by | September 7, 2011

Art DepartMENTAL @ TIFF ’11

Tomorrow the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival officially starts its 36th year fully settled in its new home, the TIFF Bell Lightbox. This year it is 11 days from Sept 8-18 and will showcase 339 films- 258 features and 81 shorts. It is the largest public festival in the world and I would say second in popularity only to Cannes. Even the Guardian thinks Venice is scared of Toronto’s new found prowess.

I have been attending the festival for the past 8 years and every year I look forward to it more and more. This is the first year I will be going to TIFF as an Industry member and this has me more excited (and nervous) than ever before. I’m looking forward to networking and continuing my journey to learn this business inside and out. I know a lot of you out there have never been to TIFF or any film festival like it and do not understand all of the hype and hoopla associated with the festival. It’s hard to describe it but it’s sort of like an amusement park run in celebration of the beauty and transcendence of the moving image. To those who love cinema it’s Christmas in September. One film after another of the very best this World has to offer not to mention the electric vibe the city of Toronto has when it’s glowing in the TIFF spotlight.

Like last year I will be live tweeting again (@artdepartmental) from the festival and be sure to follow the TIFF hashtag #TIFF11 to get the inside scoop on what’s hot, what’s not and what’s being bought.

Programme, schedules & hooch during my 16 hour wait for TIFF tickets.

New this year, I will be posting a daily TIFF Diary for the 11 days of the festival letting you know what’s happening at the festival and my general experience as I attend approximately 40 movies in addition to panels, seminars, and parties. To stay updated you can bookmark Art DepartMENTAL, like us on Facebook, or you can subscibe via email or our RSS feed. As always I will try my best to cover the very best of the fest in production design glory. I hope you will come along for the ride!

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Are you attending TIFF ’11? If you are too far to attend, which films playing at TIFF’11 are you anxious to see or hear more about?

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Rose XO.
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by | September 2, 2011

PRODUCTION DESIGN PORN: Terrence Malick, Jack Fisk and the Art of Minimalism

Filmmaker, Terrence Malick
Production Designer, Jack Fisk

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Definition of Minimalism: A design or style in which the simplest and fewest elements are used to create the maximum effect. A technique that is characterized by extreme spareness and simplicity.

I’ve been a big fan of Terrence Malick and Jack Fisk since I saw The Thin Red Line. Imagine my shock and awe when I saw the rest of their work. I often think of Andrew Wyeth’s Christina’s World when I think of Days of Heaven and that is a tribute to the way they painted their story with simple landscape and light during magic hour. Terrence clearly has a highly attuned eye for painterly composition and Fisk is not only able to realize Terry’s vision but catapult it to new heights in such a way that makes them the power team that they are. The Tree of Life this year has been a testament to the magic they share with their audience. The Tree of Life is a delightfully visual poem which enables the audience to ponder the nature of existence through the use of visual imagery and story minimalism. With this film I do believe Terrence and Jack have reached new heights in the search for beauty in cinema. Through their work I believe we can all learn that less really is more.

Jack Fisk Discusses his Work with Terrence and his Aesthetic:

“Terry and I have developed a relationship where we just go and look at locations together, for weeks, and that way we kind of get in sync on a picture. And then he says, “Whatever you do will be fine.” He’s so trusting, but I’ve worked so hard to fall in line with what he’s after. I think also over the years we’ve kind of developed similar tastes. Some of it came about because we never had any money, so we always had minimal set dressing and props, and we found out that we really like the way that looked. Even today, I spend most of my time taking stuff away rather than putting stuff onto a set. Just try to keep it simple, because if people aren’t confused by the background, they pay attention to what’s happening with the characters, I think. I try to create backgrounds that are easy to understand so they tell you in shorthand what you need to know about the place or the character and don’t distract you by giving you too much to look at. [The balance between simplicity and authenticity] is a hard one.

I’ve developed a real love of Edward Hopper. His paintings have a simplicity and an essence of location, so he’s probably who I reference the most – I think of him almost like an art director. You really feel the humans in those environments because there’s not a lot of distraction; he paints just what you need. The other artist I like is completely different and that’s Francis Bacon. The thing I really like about Francis Bacon is his passion. I look at his paintings and they’re like falling apart. He’ll put water-base paint on oils – whatever he does, he doesn’t worry about preserving it, but he worries about the moment. If he needs a dash of purple up there, he’ll put whatever purple he has. I appreciate that passion.”

