Production designers had their hands full the past year, recreating everything from an 18th century palace large enough for indoor badminton games to retro kitchens that looked like they were straight out of the 1970s. To achieve their period-accurate sets, they consulted books, photos and guild archives.
For the third season of “The Great,” production designer Francesca Di Mottola a built a “gigantic games room where anything could happen and served many different purposes,” horse breeding among them. The production designer began scouting locations in the U.K., where the black comedy about Catherine the Great is filmed, but none quite fit what she was looking for, so she built the room on a soundstage.
The room, which first appeared in episode 3 of the Hulu series, had high ceilings and paneled walls with timber all around. It needed to be large enough for parties in addition to badminton games and horse breeding.
For the third season of “The Great,” production designer Francesca Di Mottola a built a “gigantic games room where anything could happen and served many different purposes,” horse breeding among them. The production designer began scouting locations in the U.K., where the black comedy about Catherine the Great is filmed, but none quite fit what she was looking for, so she built the room on a soundstage.
The room, which first appeared in episode 3 of the Hulu series, had high ceilings and paneled walls with timber all around. It needed to be large enough for parties in addition to badminton games and horse breeding.
- 6/5/2023
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
There was no doubt in Monica Sotto’s mind that the “Bad Blood” episode of “Drunk History” would be the show’s submission for the Variety/Reality Production Design category at this year’s Emmys. “It was, from the beginning, an epic undertaking, the Egyptian aspect of ‘Bad Blood,’ that we knew on set it was going to be such a fun presentation of our work,” explains Sotto in our recent webchat (watch the video above). She also discussed how the Typhoid Mary segment was also a fun set to design, but in the end, it still boiled down to one simple truth. “We got to play around in ancient Egypt, so I had to pick it.”
SEEDerek Waters Interview: ‘Drunk History’ creator
“Drunk History,” which concluded its sixth season on Comedy Central last year, features comedy personalities getting incredibly inebriated and recounting historical events. At the same time we...
SEEDerek Waters Interview: ‘Drunk History’ creator
“Drunk History,” which concluded its sixth season on Comedy Central last year, features comedy personalities getting incredibly inebriated and recounting historical events. At the same time we...
- 8/17/2020
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Monica Sotto was elevated to production designer on “Drunk History” after Chloe Arbiture left the Comedy Central series between the fifth and sixth seasons. Earlier this year, Sotto took home the variety, reality or event special production design award from the Art Directors Guild for her work on the lip-synced historical comedy after being responsible for creating the sets for all 16 episodes of the sixth season. The season finale, “Bad Blood,” was a specific point of pride and is being submitted for Emmy nomination consideration.
“Bad Blood” depicts Egypt and Rome as Mary Mallon spreads typhoid fever and Cleopatra’s sister schemes for power. Both are locations done many times before on-camera, so how did you want to depict them differently?
We definitely have a cap for the budget so that plays a large part in what we can do. Egypt was shot over three days. Luckily L.A. has a lot of “desert.
“Bad Blood” depicts Egypt and Rome as Mary Mallon spreads typhoid fever and Cleopatra’s sister schemes for power. Both are locations done many times before on-camera, so how did you want to depict them differently?
We definitely have a cap for the budget so that plays a large part in what we can do. Egypt was shot over three days. Luckily L.A. has a lot of “desert.
- 7/9/2020
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Even though Derek Waters is always excited to pursue new things, he still loves being able to come back to making “Drunk History” and getting to enjoy the collaborative process. “I’m just surrounded by people that I just want to keep working with,” he tells us in our recent webchat (watch the video above), which include production designer Monica Sotto, costume designer Christina Mongini and cinematographer Logan Schneider. Even with all of these efforts, Waters still loves mining the humor of the show’s premise. “I still believe in the comedy of this feeling like a community college trying as hard as they can to make a history show, it’s just not going that well.”
SEECould ‘Drunk History’ swipe the Emmy for Best Variety Sketch Series from ‘SNL’ and bring it back to Comedy Central?
“Drunk History,” which showcases various narrators describing historical events while getting wasted, has...
SEECould ‘Drunk History’ swipe the Emmy for Best Variety Sketch Series from ‘SNL’ and bring it back to Comedy Central?
“Drunk History,” which showcases various narrators describing historical events while getting wasted, has...
- 6/2/2020
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Oscar nominees “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and “Parasite” were the big winners Saturday night at the 24th annual Art Directors Guild Awards (held at The InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown). Barbara Ling’s elegiac recreation of 1969 Hollywood beat Dennis Gassner’s innovative period work on Sam Mendes’ one-shot, World War I extravaganza “1917” for the period prize, while Lee Ha Jun’s extraordinary production design on Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite” took contemporary honors. The wins for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and “Parasite” suggest they are not out of the running for the Production Design Oscar.
Oscar ballots are in voters hands, due Tuesday, February 4.
Meanwhile, “Avengers: Endgame” and “Toy Story 4 ” earned Adg awards for fantasy and animation.
Ling performed a 50-year facelift on Hollywood Blvd. and Westwood Village. The restoration included such bygone cultural fixtures as the Pussycat Theater, the psychedelic Aquarius Theatre (which opened “Hair” in 1968), and Peaches Records & Tapes.
Oscar ballots are in voters hands, due Tuesday, February 4.
Meanwhile, “Avengers: Endgame” and “Toy Story 4 ” earned Adg awards for fantasy and animation.
Ling performed a 50-year facelift on Hollywood Blvd. and Westwood Village. The restoration included such bygone cultural fixtures as the Pussycat Theater, the psychedelic Aquarius Theatre (which opened “Hair” in 1968), and Peaches Records & Tapes.
