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Tony Adams
tony at atoms.net

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Art Department
I got another job with the above mentioned movie. I've been helping out the Art Department mostly in the capacity of Set Dresser. Much of the stuff I've been doing has been as much about UNdressing the sets as dressing them.

This week we've been shooting up at Waukeegan High School, so in order to dress the sets for a film set in 1977, we have to first remove anything that would be anachronistic - the phones, computers, fax machines, much of the lighting and other fixtures. Then we replace all that stuff with vintage stuff, or with nothing at all in the case of most of the computers.

Perhaps all films work this way, but I'm really impressed with the way that everyone's opinion in the Art Department is considered and valued. We are often not just told what to do, but rather, what needs to get done and the details are up to us. As someone who was actually alive in 1977, my opinions seem to be especially valued. It is pretty cool to be more or less the lowest people in the pecking order, and yet we are still making artistic contributions to the project - not just hauling stuff around and following orders. (of course we do a lot of that also :) )

It has been a great deal of fun - mostly. The most fun I've had so far has been running a smoke machine for a School Is On Fire shot. In a big budget film a task like might have been done by some kind of specialist? I dunno.

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