~ Jack Fisk, from Filmmaker Magazine | Spring 2010

Terrence Malick and Jack Fisk’s Collaborations

Badlands (1973)

Badlands (1973)

Days of Heaven (1978)

Days of Heaven (1978)

Days of Heaven (1978)

The Thin Red Line (1998)

The New World (2005)

The Tree of Life (2011)

The Tree of Life (2011)

The Tree of Life (2011)

The Tree of Life (2011)

Jack Fisk’s Other Collaborations

Here is more smouldering examples of Jack Fisk’s production designs, this time with other lauded filmmakers. You’ll see below that his love for minimalism follows him on each project but his designs remain classic, beautiful and appropriate to the characters, time period, story and genre. He has a knack for choosing projects that suit his unique visual aesthetic. He also seems to love anything with fire.

Carrie (1976)

Carrie (1976)

Carrie (1976)

Carrie (1976)

Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

The Straight Story (1999)

Mulholland Dr. (2001)

The Invasion (2007)

There Will Be Blood (2007)

There Will Be Blood (2007)

There Will Be Blood (2007)

There Will Be Blood (2007)

There Will Be Blood (2007)

Water For Elephants (2011)

Water For Elephants (2011)

Water For Elephants (2011)

Water For Elephants (2011)

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Are you a fan of Terrence Malick or Jack Fisk? What is your favourite film designed by Jack Fisk and why?

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Rose XO.

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by | August 31, 2011

EXCLUSIVE: An Inside Look at the Production Design of The Kennedys

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By now you’ve probably heard a little something about the Emmy nominated 8-Part Television Miniseries, The Kennedys, but today I want you to pay attention to the one aspect of the production that wasn’t blabbed about much in the media- the astoundingly skilled production design. Forget what you’ve heard about the show and judge for yourself. No matter what the media says with their half truths I hope you had the opportunity to watch The Kennedys during its original air dates and if not you’re in luck because it will be released on DVD September 20th in North America.

The Kennedys Production Designer Rocco Matteo, Art Director Mun Ying Kwun, and Set Decorator Enrico Campana did a superb job creating a period piece that was authentic and historically accurate but remained fresh in its design aesthetic. Challenged with over 125 sets, shooting in Toronto, with 3 months prep, a 70 day shoot, and an increasingly limited budget, Rocco, Mun Ying and Enrico had to work quickly and efficiently with all of their various teams to pull off miracles. Armed with 3 hard drives full of research, a team of 5 core art department professionals, several weekly players, and a top notch Construction, Set Dec, and Props Department they were able to make it work.

I have had the great fortune to see a lot of the photos, drawings, pre-production materials and research used on The Kennedys by the art department as well as speaking with many on its creative team and what I have seen has made my jaw drop so much I HAD to share it with you all. Below are never before-seen photos and stills given to me by Production Designer, Rocco Matteo, used here with permission, of course.

The Kennedys Production Design has been recognized with a Best Production Design nomination at the 2011 Gemini Awards, also receiving a 2011 Emmy Award nomination for Best Art Direction in a Mini-Series.

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The Trailer:

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A Look at the Sets:

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EXT. HYANNIS PORT- JOE SR’s HOME

For Rose and Joe Sr’s house the construction team built the bottom porch in this public park just outside downtown Toronto. The top of the home is actually CGI. Lots of landscaping was added to create a driveway, path and to more accurately portray Hyannis Port.

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INT. HYANNIS PORT- JOE SR’S HOME- SUN ROOM

Built porch, added greens to exterior area, painted and dressed the location in Cobourg, Ontario in an empty front storage area/sun room.

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INT. ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE

Full build in studio.

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EXT. WHITE HOUSE- WEST WING COLONNADE

Full build in studio.

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INT. WHITE HOUSE- OVAL OFFICE- LATE 1962

An existing standing set in Kleinburg, Ontario was used for the Oval Office with extensive renovations to add the terrace, the backdrop and a fully built addition of the Presidential Secretary’s office as well as the outer office which came directly off of the Oval Office. This space also required a full dress by the Set Dec team. Many set decorations and dressings had to be made from scratch when they could not be found in order to maintain the authenticity of the period. For example the lamp on the desk, the globe lamp in front of the foremost left window, and the couches among other pieces were fabricated for the show. No stone was left unturned, even the book spines were created by the art department’s graphic designer.

