Paul used historical paintings found in encyclopedias as a reference for painting the bodies on scrim.
The actors were shrouded in black and videotaped against a black background as they read their lines. It was a challenge in timing to stagger their lines, since each actor was taped separately.
Small television sets were inset into the walls behind the paintings. Since each painting had their own lines, each was hooked up to a separate VCR to play back at the appropriate moment.
We used the contrast and brightness adjustments on each TV to make each image blend in with it's background.
The faces faded in and out for the delivery of their lines, using the fade controls on the camera when they were taped.