working together as a husband-and-wife design team ?
David : I was living in Los Angeles with Sandy at the time that I was working on those first projects , but we were not working together . Sandy and I started reading through scripts together , and she would help me get jobs . That led to us working together in a more formal capacity . Some of the first things that we did were theatrical feature films , which were done under the umbrella of a periodical PBS anthology series called American Playhouse . We went off to Montana to do a motion picture for American Playhouse , and Sandy became the set decorator . That was the first time I worked with Sandy as the co-designer while she worked as a set decorator . I found that I worked more effectively when we worked as a team together . We worked as a team for the rest of our careers .
Sherman : So Sandy , I ’ d love to hear how you ended up in the film industry . Did you have any aspirations to work as a set designer when you were younger , or did it all happen as a fluke as a result of working with David ?
Sandy : It was a fluke , but it was ideal for me , because I had studied fine art and architectural drawing . I had also served as a stage manager for many plays in high school and college . When this line of work started becoming an option – especially with these American Playhouse films , which were often based on literature – there was always a lot of research . I adored doing that research , and I also adored meeting the people in the areas where we were filming who would supply the things that we needed to make the films . They would share their stories with me , as well . It was a wonderful way to learn the craft . Sharon Seymour ,
who served as the Art Director on an American Playhouse feature film called Stacking , taught me a lot of the basics that I needed to know . She taught about how lettering and signage are important , especially for lower-budget film projects , and how lighting and window treatments are incredibly important , as well . She was a wonderful teacher , and she gave me a great leg-up going forward .
Sherman : Set designers have to work within physical spaces and still realize the vision of directors and writers . It requires intense collaboration . What are some of the core skills that the two of you really value in the people that you collaborate with ?
Sandy : In terms of the professional relationship that David and I have , it ’ s a wonderful balance , because we both have totally different skillsets . When we first get
A refreshing way to start your
Sunday
Hosted by TONY AWARD ® Winner CHRISTIAN HOFF
TÖST is a non-alcoholic sparkling beverage .
JAZZnTOST . COM
VTMAG . COM WINTER 2022 33