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Wes Anderson is one of the most influential filmmakers of his generation. With storybook-like imagery, and highly stylized production design and cinematography he is the definition of an auteur and certainly one of my favourite filmmakers working today. His stories are as fun and interesting as his visual flair so it isn’t hard to see why he is nominated for an Academy Award this year alongside his Moonrise Kingdom co-writer, Roman Coppola for Best Original Screenplay.
Filed under Design LOVE, Film HAPPINESS, Production DESIGN, Production Design Porn
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Check out this below the line interview for Paul Thomas Anderson‘s The Master with Production Designers, Jack Fisk & David Crank; Costume Designer, Mark Bridges and Editor, Leslie Jones.
Source: The Hot Button DP30 Series
Filed under Costume Design, Design LOVE, Film INDUSTRY, Production DESIGN
Tim Burton, in the early 80′s, spent a lot of time developing Trick or Treat, a still-unproduced film about a little boy who spends Halloween with monsters trying to look human for the holiday.
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“I never really got nightmares from movies. In fact, I recall my father saying when I was three years old that I would be scared, but I never was.”
- Tim Burton, Freaky Filmmaker Extraordinaire
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Filed under Hump Day QUOTE DAY, Quotations
.As a new contributor to Art DepartMENTAL, I will be covering the Art department scene in Los Angeles in greater detail as the months go on. Rose and I thought it would be a good idea to start off with a little bit about myself and my work in the art department through a Q&A. So without further delay, Rose asked and I answered…
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I work in Los Angeles. Currently working on a television program for TNT / Warner Brothers at the Paramount Pictures lot in Hollywood. It’s a union show and lasts almost all year, which is a blessing in this town and in these times.
Filed under Advice, ART DEPARTMENT, Behind the SCENES, Film INDUSTRY, Question & ANSWER
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The production design for Prometheus surprised a lot of people when the first set stills leaked. Instead of the grungy, mechanical aesthetic of Alien, which it predates, Prometheus’ sets are clean, brightly lit, and very colourful. It’s texturing is much less heavy than Alien, and the reflective surfaces and bold, graphic palette seem a world away from the 1979 film’s muted golds, browns and creams. Ridley Scott’s influences for the look of Prometheus can be tracked back to the 1965 film Planet Of The Vampires - in fact the space suits for the Prometheus crew are taken almost verbatim from that film. Broadly speaking though, pulp sci-fi appears to be the major influence for the film’s look, mixing it’s tone and colour with updated version of the bulkheads and corridors of the original Nostromo sets. Prometheus’ prop vehicles, the RT Rovers, continue this theme.
Filed under Art Direction, Design LOVE, EXCLUSIVE
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“If you can spend your time doing the best you can doing shit- then why do it.”
– Veteran Cinematographer, Haskell Wexler
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Filed under Advice, Hump Day QUOTE DAY
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Tom Hanks hands husband and wife team, Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo their Oscars for Best Art Direction
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Dante Ferretti was the only winner to thank his crew, let alone any below-the-line crew. Films get made on the backs of their crew and I was so pleased to see that Dante respects his crew enough to thank them. It was lovely to see him win his 3rd Oscar for his staggering work on Hugo which topped my list for best production design this past year. For once the Academy had it right. Below is Dante Ferretti’s acceptance speech:
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“Thank you to the Academy for this prestigious award. A great thank you goes to the producer Graham King and Tim Headington. To all my art department. But the most of all my very special thank you to a eccezionale of director who guide us through this wonderful journey, Martin Scorsese. Thank you, thank you, thank you very much. Grazie, Martin.”
– Dante Ferretti, Production Designer
“This is for Martin and for Italy.”
– Francesca Lo Schiavo, Set Decorator
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For a list of all the nominees and winners of the 84th Academy Awards, click here.
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Filed under Art Direction, Awards, Film INDUSTRY
If there is anything I love more than production design it is film in and of itself. I see roughly 250-300 films a year so while I definitely have a bit of catching up to do I did engulf quite a few films last year. However, I’m still kicking myself that I have yet to see A Separation which I’ve been told is phenomenal. Perhaps once I see it this list will change but as of right now, on Oscar Sunday, here are my Top 10 Favourites of 2011! Don’t judge. Oh, okay, you can judge.
