Art Director
I V A N
F R A S E R
A R T
D I R E C T O R
ART DIRECTOR
A FOCUSED, SOLUTION ORIENTATED AND HARDWORKING APPROACH TO ART DIRECTING AND SET DECORATING, COMBINED WITH THE ADVANTAGE OF HAVING WORKED WITH THE BEST IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN FILM INDUSTRY OVER THE PAST EIGHTEEN YEARS, IS WHAT DIFFERENTIATES ME (AND MY EXPERIENCED TEAM) AND MAKES ME A VALUABLE ASSET ON ANY SIZE PRODUCTION. IN ADDITION TO BEING BOTH VISUALLY EDUCATED AND SELF-IMPOSING THE HIGHEST STANDARDS FOR TIME-AND-BUDGET MANAGEMENT, PROCUREMENT, FABRICATION AND EXECUTION, MY REPEAT REFERRALS COMES FROM MY ABILITY TO CORRECTLY AND TIMELESSLY FACILITATE BOTH CLIENT AND AGENCY AND DEVELOP THE CREATIVE VISION OF ANY PROJECT TO ENSURE AN EXCELLENT FINAL PRODUCT. I AM A LIKEABLE NETWORKER WITH A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOUR AND A WEALTH OF PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE AND AND I ENJOY WORKING CLOSELY WITH BOTH PRODUCERS AND DIRECTORS TO OPTIMISE SMALL AND LARGE PROJECTS WITHIN BUDGET AND ON TIME. I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT FILM AS A COMMUNICATION AND VISUAL MEDIUM AND WOULD LOVE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT YOUR PROJECTS AND EXPLORE HOW ‘IVAN FRASER’ CAN HELP YOU REALISE YOUR VISION. CONTACT ME ON: iamivanfraser@gmail.com www.ivanfraser.co.za
0027 71 873 1728
WORK DONE WITHIN AFRICA
Botswana 1 YEAR
Johannesburg 1 YEAR
Durban 7 MONTHS
Namibia 2 MONTHS
Mosambique 2 MONTHS
FILM/SERIES
ROTI
Break slide
FILM/FEATURES
Most designers set their type arbitrarily, either by pulling values out of the sky or by adhering to a baseline grid. The former case isn’t worth discussing here, but the latter requires a closer look.
THE RED SEA DIVING RESORT
NO POSTER AVAILABLE
Client Name:
Bron Studios, EMJAG Productions, Shaken Not Stirred
Name of Production:
THE RED SEA DIVING RESORT
Production House:
OUT OF AFRICA
Director:
GIDEON RAFF
Producer:
ALYN SHEARER
Production Designer:
JEFF MANN
Position:
DECORATOR 11 WEEK SHOOT
Retelling of the rescue of Ethiopian Jewish immigrants to Israel in 1981.
SET BUILDS
Due to the remote location and the fact that it was in another country, the 
 Set Dressing of the Diving Resort was quite challenging.
RED SEA DIVING RESORT
FLOOR PLAN
RED SEA DIVING RESORT
CITY STREETS - TECH RECCEE
City streets, Tech Reccee in Durban. A lot of information gets gathered while walking. Street signs needed to get covered and multiple shop fronts altered..
RED SEA DIVING RESORT
SET BUILDS - SECURITY GATES/COMPOUND
SIGNAGE AND FUNCTIONAL GATES
Cladding the building and adding a huge sign and building a security check point.
RED SEA DIVING RESORT
KHARTOUM STREET DRESSING
Re dressing actual city streets. Layers upon layers of dressing to get the hustle and bustle of a market.
RED SEA DIVING RESORT
LOCATION RECCEE - BELIZE DIVING RESORT
Transformed, from an old fishing club house to a Diving Resort
RED SEA DIVING RESORT
CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS
Panelling/cladding had to get added to all the existing wall spaces
NEW ROOF AND FLOOR CLADDING
RED SEA DIVING RESORT
CONSTRUCTION IN PROGRESS
A Heavy storm washed away the front of the buildings sand bank.
