Friday, February 3, 2012

When Scenics Fail

I worked with a PD on a few shows when I was a green Set Designer, and was often horrified at how OK he was with the terrible toon-town sculpture and scenic painting that was his pride.The fact was that on these particular shows, the toon-town gaudy was perfect for the genre and overall design of the show. These were ultimately kids shows.
Another truth was in realizing that top of the line Scenics may actually fall flat on a show like this. Yet put the toon-town crew onto an immense feature like Harry Potter, and they would have been fired long before the show would have been shot. The top Scenics worked on Harry Potter. The Production team wouldn't have allowed the production to be subjected to poor visuals.
So, really, in Filmmaking there really is room for all levels of talent and ability. The real challenge in pulling off a successful picture lies in cultivating the right talent for the film. And lining up the right talent is only part of the challenge. The talent also needs to work well together as a team.
If you have abilities that span several genres of scenic ability, it is good to know before you go to the interview, what it is you are interviewing for. A strong toon-town portfolio goes alot farther on a kids show than a variety of scenic skills.
It pays to customize your presentation for the job at hand.

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