-painted… we wanted to really create this layered, textured look.”

This attention to detail is seen in every storefront and sign, reflecting a time when signage was crafted by hand rather than manufactured by machines.

The Village Folk Scene

In addition to capturing the atmosphere of Greenwich Village, the film delves into iconic folk venues like Gerde’s Folk City which played a key role in Bob Dylan’s rise to fame. 

The scenes set in Gerde’s, where Dylan first performed, emphasise the rustic, unpolished feel of the venue, vintage concert posters, and peeling plaster walls that evoke the club’s bohemian spirit. The red-and-white checkered tablecloths hint at the venue’s former life as an Italian restaurant.

 

François Audouy, Regina Graves and their team’s work on A Complete Known is a testament to the power of production design and set decoration in bringing history to life. Through careful research, attention to detail, and a deep understanding of the cultural moment, they created film sets that feel like stepping back into the 1960s. “It’s not just about what you see; it’s about what you feel,” François concludes. “We wanted the audience to really live in this world and experience it firsthand.”

Take a look at our deep dive into the film sets of A Complete Unknown Part 2, where we cover
• Peter Seeger’s Cabin: A Handcrafted Homage
• Joan Baez’s House: Mid-Century Elegance Meets Bohemian Spirit
• Columbia Records: The Heart of the Music Industry
• The Monterey and Newport Folk Festivals: Low-Fi and Authentic