NEW STAIRS AND FRONT CLADDING
RED SEA DIVING RESORT
CONSTRUCTION IN PROGRESS
We had to bring in truck loads of palm fronts to cover the roof.
RED SEA DIVING RESORT
SET BUILD - BEFORE/AFTER
New roof and flooring had to be added, with a lot of panelling and the building of a De-compression tank.
RED SEA DIVING RESORT
THE FORGIVEN Client Name:
JEFF RICE FILMS, LB ENTERTAINMENT
Name of Production:
THE FORGIVEN
Production House:
LIGHT AND DARK FILMS
Director:
ROLAND JOFFEE
Producer:
TERI LYNN ROBERTSON
Production Designer:
WARREN GRAY
Position:
SUP ART DIRECTOR 6 WEEK SHOOT
After the end of Apartheid, Archbishop Desmond Tutu meets with a brutal murderer seeking redemption.
HUT BUILD PLACEMENTS
3 complete huts (int/ext) were built with some hay bales and thatched roofs.
SCREEN GRABS
THE FORGIVEN
SCREEN GRABS - INTERROGATION ROOM
An amazing ‘Labyrinth’ of hallways, connecting to a central room.
THE FORGIVEN
SCREEN GRABS
Re creating a riot in an actual township. Painting and adding walls in a schools dormitory, to create a hospital
SHOOTING IN AN ACTUAL TOWNSHIP
THE FORGIVEN
SCREEN GRABS
The TRC meeting rooms had to be re created as per the original references.
THE FORGIVEN
SCREEN GRABS
EVIDENCE BURIEL SITE
Digging huge holes and adding burnt body parts and documentation. We re painted all the buildings and added a huge fence to block out unwanted houses.
THE FORGIVEN
SET BUILD - GUARDS TOWER/WALKWAY
SCREEN GRABS
The walkway had to hold up top 10 people (incl. camera), it had a trapdoor on the side, with a ladder leading to the top.It was built modular to get broken down daily.
THE FORGIVEN
SCREEN GRABS
Almost every location had to get painted and aged to match the look and feel of Polsmoor’s prison interior.
THE FORGIVEN
INTERROGATION ROOM - CONSTRUCTION BUILD
Metal fabrication for doors and fencing.
THE FORGIVEN
CONSTRUCTION
We kept on adding to the initial size/scale as per DOP. A lot of plastering and painting got done in a short turnaround time.
THE FORGIVEN
CONSTRUCTION
On the outside of the Prison grounds, we build some more security gates.
THE FORGIVEN
VISITORS AREA
GOVERNORS OFFICE
GOVERNORS OFFICE
GOVERNORS OFFICE
1946 mm
11516 mm
5128 mm
3365 mm
11064 mm
955 mm
6403 mm
EXSISTING BALUTRADE
THE FORGIVEN
PAPER SIZE A3
LIFT
"THE FORGIVEN"
SET NAME AND NUMBER:
ISSUE DATE :
DRAWING NUMBER
LOCATION :
DIRECTOR :
PROUCTION DESIGNER :
RIVISION DATE :
PRODUCTION M. :
DOP :
THE FORGIVEN
PAPER SIZE
PROUCTION DESIGNER : WARREN GRAY
SET DESIGNER: A4
SCALE : DRAWN BY :
PRODUCER :
EXISTING OFFICE
1489 mm
6553 mm
RECEPTION
1905 mm
PROPOSED STEEL BALUSTRADE 3200mm X 1200MM
3912 mm
PILLARS
"THE FORGIVEN"
ROLAND JOFFE
APPROVED BY:
PRODUCER :
Interior Pollsmoor Prison - Metal gates were added to build a visitors area.
