|
People often ask me how I became
a Set Designer; I tell them it was just what I had planned!
When I was in High school I'd
watch A Country Practice religiously and dream of the day I could
"make" shows like that. I loved the idea that somewhere a group
of amazing people was creating this image of a country town in a suburban
Sydney studio. I knew that's what I wanted to do … but I had no idea
how?
On leaving school I worked
in a number of jobs. I sold second hand furniture and fitted vinyl signs
to shop windows. In the evenings I took drama classes at a Private College
in Sydney and by day worked part time in the office to cover my tuition.
 Through
writing letters and meeting people I landed a position at a Commercial
Production company as a Camera assistant. Basically I carried the tripod
and pointed the microphone. Don't get me wrong, good camera assistants
(or sound assistants) are worth their weight in gold … I simply wasn't!
Someone once said of me "He's officially the worst camera assistant
I've ever had!"
I think they took pity on me
and gave me a job in the production office … though I thought I was
the ants pants: I had a desk and a phone and I didn't have to carry bloody
tripods any more!
We were shooting a fund raising
video for a prominent Sydney Private Boys school: a lot of wild footage
of the Students and the School facilities tied together with a series
of "pieces to camera" to be shot in our small presentation studio.
I expressed concern that the backdrop was a bit plain, a timber paneled
wall if I remember correctly! I offered to dress it up a little and create
a "set" more in keeping with the period ambiance of the school.
I borrowed my father's station wagon and dragged in antique furniture
and dressing from home and thus created my first professional set!
This was not, of course, my
first set ever - just the first time I was paid! My first set would be
the "stones" I painted on a couple of my grandmother's old double
bed sheets for the annual church concert when I was eight … incidentally,
I still have that set!
After a couple of years and
many more small presentation sets and major Television Commercials, I
left that job to travel through Europe and the UK. When I returned five
months later I was again unemployed and with very few contacts "in
the industry" set about once more writing letters.
In April 1987, I was offered
a job as a Stagehand at Channel 7's Epping Studios: the man who gave me
the position was said to have hired a young Peter Weir many years earlier
for the same position. I didn't know if this was fact or myth, but I liked
the precedence!
Over the next six months I
just lapped up the atmosphere. I literally swept studio floors, made coffee
for news readers and pushed settage in and out of the studios during those
all night bump-ins. Considering my High school ambition, it was kind of
ironic that my very first duty on day one at Channel Seven was to vacuum
the carpets on the Gilroy House set of A Country Practice. 
I'm like a sponge … always
soaking up what's around me: watching others work and learning from them.
I figured this was "the real thing" and therefore these people
must be the best! If I couldn't learn from them, whom could I learn from!
In November 1987 Channel 7's
new Drama series Home and Away was about to begin production and
I was one of the chosen stagehands to man the studio for that first record!
What a long day that was.
I knew I wasn't cut out to
be a stagehand and the Art Department was where I longed to be. Early
in 1998 a runner's position became available and I was in! I really didn't
look back - I worked hard and soon moved to Standby Props and then Set
Dresser.
One day in 1989 I was called
up to the Producer's Office: I needed directions, I'd never been "upstairs"
before! He sat me down and asked me what my ambition was in Television
and where I saw myself in the years to come. I didn't hesitate: "I
want to be the Set Designer!" He explained that our current Designer's
contract was soon up and that he didn't plan on returning … how would
I like the job?
 "YES!"
I hollered as I picked myself up off the Producer's floor, and thus became
the Art Director / Set Designer of one of Australia's greatest Television
exports, Home and Away at the age of 23.
I spent three wonderful years
building beach houses and boat sheds, mine shafts to science labs in Summer
Bay! I worked with some of the finest crews and learned my craft from
some of the most creative people Australian Television has to offer. I
was right - this was a great place to learn!
Since then I have designed
sets and Concepts for a number of Pilots and was Production Designer for
the full 2 ½ year run of the Screentime / Chrysalis Drama Series,
Breakers. To see a product through from its concept stage through almost
two years of production and finally wind it up in the end was another
wonderful experience. The faith placed in me and my fabulous team of Buyers,
Standbys and of-course my sensational Set Dresser, was simply amazing.
I would often joke that one day some one would find out that I have absolutely
no idea what I'm doing and that I'm just making all this up as I go!
(Thankfully, no body has realized
that as yet! Fingers crossed!)
What's my secret?
I have no secrets … I just like to observe! Watch and you will learn.
I remembered being fascinated as a child to hear about a boy who'd learned
to play piano simply by watching his father play. I guess I'm a bit like
that boy: I watched my father in the garage or laying bricks in the yard
and I watched my mother in the kitchen or digging in the garden. All simple
skills, but invaluable when you're designing a Drama series.
I love to look at buildings
and people's homes (never invite me over - I'll sit there quietly analyzing
your décor for hours). I take in Doctor's surgeries (ever noticed
how many medical waiting rooms are lined with faux timber sheeting?) I
love reading people's personalities and imagining what their living space
would look like.
I guess that's what made me
a Set designer … my power of observation. The world is an amazing
place if only we'd take more time to stop and look around.
|