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Director: Bennett Miller
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Director: J.C. Chandor
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Director: Mike Mills
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Director: Lars von Trier
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Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
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Director: Martin Scorsese
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Director: Steve McQueen
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Director: Woody Allen
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Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
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Director: Terrence Malick
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Honorable Mentions: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Bridesmaids, Young Adult, Take Shelter, The Descendants, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Artist and Monsieur Lazhar
Movies I have yet to see thus didn’t make it on the list: A Separation, Margaret, Le Havre, Weekend, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Worst Film of the Year: New Year’s Eve
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Filed under Film HAPPINESS, Film REVIEWS, Recommendations
After some long and hard deliberations I have pared down what are, in my opinion, the top 10 best production designed/art directed films of 2011. In the end, given the subjectivity of film in general, all this means is these were my design favourites. Going through the many films I had on my list I was awestruck at the diversity, styles and overall quality of so many of the films. 2011 was really a banner year for production design the way I see it. Last year, I found it easy to just do a top 5 but this year I found it impossible not to do a top 10 and I easily could have made it a top 20.
So I just want to say to everyone who worked on these films- Bravo! Sincerely, you all deserve a pat on the back and a bottle of booze on me. I have the utmost respect for you all. Those who work in the art department know how hard it is; we know these sets don’t come together like magic. It’s an intense endurance run to the finish line mustering up every skill you’ve ever learned on a whim. It’s a hard gig but thrilling if you can get it.
To all those past, present and future working in art departments all over the world to make visions come to life- I salute you. You truly make movies better and don’t let anyone tell you differently.
Cheers & Enjoy!
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Production Designer: Mark Ricker | Art Director: Curt Beech | Set Decorator: Rena DeAngelo | Director: Tate Taylor | DOP: Stephen Goldblatt | Costume Designer: Sharen Davis
The Help Trailer
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Production Designer: Judy Becker | Art Director: Charles Kulsziski | Set Decorator: Heather Loeffler | Director: Steve McQueen | DOP: Sean Bobbitt | Costume Designer: David C. Robinson
Shame Trailer
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Production Designer: Beth Mickle | Art Director: Christopher Tandon | Set Decorator: Lisa K. Sessions | Director: Nicolas Winding Refn | DOP: Newton Thomas Sigel | Costume Designer: Erin Benach
Drive Trailer
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Production Designer: Jane Ann Stewart | Art Director: T.K. Kirkpatrick | Set Decorator: Matt Callahan | Director: Alexander Payne | DOP: Phedon Papamichael | Costume Designer: Wendy Chuck
The Descendants Trailer
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Production Designer: Laurence Bennett | Art Director: Gregory S. Hooper | Set Decorator: Austin Buchinsky & Robert Gould | Director: Michel Hazanavicius | DOP: Guillaume Schiffman | Costume Designer: Mark Bridges
The Artist Trailer
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Production Designer: Anne Seibel | Art Director: Jean-Yves Rabier | Set Decorator: Hélène Dubreuil | Director: Woody Allen | DOP: Darius Khondji & Johanne Debas | Costume Designer: Sonia Grande
Midnight in Paris Trailer
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Production Designer: Jack Fisk | Art Director: David Crank | Set Decorator: Jeanette Scott | Director: Terrence Malick | DOP: Emmanuel Lubezki | Costume Designer: Jacqueline West
The Tree of Life Trailer
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Production Designer: Maria Djurkovic | Art Director: Tom Brown & Zsuzsa Kismarty-Lechner | Set Decorator: Tatiana MacDonald | Director: Tomas Alfredson | DOP: Hoyte Van Hoytema | Costume Designer: Jacqueline Durran
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Trailer
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Production Designer: Stuart Craig | Art Director: Neil Lamont & Gary Tomkins | Set Decorator: Stephenie McMillan | Director: David Yates | DOP: Eduardo Serra | Costume Designer: Jany Temime
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 Trailer
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Production Designer: Dante Ferretti | Art Director: David Warren | Set Decorator: Francesca Lo Schiavo | Director: Martin Scorsese | DOP: Robert Richardson | Costume Designer: Sandy Powell
Hugo Trailer
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A meme is “an idea, behavior or style that spreads from person to person within a culture.” A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas, symbols or practices in this case being the “What People Think I Do” meme. I found it particularly interesting when I started seeing the art department taking part as I do believe people really don’t know what we do. Even major producers don’t know what we do. So I compiled 5 of the memes I felt most related to the art department below:
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You can also check out this Set Designer ‘What People Think I Do’ Meme here.
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Filed under ART DEPARTMENT, Production DESIGN