SET NAME AND NUMBER:
governors office #016
DIRECTOR :
ZAHEER BHAYAT
DRAWING NUMBER
001 PRODUCTION M. :
ISSUE DATE :
RIVISION DATE :
LOCATION : OTTERY
DOP :
SET DESIGNER: SCALE :
1:100
DRAWN BY :
H.Cele
APPROVED BY:
THE FORGIVEN
FLOOR PLAN OF GOVERNORS OFFICE
1946 mm
GOVERNORS OFFICE
1905 mm
EXISTING OFFICE
1489 mm
6553 mm
RECEPTION
3912 mm
955 mm
11516 mm
GOVERNORS OFFICE
A4
SET NAME AND NUMBER:
governors office #016
DIRECTOR : ROLAND JOFFE
PRODUCER :
A new cement floor and some additional walls were added to get the space to work.
THE FORGIVEN
PAPER SIZE
"THE FORGIVEN"
ZAHEER BHAYAT
DRAWING NUMBER
001 PRODUCTION M. :
ISSUE DATE :
PROUCTION DESIGNER : WARREN GRAY
RIVISION DATE :
LOCATION : OTTERY
DOP :
SET DESIGNER: SCALE :
1:100
DRAWN BY :
H.Cele
APPROVED BY:
THE FORGIVEN
WINDOW DETAILS
3200 mm
3200 mm
40mm
OUTSIDE BACK VIEW scale 1:10
INSIDE FRONT VIeW scale 1 :10 Proposed steel flat bar
161 mm 131 mm
40 mm
4 mm
1272 mm
WINDOW PANE PLAN VIEW scale 1:1
THE FORGIVEN
PAPER SIZE A3
"THE FORGIVEN"
PROUCTION DESIGNER :
SET NAME AND NUMBER:
ISSUE DATE :
DRAWING NUMBER
LOCATION : POLLSMOOR
DIRECTOR :
RIVISION DATE :
SCALE :
"THE FORGIVEN"
DRAWN BY : H Cele PRODUCER :
PRODUCTION M. :
DOP :
SCALE 1 :10
SET DESIGNER:
DIREC TOR :
APPROVED BY:
PRODUCE R:
THE FORGIVEN SET NAME / NUMBER
DRAWING NUMBER
DRAWING NUMBER
LOCATION
PRODUCTION MANAGER :
DOP:
PRODUCTION DESIGNER: SET DESIGNER: ISSUE DATE: REVISION DATE: DRAWN BY: APPROVAL BY / NAME :
20 mm
1220 mm
1260 mm
20 mm
PAPER SIZE: A3
SIDE VIEW scale 1:10
FRONT VIEW scale 1:10
1134 mm 189 mm
189 mm
PERSPECTIVE scale 1:10
square bar 20mm x 10mm steel welded centre of each fram resessed into window sill
TOP VIEW scale 1:10
SCALE 1 :10 "THE FORGIVEN"
DIREC TOR : PRODUCE R:
PAPER SIZE: A3
THE FORGIVEN SET NAME / NUMBER
DRAWING NUMBER
DRAWING NUMBER
LOCATION
PRODUCTION MANAGER :
DOP:
We made over a hundred replica prison windows to go into various sets.
PRODUCTION DESIGNER: SET DESIGNER: ISSUE DATE: REVISION DATE: DRAWN BY: APPROVAL BY / NAME :
THE FORGIVEN
GRAPHICS - FLOW CHART
I always make sure that all aspects of Signage is on a flow chart, for all departments to share.
THE FORGIVEN
PIRATES OF SOMALIA Client Name:
HUNGRY MAN, BCDF PICTURES
Name of Production:
THE PIRATES OF SOMALIA
Production House:
KALAHARI PICTURES
Director:
BRIAN BUCKLEY
Producer:
IRFAAN FREDERICKS
Production Designer:
DAVID SKINNER
Position:
ART DIRECTOR 5 WEEKS SHOOT
•
In 2008, rookie journalist Jay Bahadur forms a half-baked plan to embed himself among the pirates of Somalia. He ultimately succeeds in providing the first close-up look into who these men are, how they live, and the forces that drive them.
