Welcome to the latest episode of Art & Crafts, The Ankler’s podcast series that aims to give audiences a behind-the-scenes look and examine the careers and contributions of the talented artisans who create and design the movies and television shows we love. Subscribe to on Apple Podcasts.
“I thrive in chaotic environments,” says Gillian Costathe Emmy-nominated production designer of RuPaul’s Drag Race. MTV’s reality competition is a fast-paced production that requires a lot of on-the-fly thinking, she adds.
And boy, are these pants fabulous.”Drag racing “That really showed me the limits of color,” Costa says, laughing. Except for one color. “They don’t like it when we use green.”
Frasier Production Designer Glenda Rovelloon the other hand, loves green. “My oldest son’s middle name is Green,” she says. One notable element of the sitcom’s set – wallpaper with a Rorschach stain-like pattern, a nod to Frasier’s profession as a psychiatrist – “has a greenish cast,” she notes. And real green is prominently featured on the set of the multi-camera reboot (from Paramount+ and CBS Studios) alongside other natural elements and textures: white oak in the kitchen of Frasier’s Boston apartment, a custom walnut door. “Real looks real, so a lot of the materials chosen are real,” says Rovello, who is also nominated for an Emmy this year. “Whenever I can, I use natural wood.”
The fabulist and the realist share the tricks of their trade with the moderator Jeannine Oppewall — four-time Oscar nominee for film art direction, including LA Confidential And The Good Shepherd — in the second episode of Art & Crafts Live. It’s one of four special podcasts The Ankler recorded on August 1 during our Emmy nominations event at the American Society of Cinematographers clubhouse. (In case you missed it, the first episode, featuring three Emmy-nominated cinematographers, is Here.)
While Costa, Rovello and Oppewall work in very different fields with different demands, they share a similar sense of how to set the stage for great storytelling. “We all have the same execution. We probably all use the same techniques,” Costa says. “It’s just that how we get there is a little different.”
Find out where they find their inspiration (and their wallpaper), and look out for The Ankler’s conversations with Emmy-nominated costume designers and sound pros next week.
Transcript Here.