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INT. WHITE HOUSE- SECRETARY’S OFFICE (Unlit, House Lights on)

Pictured above is the Presidential Secretary’s office which hangs off the Oval Office which was previously non-existent in the standing set. The Kennedys team went to great lengths to shoe horn this set into the relatively small studio to ensure its relation to the Oval Office was authentic. This included making the Oval Office side doors practical which were previously not built to open.

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INT. WHITE HOUSE- WEST SITTING HALL

Full build in studio.

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INT. WHITE HOUSE- CABINET ROOM

Full build in studio. The board room table was designed and built specifically for the project to be historically accurate. It was so large it had to be constructed in 3 pieces and put together on site.

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INT. WHITE HOUSE- GRAND HALL

An empty standing set that required a full dress including the artwork, draperies, chandeliers, furniture and even custom made torchieres.

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INT. WHITE HOUSE- WEST SITTING HALL, KIDS PLAY ROOM

Full build in studio.

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INT. WHITE HOUSE- JACKIE’S ROOM

Full build in studio. The picture above is from a scene in the Kennedys with the set fully lit and colour corrected in post. Below are Rocco’s personal set photos of the set fully dressed and ready for camera with only the houselights on.

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INT. WHITE HOUSE- JACKIE’S ROOM (Unlit- House Lights on)

Like most of the sets, Rocco and his team analyzed all of the artwork in historical photos from the vast amount of research they collected and recreated similar themed and coloured artwork. Therefore every piece of artwork you see in The Kennedys was a recreation done by the graphic designer, changed just enough to make it through the clearance process since most of the artwork from that time period is not yet in the public domain.

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INT. WHITE HOUSE- JACKIE’S ROOM (Unlit, House Lights on)

The opposite side of Jackie’s Bedroom. All draperies and linens were custom made for the project. If the correct furniture could not be sourced from around the globe it was also built from scratch. Authenticity was very important to the filmmakers, Rocco and his team.

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INT. WHITE HOUSE- JACK’S ROOM (Unlit- House Lights on)

Full build in studio. This is Jack’s Bedroom which adjoins Jackie’s Bedroom. JFK and Jackie did not sleep in the same bedroom. John had turned what was supposed to be the living room in the West Sitting Area of the White House into his very own bedroom. Rocco made sure to keep the geography the same so every room would correctly relate to each other. You can see into Jackie’s Room through the door. Wild walls were also used to make sure the shoot crew always had enough space to shoot despite keeping the geography of the actual space accurate.

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INT. WHITE HOUSE- JACK’S ROOM (Unlit, House Lights on)

A view of Jack’s bedroom facing the opposite side. That door heads to the hallway in the West Sitting Room.

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Have you seen The Kennedys Miniseries? What do you think of the production design?

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Rose XO.

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Sources: Rocco Matteo, Muse Entertainment, and Reelz Channel. Used with permission.
Full Disclosure: I am currently employed with Rocco Matteo and Mun Ying Kwun on a different television series. I did not work on The Kennedys.
All photos, video, and content is copyrighted. 2011

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by | August 17, 2011

What Nobody Tells Beginners…

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In the video above, Ira Glass has articulated so well what I’ve been thinking for years. I don’t know how many times I’ve been asked:

“When should I start designing? Am I too young? Am I good enough?”

My answer is always “You are never too young and you will never be good if you don’t try,” but I’m grateful someone like Ira has more accurately expressed the importance of trying and the inevitability of failure in the beginning. I’m sure you’ve heard of the 10,000 hour rule or even the 1000 hour rule by now but if somebody had told me this in the beginning perhaps there would have been a lot less tears, heartache, second-guessing, and overall insecurity about why I was having so much trouble achieving what I wanted to achieve. I knew I was better than what I was churning out at times yet I blamed myself at every turn but now I know…

The overwhelming odds are that your best work WILL NOT be at the very beginning of your career and THAT’S OKAY.

It is through trying and failing that you will learn everything you will need to be successful. You can sit at home reading every book and watching every movie but until you step out onto that set you will never know what you yourself are capable of. You may fail- in fact you will very likely make every beginner’s mistake known to man no matter what you read in the past telling you what not to do. However it is by making those mistakes that you will learn over a course of time what works and what doesn’t… and for the people who put you down or stand in your way on your journey forward -> FUCK’EM! After all, the best revenge is massive success. Remember that and you’ll be fine.

