Birdman, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Guardians of the Galaxy topped, respectively, the Contemporary Film, Period Film, and Fantasy Film categories at the Art Directors Guild’s (ADG, IATSE Local 800) 19th Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards during a black-tie ceremony last night at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The winning feature production designers were Kevin Thompson for Birdman, Adam Stockhausen for The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Charles Wood for Guardians of the Galaxy.
While Guardians of the Galaxy topped a field of Fantasy Film nominees that included Interstellar, that latter movie’s director and co-writer, Christopher Nolan, received the Guild’s Cinematic Imagery Award. In his acceptance remarks, Nolan said the ADG honor “means everything to me” in that “the art department stands for everything that’s wonderful about movies.” He noted that the art department “always fights to keep that flame alive from the cold rain of the budget and other practical considerations.” Nolan said he marvels at the art department’s penchant for being “cutting edge” even within the “bite” of budgetary constraints, making the most of the “productive tension” between art and commerce.
Nolan praised all of his art department collaborators over the years, particularly his long-time production designer Nathan Crowley who earned an Art Directors Guild nomination for Interstellar. Nolan shared that for all of their films, he and Crowley start in the director’s garage, using it as a workshop to create “key elements of the world we would like to create.” This entails building models, sketches and drawings. Often a number of the models and other creations end up nestled atop the washer and dryer in Nolan’s garage, which his housekeeper has to clear. Nolan related that the housekeeper said of him and Crowley, “You just play.” Nolan affirmed that this free-flowing “playing” and creating with Crowley rank among “the highlights of my career.”
Anne Hathaway, who starred in Interstellar, presented the Cinematic Imagery Award to Nolan.
George Clooney presented production designer Jim Bissell with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Senior illustrator Camille Abbott, Senior set designer John P. Bruce and scenic artist Will Ferrell also were recipients of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Awards, the first year that the Guild has presented this award to all four crafts that comprise Local 800.
Hall of Fame inductees were legendary production designers John Gabriel Beckman, Charles Lisanby and Walter H. Tyler.
Mimi Gramatky, president of the ADC, and Marcia Hinds, who serves as Council chair, presided over the awards ceremony with comedian Owen Benjamin serving as host. Production designer co-chairs Dave Blass and James Pearse Connelly produced the 19th Annual ADG Excellence in Production Design Awards.
Here’s a full rundown of winners spanning 11 categories of production design for theatrical motion pictures, TV, commercials and music videos:
WINNERS FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A FEATURE FILM IN 2014
Period Film
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
Production Designer: ADAM STOCKHAUSEN
Fantasy Film
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
Production Designer: CHARLES WOOD
Contemporary Film
BIRDMAN
Production Designer: KEVIN THOMPSON
WINNERS FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRODUCTION DESIGN IN TELEVISION FOR 2014
One-Hour Period or Fantasy Single-Camera Television Series
GAME OF THRONES: “The Laws of Gods and Men,” “The Mountain and the Viper”
Production Designer: DEBORAH RILEY
One-Hour Contemporary Single-Camera Television Series
TRUE DETECTIVE: “The Locked Room,” “Form and Void”
Production Designer: ALEX DiGERLANDO
Television Movie or Mini-Series
AMERICAN HORROR STORY: FREAK SHOW: “Massacres and Matinees”
Production Designer: MARK WORTHINGTON
Half Hour Single-Camera Television Series
SILICON VALLEY: “Articles of Incorporation,” “Signaling Risk,” “Optimal Tip-To-Tip Efficiency”
Production Designer: RICHARD TOYON
Multi-Camera Television Series
THE BIG BANG THEORY: “The Locomotive Manipulation,” “The Convention Conundrum,” “The Status Quo Combustion”
Production Designer: JOHN SHAFFNER
Awards or Event Special
86th ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS
Production Designer: DEREK McLANE
Short Format: WebSeries, Music Video or Commercial
APPLE: “Perspective”
Production Designer: SEAN HARGREAVES
Variety, Competition, Reality, or Game Show Series
PORTLANDIA: “Celery”
Production Designer: TYLER B. ROBINSON
ADG Awards are open only to productions, when made within the U.S., by producers signatory to the IATSE agreement. Foreign entries are acceptable without restrictions.
