The annual Artwork Administrators Guild Awards rejoice not simply the names with which cinephiles are effectively acquainted, the Jack Fisks and Catherine Martins, however the individuals who convey these designs to life on all the things from blockbusters to recreation reveals. And the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Honorees show the large breadth of the guild. This 12 months, Lisa Frazza, Barbara Mesney, Dan Sweetman, and J. Dennis Washington will likely be honored for his or her contributions to their respective crafts.
IndieWire spoke to all 4 about what their jobs entail (an ever-shifting terrain as know-how continues advancing) and about some memorable titles from their filmographies earlier than they settle for their laurels on the ADG Awards February 15.
Lisa Frazza, Scenic Artist
Frazza labored on lots of of reveals throughout her profession at CBS, together with “Wheel of Fortune,” “Jeopardy,” “The Value is Proper,” “Dancing with the Stars,” “Survivor,” “The Younger and the Stressed,” and “The Daring and the Lovely.”
Earlier than I retired [after 30 years as a scenic artist at CBS Studios], I painted and executed designs that the manufacturing designer truly designed. I adopted the manufacturing designer’s needs, and I custom-mixed colours that have been wanted, and I painted murals and 3-D items similar to furnishings and tables, desks. I excelled in marbleizing and pretend wooden grain. And I led crews who did the identical factor, which was very rewarding for me.
Sport Reveals
[Years ago] on “Wheel of Fortune,” we used to do the murals, however now they do all the things digitally. Issues like, “You may win this journey to Hawaii.” And identical factor with “The Value Is Proper,” we’d do these mini murals 10 by 8 toes or no matter, and we’d paint the murals they’d present on digital camera. “Jeopardy,” we’d do their flooring. I believe on the finish they did particular tiles.
Set items would come into the store in items, and we’d have to the touch them up as a result of they’d get beat up in transit. So we had a inventory of colours for every present, effectively marked, very effectively organized. So in the event you want “Value Is Proper” inexperienced for the door, you’d go to the “Value Is Proper” cabinets and discover the inexperienced for the door. And in the event you dont have sufficient.
“The Younger and the Stressed” and “The Daring and the Lovely”
Once I began, we’d do three rehearsals per scene. Then it went down to 2 rehearsals, then one rehearsal, after which they’d simply wing it. If I needed to go in and contact one thing up in direction of the tip of my run, the producer would come over the loudspeaker and say, “It’s advantageous, Lisa”. However I needed to run in throughout these rehearsals and contact up no matter I might that I noticed on the monitor. So towards the tip of my run, all the things needed to [start off] good.
In a nook of the stage [were] cans of paint and brushes. And if I knew a sure scene was arising, I’d get a 1-gallon bucket and put in paper cups of every coloration I would want, seize a couple of little brushes and a moist rag, and I’d be prepared to leap in if want be. There’s no time to go over to that nook of the stage. You need to be uber-prepared.
Jack Forestall, the manufacturing designer for “Daring and the Lovely,” goes to current me with the award, and what’s so cool about that’s he truly labored for me in 1983 again in Philadelphia. I labored for a store that did the Philadelphia opera firm units, and Jack got here to work there whereas he was going for his grasp’s at Temple College. Then he and his spouse got here out right here, and the remainder is historical past.
Barbara Mesney, Set Designer
Mesney’s in depth resume boasts 60 function movies, together with “Argo,” “Hail, Caesar!,” “Gone Woman,” “Loopy, Silly, Love,” and “Little Fockers,” whereas her TV credit vary from “Bosch” to the Brandy “Cinderella” and “Grace & Frankie.”
More often than not, folks say, “Oh, actually? You probably did one thing? What did you do?” Folks don’t perceive that, not like in theater, the place you’re conscious that there’s a set and it’s like a sculpture sitting up there on stage, in movie and tv, the target is to not be seen. To not have your work be seen. We’re all the time doing one thing; it might be the smallest factor or a monumental factor. It might be, you understand, a whole set, or, you understand, like I bear in mind within the previous days after I began earlier than we had all these graphic software program applications.