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To Beginners: What is your biggest fear about getting started and getting better? To Veterans: How long did it take you to attain a certain level of excellence or at the very least feel comfortable in your position? What’s the best advice you were given in the beginning that helped you along?

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Rose XO.

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Source: David Shiyang Liu | Originally shared to me by Cybel Martin, @CybelDP

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by | August 8, 2011

The 2011 Gemini Awards Nominations for Best Production Design are…

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The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television announced their nominations for the 26th Annual Gemini Awards, celebrating the best in Canadian English language television and digital media this past Wednesday.

Celebrations for the 26th Annual Gemini Awards will take place over three nights in Toronto beginning Tuesday Aug. 30 and continuing Wednesday Aug. 31 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, culminating September 7 at the CBC with a live broadcast on CBC Television.

Listed below are the two sets of nominations for Best Production Design or Art Direction. For the complete list of nominations, please visit: www.GeminiAwards.ca

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Best Production Design or Art Direction in a Fiction Program or Series

Republic of Doyle – Don’t Gamble With City Hall
CBC (CBC)
Gordon Barnes
Flashpoint – Acceptable Risk
CTV (Bell Media)
John Dondertman, Elizabeth Calderhead
The Kennedys
History Canada (Shaw Media)
Rocco Matteo
Sanctuary – Normandy
Space (Bell Media)
Bridget McGuire
The Borgias – The Poisoned Chalice/The Assassin
Bravo! CTV (Shaw Media)
François Séguin

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Best Production Design or Art Direction in a Non-Fiction Program or Series

Breakout – Pittsburgh Six
Discovery Canada (Bell Media)
Andrew Berry
The 2011 Juno Awards
CTV (Bell Media)
Peter Faragher
Season of Song: The Canadian Tenors and Friends
CBC (CBC)
Callum MacLachlan
2010 MuchMusic Video Awards
CTV-MuchMusic (Bell Media)
Michael “Spike” Parks
Storming Juno
History Television (Shaw Media)
Brian Rice, Lyle Jobe
Everyday Exotic – Peking Duck
Food Network Canada (Shaw Media)
Elisa Sauve

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Which shows are you rooting for? Are you pleased with the nominations?

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Rose XO.

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by | July 15, 2011

TRAILER: Martin Scorsese’s Hugo (2011)

Martin Scorsese with Dante Ferretti

The trailer for Martin Scorsese’s first 3D film, Hugo, based on the children’s graphic novel, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, was finally released and as per Scorsese’s usual it is BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL. Production Designer, Dante Ferretti has outdone himself once more and luckily the trailer captures Ferretti’s masterful work. I can not wait to see this film when it is released later this year and become mesmerized by that particular brand of Dante Ferretti/Martin Scorsese magic.

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What did you think? What other films are you looking forward to this year?

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Rose XO.

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by | July 14, 2011

The 2011 Emmy Nominations for Outstanding Art Direction are…

This morning the Emmy nominations were announced and luckily there was some truly stunning television work this past year. Just because it’s on the small screen doesn’t mean it can’t be visually splendorous. The following nominations prove this very point:

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Outstanding Art Direction For A Multi-Camera Series

The Big Bang Theory • The Love Car Displacement • The 21-Second Excitation • The Agreement Dissection • CBS • Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television

John S. Shaffner, Production Designer

Francoise Cherry-Cohen, Art Director

Ann Shea, Set Decorator

Hot In Cleveland • Sisterhood Of The Traveling SPANX© • I Love Lucci: Part Two • LeBron Is Le Gone • TV Land • Hudson Street Productions

Michael Andrew Hynes, Production Designer

Maralee Zediker, Set Decorator

How I Met Your Mother • Subway Wars • Natural History • CBS • Twentieth Century Fox Television

Stephan G. Olson, Production Designer

Susan Eschelbach, Set Decorator

Mike & Molly • Pilot • CBS • Bonanza Productions, Inc. in association with Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. and Warner Bros. Television

John S. Shaffner, Production Designer

Ann Shea, Set Decorator

Rules Of Engagement • Last Of The Red Hat Lovers • Singing And Dancing • The Set Up • CBS • Happy Madison Productions and CBS Television Studios in association with Sony Pictures Television

