I am working on a show right now and we are loading into a huge warehouse space in Downtown Los Angeles. Julie and I are standing in the corner, over there is a group of new Production Assistants talking about how easy it would be to work in Art Department. One of them just said “it’s such an easy job, they just give you money to shop”. Of course I wanted to jump across the room and shake him- then I had to remember that the poor kid was new, probably his first job in tv. I should ask him if he wants to work with us for a few days, he would probably cry, pack his bags and move back to Kansas.
With that here is a another Mind Of Mencia before and after.
The script called for a kids show set in a third world country...here's my sketch.
This set involved custom made puppets, a talking Bono on a brick wall, a place for 3 puppeteers to hide and as usual the ability for it to load in in front of the studio audience in less than 8 minutes, and leave just as fast after the segment.
Here's Josh Ritcher making the Bono mouth.
Here he is testing the mouth!
Bono's mouth on the monitor while the "real" Bono speaks in the background.
So here’s how it goes. Monday afternoon we know nothing while we are out shooting a different field shoot, late Tuesday we find out this set is a go. The sketch, the approval, the shopping, decorating, building, graphics, puppets, building and tweaking all happen by Wednesday evening. Thursday we rehearse it all day setting it up and striking it 5 or 6 times until show time.
OK, now go back to the sketch at the top, see it. Below is what it looked like on set thanks to Bianca Ferro, Shane Passantino, Ron Woods, Josh Ritcher, Todd Daniels and Eric McGilloway. Of course it is nothing without Alison Freer’s costume design and lighting design by Christian Hibbard.
A wide shot of the set.
...with Ned, the puppets and actors.
The next day Nikki Kessler yelled at me for spending too much money. What else is new.
Like the Production Assistant said, we just get some money and go shopping!
Here is an example of a live studio audience piece we did for one of the last episodes of Mind Of Mencia.
This sketch has to be on stage in less than 2 days.
The script called for a crack alley that will play in front of the live audience during the taping. The art department got the script a few days before the shoot, and in the middle of two other field shoots, pre-tapes and cold open set construction this is what we came up with. First I drew the sketch, then Bianca Ferro waved her set decorator magic wand and found all the pieces and had the major pieces built and painted, Josh and Shane brought it to life building the telephone poles and Ron found some scary realistic drug props (hmmm, how did he find them). Here is what it looked like at show time.
The grey floor is just carpet with black tape to make the cracks.
What makes these sets difficult is they all have to be mobile and be set up during a commercial break in front of the audience in less than 8 minutes. Then after the sketch is finished it needs to be struck and gone in even less time to move on to the next segment. Not to mention it has to be made under budget and be staged for over a dozen actors and camera blocking, usually in less than 2 days.
Here is the set in action. We miss you Ned.
Costume design by Alison Freer, photos by Randy Shropshire
Just found out that Mind Of Mencia, which I’ve art directed for 3 seasons, was renewed.
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