The set designers used to do the indicators, too. We did all of the signal work. So it’s very totally different now, with all that shifted away from us. However we’d design the units, after which we’d design the indicators. So typically it might simply be placing up a bit piece of wall or an indication or, you understand, often a director and a DP and, and the manufacturing designer go right into a location and there are some modifications that must occur for the motion to happen there. And like I say, it might be something like that as much as a standing set or, you understand, what Jack Fisk does out, and you understand, like on the revenant or one thing the place they’re creating complete worlds outdoors. It might be something after which you understand, in order that’s why I inform folks I’m I’m designing all these things So I name myself like an architect. Like a backstage architect, I’m doing the constructing drawings and I’m doing the fashions But it surely’s all stuff that individuals mainly won’t ever pay attention to.
“Primary Intuition”
That was a part of my San Francisco days. You already know, I began in theater. And so I had been designing dwell theater for years. And I had executed one different film challenge previous to “Primary Intuition.” After which I had gone overseas. Once I got here again, I bought this supply to do “Primary Intuition.” I actually [landed], and inside 9 hours, I used to be engaged on “Primary Intuition.” I do know. It was nice. That was Terry Marsh, he was the manufacturing designer.
It is a good story. “Primary Intuition,” the primary character is bisexual, proper? That’s the entire context. And so we needed to lease this homosexual bar in San Francisco. It was a lovely location as a result of they’d all of the flags and it was already arrange for this shot. And the proprietor of that bar was prepared to lease it to the corporate, however provided that he might see the script. In order that they gave him the script, and the tip results of that was that [he] took offense to the truth that she was a killer. It put the homosexual neighborhood on excessive alert and so they mainly confirmed up at each location we went to shoot at. We have been boycotted, and so they all the time made quite a lot of noise, whistles and all the things. However past that, a number of the units have been sabotaged, folks have been taking paint balloons and throwing them on the units the evening earlier than we’d be capturing.
My first film, “Class Motion,” additionally in San Francisco, was the entire reverse. It went like clockwork, with no hitch, nothing went incorrect. And [the crew] have been all up from Hollywood, and so they have been saying to me, “Barbara, it’s not usually like this. Don’t assume that the film enterprise is like this, as a result of often there’s some drama occurring someplace.” Positive sufficient, “Primary Intuition,” man. Actually each day was a disaster within the artwork division as a result of one thing needed to be fastened. All people, not simply the artwork division. However we bought by it, and it was a really enjoyable challenge to have labored on and I met some nice folks.
That was one of many ones the place I needed to knock out the units after which get onto the signage in order that the scenic artists might paint these indicators, as a result of that was the best way it was executed in these days. I bear in mind doing that Chinatown set, having to attract an indication with Chinese language characters. We’d do them in full scale in order that they might be constructed. And attempting to get this Chinese language signal created by an precise Chinese language signal maker in neon in order that it’s correct. It was always checking and ensuring that you just’re being correct as a result of everybody’s going to see this factor on an enormous display.
“Twin Peaks”
I bought to do all of the dream sequences. That was actually enjoyable, and I simply bear in mind [David Lynch and I would] trip and backwards and forwards, and he was an actual element man. He had a really particular imaginative and prescient. I bear in mind the artwork director got here in and the manufacturing designer, Ruth, mentioned to me, “You and he are on the identical wavelength, so that is nice.”
They gave me all the wacky stuff to design, mainly all of the stage units for all these dream sequences, the one the place he comes by the window and has to undergo this previous, lovely villa the place that bizarre factor is on the wall and the radio station and the desert.
Dan Sweetman, Storyboard Artist
Sweetman has labored extensively on storyboards for over 100 movies, together with two Greatest Image winners, “Braveheart” and “Birdman,” in addition to “Grasp and Commander: The Far Facet of the World, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” “The Status,” and “The Nutty Professor.”
Storyboards are a visible script, a instrument to assist the director, to information the best way by the story on the whole. We’re type of guardians of the story. However what I do, you by no means see it on the display. You see the ideas and the concepts. There are such a lot of pushes and pulls on the story that it might lose its method if one affect is simply too nice. So, I all the time thought the storyboard artist helps the director visualize the factor, however he’d additionally control if the story remains to be being true to what it was designed to be. By the point capturing begins, I’m executed. After they get on the set the primary day, they’re not questioning, “How are we going to shoot this?” It’s all there. In order that’s probably the most priceless use of the ability
“Braveheart”
Braveheart was nice. It was my first highway present on location. So we went to England, Scotland, and Eire. And I used to be nonetheless type of new within the enterprise. So this was like an enormous, large deal, large Hollywood expertise. And so I used to be simply attempting to be taught as a lot as I might.