Bernard Vyzga, Production Designer

Jerie Kelter, Set Decorator

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Outstanding Art Direction For A Single-Camera Series

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Boardwalk Empire • Boardwalk Empire (Pilot) • HBO • Leverage, Closest to the Hole Productions, Sikelia Productions and Cold Front Productions in association with HBO Entertainment

Bob Shaw, Production Designer

Douglas Huszti, Art Director

Debra Schutt, Set Decorator

The Borgias • Lucrezia’s Wedding • Showtime • Showtime Presents in

association with Take 5 Productions and Octagon Films

Francois Seguin, Production Designer

Jonathan McKinstry, Art Director

Judit Varga, Set Decorator

Mad Men • Public Relations • AMC • Lionsgate Television

Dan Bishop, Production Designer

Christopher L. Brown, Art Director

Claudette Didul, Set Decorator

Modern Family • Halloween • ABC • Twentieth Century Fox Television

Richard Berg, Production Designer

Amber Haley, S.D.S.A., Set Decorator

True Blood • Beautifully Broken • It Hurts Me Too • Trouble • HBO • Your Face Goes Here Entertainment in association with HBO Entertainment

Suzuki Ingerslev, Production Designer

Cat Smith, Art Director

Laura Richarz, S.D.S.A., Set Decorator

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Outstanding Art Direction For A Miniseries Or Movie

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Downton Abbey (Masterpiece) • PBS • A co-production of Carnival and Masterpiece

Donal Woods, Production Designer

Charmian Adams, Art Director

Gina Cromwell, Set Decorator

The Kennedys • ReelzChannel • A Muse Entertainment Production in association with Asylum Entertainment

Rocco Matteo, Production Designer

Mun Ying Kwun, Art Director

Enrico Campana, Set Decorator

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For a list of all the nominations click here.

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Which television show or mini-series are you happy to see nominated?

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Rose XO.

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by | July 7, 2011

PRODUCTION DESIGN PORN: Bernardo Bertolucci

Italian director and screenwriter Bernardo Bertolucci was born in March 1941. He started writing at the age of 15 and originally wanted to be a poet. However, after assisting Pier Paolo Pasolini  with his film Accattone in 1961, Bertolucci dropped out of his literature studies at the University of Rome and directed his first film, The Grim Reaper, at the tender age of 22. Bertolucci’s films are known for their vibrant visuals as well as controversial political themes. He won two Oscars in 1988 (Best Director and Screenplay) for The Last Emperor.

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)

Production Designer: Carlo Simi | Set Decorators: Rafael Ferri, Carlo Leva

The Conformist (1970)

Production Designer: Ferdinando Scarfiotti  | Set Decorator: Osvaldo Desideri

Strategia del ragno (1970)

Production Designer: Maria Paola Maino

Last Tango in Paris (1972)

Production Designer & Set Decorator: Philippe Turlure

1900 (1976)

Art Director: Ezio Frigerio | Maria Paola Maino

The Last Emperor (1987)

Production Designer: Ferdinando Scarfiotti | Art Director: Maria-Teresa Barbasso, Gianni Giovagnoni, Gianni Silvestri | Set Decorator: Chunpu Wang

Stealing Beauty (1996)

Production Designer: Gianni Silvestri | Art Director: Domenico Sica | Set Decorator: Cynthia Sleiter

The Dreamers  (2003)

Production Designer: Jean Rabasse | Art Director: Pierre Duboisberranger

What is your favourite Bertolucci set or film?

- Alison

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by | June 30, 2011

TRAILER: Boardwalk Empire, Season II

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The Season II trailer for Boardwalk Empire premiered before True Blood a few days ago and I can’t stop thinking about it. If you watched all of last season you’ll understand why Season II stands to be THE show to watch this year. Hopefully the visuals will continue to awe. Either way I am waiting with baited breathe. Season two premieres in September- check out the scintillating teasers below:

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Do you watch Boardwalk Empire? What do you think?

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Rose XO.

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by | June 12, 2011

What is a Production Designer?

Production Designer of Fight Club, Minority Report, and Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, Alex McDowell, brilliantly explains what a Production Designer is in less than four minutes.

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Source: ISM Films

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What is production design to you?

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Rose XO.

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