- 2/2/2020
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
“Parasite,” “Avengers: Endgame” and “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” have won the top feature-film awards at the 24th annual Excellence in Production Design Awards, which were handed out on Saturday night by the Art Directors Guild.
“Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” won in the period film category, “Avengers: Endgame” in the fantasy film category and “Parasite” in the contemporary film category. The award for production design on an animated film went to “Toy Story 4.”
In the 23 years that the Art Directors Guild has been handing out awards, one of its winners has gone on to win the Oscar for Best Production Design 16 times, including the last six years in a row.
Also Read: Directors Guild Awards 2020: Sam Mendes Wins Top Prize for '1917'
This year’s Oscar nominees for production design include two of the Adg winners, “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” and “Parasite,...
“Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” won in the period film category, “Avengers: Endgame” in the fantasy film category and “Parasite” in the contemporary film category. The award for production design on an animated film went to “Toy Story 4.”
In the 23 years that the Art Directors Guild has been handing out awards, one of its winners has gone on to win the Oscar for Best Production Design 16 times, including the last six years in a row.
Also Read: Directors Guild Awards 2020: Sam Mendes Wins Top Prize for '1917'
This year’s Oscar nominees for production design include two of the Adg winners, “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” and “Parasite,...
- 2/2/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Avengers: Endgame and Parasite were the big film winners at the Art Directors Guild’s 24th annual Adg Awards tonight, taking the Period, Fantasy and Contemporary trophies, respectively,
Toy Story 4 picked up the Animated Film prize during the ceremony at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown that honored excellence in production design across 11 categories in film and television., Check out the full list of winners below.
Trophy-takers on the TV side included The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Cherrnobyl, The Big Bang Theory, Russian Doll, The Umbrella Acedemy and Drunk History.
Since the Adg Awards launched in 1996, one of its top prize winners has gone on to win the Art Direction Oscar 15 of 23 years. The ADGs awarded a Feature Film prize for its first four years, then split its top categories into Period/Fantasy Film and Contemporary. Since 2006, it has handed out separate trophies for Period,...
Toy Story 4 picked up the Animated Film prize during the ceremony at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown that honored excellence in production design across 11 categories in film and television., Check out the full list of winners below.
Trophy-takers on the TV side included The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Cherrnobyl, The Big Bang Theory, Russian Doll, The Umbrella Acedemy and Drunk History.
Since the Adg Awards launched in 1996, one of its top prize winners has gone on to win the Art Direction Oscar 15 of 23 years. The ADGs awarded a Feature Film prize for its first four years, then split its top categories into Period/Fantasy Film and Contemporary. Since 2006, it has handed out separate trophies for Period,...
- 2/2/2020
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
The Art Directors Guild has announced its nominations for the 24th Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards in theatrical motion pictures, television, commercials, music videos and animation features.
Among the films recognized for outstanding production design are James Mangold’s “Ford V Ferrari,” Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman,” and Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”
“Aladdin,” “Avengers: Endgame,” “Dumbo” and “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” all scored nods in the fantasy film category.
In television, streaming newcomer Disney Plus scored a production design nomination for its freshman season of “The Mandalorian.” HBO’s “Big Little Lies,” “Game of Thrones” and “Veep” also earned nominations in their respective categories.
Syd Mead, the “visual futurist” and concept artist known for his design contributions to science-fiction films such as “Star-Trek: The Motion Picture,” “Aliens,” and “Blade Runner,” has been named the recipient of the William Cameron Menzies Award. The Adg Lifetime...
Among the films recognized for outstanding production design are James Mangold’s “Ford V Ferrari,” Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman,” and Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”
“Aladdin,” “Avengers: Endgame,” “Dumbo” and “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” all scored nods in the fantasy film category.
In television, streaming newcomer Disney Plus scored a production design nomination for its freshman season of “The Mandalorian.” HBO’s “Big Little Lies,” “Game of Thrones” and “Veep” also earned nominations in their respective categories.
Syd Mead, the “visual futurist” and concept artist known for his design contributions to science-fiction films such as “Star-Trek: The Motion Picture,” “Aliens,” and “Blade Runner,” has been named the recipient of the William Cameron Menzies Award. The Adg Lifetime...
- 12/9/2019
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
When it comes to the Emmys, gender representation has always been a bit of a struggle behind the scenes. In non-acting categories, especially when it comes to technical awards, there’s a lack of female representation that’s persisted throughout the industry. But this year, there are bright spots to be found.
This is not a complete representation of all of the year’s nominees — there were many other female nominees whose work was noteworthy — but here is a selection of the strides women made in 2017, often in categories largely dominated by men.
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance
“BoJack Horseman” (Netflix): Kristen Schaal as Sarah Lynn in “That’s Too Much, Man!” “F Is For Family” (Netflix): Mo Collins as Ginny, Jimmy Fitzsimmons, Lex, Ben, and Cutie Pie in the episode “Pray Away” “The Simpsons” (Fox): Nancy Cartwright as Bart Simpson in “Looking for Mr. Goodbart”
Fun fact:...
This is not a complete representation of all of the year’s nominees — there were many other female nominees whose work was noteworthy — but here is a selection of the strides women made in 2017, often in categories largely dominated by men.
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance
“BoJack Horseman” (Netflix): Kristen Schaal as Sarah Lynn in “That’s Too Much, Man!” “F Is For Family” (Netflix): Mo Collins as Ginny, Jimmy Fitzsimmons, Lex, Ben, and Cutie Pie in the episode “Pray Away” “The Simpsons” (Fox): Nancy Cartwright as Bart Simpson in “Looking for Mr. Goodbart”
Fun fact:...
- 8/24/2017
- by Liz Shannon Miller
- Indiewire
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