The Best Interior Design Job in the Business
by Wendy CroixSchoolSmart by Design Columnist
The name Tom Cruise is on everyone's lips, but have you heard of Roy Barnes? You've probably surfed for the details of Russell Crowe's telephone tiff, but does the name Michael Madden ring any bells? 'Fess up. You can't wait to see Christian Bale and Katie Holmes in Batman Begins. But will you notice Remo Tozzi's work, too? Absolutely! Here's why:
Roy Barnes, set designer for War of the Worlds, put Tom Cruise in that devastated traffic jam. Michael Madden, set designer for Cinderella Man, put Russell Crowe in the ring. Remo Tozzi's job in Batman Begins is to put Christian Bale in a candlelit temple and a bat cave interior designed like no other. If you hunger to follow in these set designers' footsteps, here's how to get the best interior design career in Hollywood.
Well-Schooled Set Designers
UCLA's School of Theater, Film, and Television is a California design school like no other. Students put their interior design training in context, studying basic theater courses before they go on to upper division majors in Design and Production. To prepare for interior design careers in movies, television, or theater, students take classes in Scenic Design, Production Design, and - as in any interior design training - Computer Aided Design. Then, they design student productions. Students must get their design portfolios seen to find work, and one day join the United Scenic Artists, Local 829. Learn more about The Art Institute Online's Bachelor Degree program in Interior Design.
Getting there
Before he gave Tom Cruise his alien apocalyptic settings, Barnes designed interiors for television shows and mini-series, working his way up through films like Poltergeist II to Basic Instinct, Last Samuri, and Hulk. Madden thrilled us with his designs for Dracula 2000 and Blade II before getting real with Russell and Renée. Tozzi began as art department assistant for Kidman's Portrait of a Lady, junior draftsman for Star Wars, Phantom Menace, and draftsman for Hellboy - till Warner Brothers gave him a shot. The movie interior design career message? School yourself, and stick with it.About the Author
Wendy Croix, Ph.D. is a freelance writer, cultural critic and university professor. In her twenty years as a professional educator, Wendy has guided hundreds of students toward the careers of their dreams.Sources
Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov)Internet Movie DataBast (imdb.com)
UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television (www.tft.ucla.edu)
United Scenic Artists, Local 829 (www.usa829.org)
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