JUSTIN ELTERMAN
TRUE DETECTIVE: SEASON 3 | HBO
TRUE DETECTIVE: SEASON 3 | HBO
TRUE DETECTIVE: SEASON 3 required world-building across multiple time periods — and a tremendous amount of research to stay true to Arkansas and its various law enforcement agencies. I love diving deep into research to ground my work in reality and make every detail feel authentic.
The community in Fayetteville was incredibly generous. Allowing me to search local archives, law enforcement references agencies, and small-town storefronts, which informed everything from civic maps to signage, creating a geography that felt lived-in and real.
Coordinating fabrication with local sign shops and scenic painters using digital pounce files and routing plans.
I dove into local archives, courthouses, and real police references from Fayetteville and Benton County to ensure period-accurate typography and signage. The local community and small businesses were instrumental — we photographed real storefronts, studied regional materials, and adapted those references into production-ready artwork.
For the Purcell house, I created a a floor tile pattern, using research of flooring from the period. It was printed by local vendors on adhesive back vinyl and applied to the location by our scenic artists.
Once the designs were approved, I coordinated with sign shops and scenic painters to translate digital files into physical assets — providing pounce files, paint masks, and material callouts. I oversaw revisions and fabrication schedules to keep builds aligned with construction and scenic deadlines.
The project balanced research, creative design, and logistical management — exactly the mix I enjoy most. It taught me how to lead design through production constraints, align multiple vendors, and keep creative intent intact from concept to final shot.