It was uncommon for me as a result of, like I mentioned, often, I’m off the image when it begins capturing. Proper. However there was sufficient work that I used to be simply forward of the capturing schedule. I used to be drawing stuff like three weeks forward of filming. And I bear in mind David Tomlin, the legendary English first AD man, he’s going web page by web page. They usually bought by what I name the gags. The combating maneuvers and stuff, which I sort of stayed away from as a result of the stunt coordinator goes to provide you with it. However I did do the one of many dagger within the eye. And Tomlin goes, “All proper, who considered this?” And it wasn’t as a lot who considered it as how are we going to do that? It was quite a lot of enjoyable reminiscences.
“Birdman”
I did type of thumbnail as a result of Alejandro Iñárritu might visualize it, however he wanted assist. He goes, “Oh, the entire film’s one shot.” I’m going, “What?” “Yeah, we’re going to do a one-shot film. That’s why you’re right here, as a result of we have to discover transition factors.” And we have to map out what to determine howto promote it as a continued shot. He was very a lot with the DP sort of mapping all of it out. Principally, I used to be simply taking notes after which presenting him the work. So I wasn’t as a lot of an concept participant as a useful wrist.
J. Dennis Washington, Manufacturing Designer
Now retired, Washington spent 56 years within the movie business, starting as an assistant artwork director on “The Exorcist II” and even serving because the second unit director on three initiatives. A few of his favourite initiatives embody “Stand by Me,” “The Fugitive,” and “13 Days.”
Years in the past, any individual mentioned that what I do is all the things that’s out of focus. It’s a bit higher than that, I believe! It’s creating the visible atmosphere within the scenes. And the collaboration is vital with the DP and with the manufacturing designer.
“Prizzi’s Honor”
I began [with John Huston] on “Victory” again in 1980 in Budapest. With Sylvester Stallone and Michael Caine in a prisoner-of-war camp. That was my first introduction to John. Completely intimidated. However I discovered lots from John. How do I make one thing true to the fact of the movie, however on the identical time make it attention-grabbing with out with out displaying off? With John, he would he would allow you to discover the very best. There was a day on “Prizzi’s Honor” the place we have been doing a bookie operation for the Mafia. And I had some footage of previous analysis of those locations and this and that. And he says, “Have you ever ever been to certainly one of these?” I did quite a lot of analysis, however I didn’t truly go to 1. And he introduced Jack Nicholson over. And he says, “Jack, why don’t you get Rocky?” One in all our mafia consultants. “Why don’t you’ve got Rocky take Dennis over to certainly one of these bookie playing locations and simply see what it’s.” And we went to some little avenue the place there have been simply little nothing homes, shacks. And we went into this one and it was the identical inside that it was outdoors: nothing.
And there was a bunch of men round, and we mentioned, “I’d wish to see the operation if that’s all proper.” So I went within the again room and this complete operation on this little shack was one telephone on a bit desk, not even a desk. That’s the entire operation. In my analysis, I wasn’t attempting to go excessive, however I used to be attempting to make one thing that had a bit extra weight to it. So I went again to John, and I defined what I noticed over there, and he mentioned, “Do what you have been gonna do.” He simply needed to know the reality. He desires to return to the roots of actuality in order that if we’re bending the principles, we all know the place we’re coming from and we’re not simply making shit up.
“The Web”
Irwin Winkler was directing that, and he’s an enormous Hitchcock fan. There was one factor that I noticed in Washington, D.C., a sculpture referred to as The Awakening. It’s like an 80-foot-high reclining man, however he’s pulling himself out of the earth, so that you see parts of him, his knees, his palms. So we had a scene initially of the image the place this upstanding businessman goes to a park to have lunch, and you’ll inform he’s quiet, very methodical. After which he leans again and blows his brains out. I introduced Erwin on the market, and I mentioned, “What if we convey him to the park bench right here, and when he brings the gun up, we simply crane up and reveal the statue behind him within the floor popping out?” I caught him considering it, and I mentioned, “Hitchcock would have executed it.” In order that sort of cinched it, and it labored nice. It was a pleasant opening to the movie.