Meet Production Designer: Carly Reddin

What is your background? When did you realise you wanted to become a Production Designer? (did you go to Film school etc)

Growing up, I was interested in designing for the theatre and made the most of the cheap theatre tickets you could get as a student living in London. Later, in art college, I watched films like Space Odyssey, Brazil, and Dune, and fell in love with designing for the screen. So I went to Nottingham Trent University for a ‘Design for Film and Television’ BA, and then to the NFTS for an MA in Production Design (with some months spent as a scenic artist in the US in between). 

What are the best and worst aspects of your job?

I love that I get to travel to places I may never have considered visiting. As part of location scouting, I get to see private homes, tourist sites out of hours, and meet extraordinary characters. There is no chance of getting bored with my job, as no two days are the same and you never know what’s going to happen. The worst aspect of this job can be the hours that you have to put in. It is all encompassing and, while that can be a good thing creatively, if you have a 7-month-long shoot pulling 14-hour+ days, it can wear on you. You have to really look after yourself: eat and drink well, sleep when you can, exercise, caring for your mental health, etc.

Any significant films/projects you worked on that have positively impacted on you and why/how? 

One of the highlights of my career so far was working as a set designer on ‘Hugo’ for director Martin Scorsese and designer Dante Ferretti. The sets were beautifully crafted and so huge that they sometimes took over two sound stages, like a 1931 Parisian train station that included the lobby, platforms, and a real train. It took a large team of sculptors, carpenters, painters and welders to build it and it was really magical to walk round before the shooting crew got there. It made me feel like I was in another world, giving me a boost of encouragement at that time in my career. 

I helped design the tower clock, taking inspiration from the one at the Musée d’Orsay. In the film, Hugo hangs off the hands of this clock face, a key image that is featured on the film’s poster. It was a thrill to contribute to such an iconic part of this film’s visual language.

Talk to us about working on “Hanna”. Female-centred story and beautiful presented. How was it working on this project? Any challenges etc and how you overcame them.

I was really excited to be working on Hanna because the story blends the excitement of a thriller with the humanity of a female rite of passage drama (with a dose of punk spirit). It was lots of fun and I enjoyed the scale of it. 

The third block shot entirely in Barcelona, Spain, during a huge political upheaval and there were riots in the streets. It was a huge challenge to stay on top of the changing circumstances, working closely with the other HODs to ensure we adapted without compromising the look of the series. We weren’t even allowed to travel in cars; instead we rode scooters to ensure discretion and versatility in getting around. During one of our set dresses we had to deal with campaigners camping directly outside the location.

You also worked on the award winning commercial with John Malkovich for Squarespace. Talk to us about that. 

This was one of those jobs when you get the job confirmation late one evening and show up at the office the very next morning. In this case, I was on the early Eurostar to Paris.

The film explores the challenges John Malkovich faces, as he is establishing his reputation as a serious fashion designer in Paris. It was an intense couple of weeks of scouting, dressing and filming. All sets were real locations that we modified and dressed, creating two fashion studios, a fashion show, a period film set, a photography studio, and a hotel room.

John Malkovich really is a fashion designer, which I feel like a lot of people don’t know. We used his real sketchbooks with his fashion designs for set dressing and I visited his actual fashion house for inspiration.

I won a Cannes Lion award for ‘Best Production Design’ and the overall film won an Emmy for ‘Outstanding Commercial’.

I believe there are more women as production designers, as there were maybe say 10 years ago, how has this changed? and have you ever faced any obstacles/setbacks in your career because you are a woman?

Yes, there seem to be more female production designers than there used to be, which is part of an overall positive shift in the industry to becoming more gender-balanced. We face setbacks and obstacles as women in all aspects of our lives, and work is no different, so hopefully recent trends will help bring about a more level playing field.

What is your piece of advice to women looking at starting a career as Production Designer?

I advise people to learn the craft. A good place to start is to take a course where you learn how to draw and build-up your technical skills. Learn where to get hold of props – cheaply. Watch lots of films, do lots of research for inspiration, and discover what you particularly like and want to pursue. Learn to take feedback and criticism, be adaptable, refine your communication skills, and make sure you can handle a spreadsheet. Finally, be patient and remember that the fun is in the striving. It can take a while to find opportunities, and part of the challenge is sticking around long enough to find them. And while this job is extremely demanding, make sure you’re not ignoring the other parts of your life, because they can be really important to keep you healthy and level.

If you weren’t a Production Designer, what would be your job? 

I still think I’d be involved in the convergence of storytelling and design somehow, creating environments and world building. I could imagine another universe where I’m a concept designer, game designer, interior designer or maybe a colour consultant dealing with the psychology of colour.