SHOOTING IN PROGRESS
Its always a good feeling, once sets gets handed over to the shooting crew.
PIRATES OF SOMALIA
AEROPLANE SET BUILD
6.30 m
? Seat spacing.
1.60 m
12.78 m
3.5 m
30 Economy Class Seats
2.40 m
0.80 m
3.50 m
6.30 m
21.19 m
SET:
WTWMRA DIRECTOR: Bryan Buckley PRODUCTION DESIGNER: David Skinner
AIRBUS 300 LOCATION:
OTTERY YOUTH CENTRE/GLASS SLIPPER SCALE
1: 100
REV.
DATE
DRAWN
DRAWING #
13 03 16
PIRATES OF SOMALIA
SET CONSTRUCTION - PLANE INTERIOR
The roof became to heavy and we ended up building a cross brace to support it, rather than having the supports on the side.
PIRATES OF SOMALIA
PLANE INTERIOR
I didn’t fasten the seats to the floor - It made moving them around by shooting crew easier. I got all the roof panels re cast and re wired for lighting.
PIRATES OF SOMALIA
BOYA’S HOUSE LAYOUT
We had the whole location re painted and aged. Some big panels were build to move around to block out , un wanted back ground elements.
PIRATES OF SOMALIA
RADIO GAROWE PLAN
We build a functional security gate and guards hut. All the int. booths was built with glass panelling to get some depth.
PIRATES OF SOMALIA
HOUSE BUILD LAYOUT WITHIN A DINING HALL
I got the hall measured and drawn up. I had to make sure about the feasibility to try and build/shoot two sets in one location.
PIRATES OF SOMALIA
HOUSE BUILD LAYOUT WITHIN A DINING HALL
We had to direct match all the elements of both apartments from existing locations.
PIRATES OF SOMALIA
JAY’S HOUSE BUILD
PIRATES OF SOMALIA
ABDI’SHOUSE BUILD
PIRATES OF SOMALIA
GRAVE YARD LAYOUT
Survey of the Grave Yard.
PIRATES OF SOMALIA
CONSTRUCTION WORKSPACE LAYOUT
My construction team, needed a space to work from.This became their space.
PIRATES OF SOMALIA
THE BROTHERS GRIMSBY Client Name:
BLUE SKY FILMS, BIG TALK PRODUCTIONS, COLUMBIA PICTURES
Name of Production:
THE BROTHERS GRIMSBY
Production House:
MOONLIGHTING VWX PRODUCTIONS
Director:
LOUIS LETERRIER
Producer:
SASHA BARON COHEN
Production Designer:
KAVE QUINN
Position:
LEAD DRESSER 8 WEEK SHOOT
A new assignment forces a top spy to team up with his football hooligan brother..
STUDIO SHOOT
We ended up, sound proofing a big warehouse and building in that space.
GREEN SCREEN SETUP
THE BROTHERS GRIMSBY
NOBBY’S HOUSE - SET BUILD
The exterior was already shot in England. We re created the interior.
THE BROTHERS GRIMSBY
THE BROTHERS GRIMSBY
SAFARI LODGE
This set was technical to dress. One weeks shooting, going through a lot of pre and post explosion phases.
SET BUILD
THE BROTHERS GRIMSBY
SET DRESSING ELEMENTS
Exploding walls and damaged dressing. All dressing was already aged and battered for re dressing purposes.
THE BROTHERS GRIMSBY
INTERIOR DRESSING
I got a bigger toilet manufactured for our lead actor Sasha.
THE BROTHERS GRIMSBY
FAN WALK DRESSING
We shot over a good couple of days. We only had access to dress in the mornings and wrap every evening.
THE BROTHERS GRIMSBY
CARGO PLANE - SET BUILD
Ribs got built and cladded. We added all the piping and hydraulics.
THE BROTHERS GRIMSBY
THE GOOD LIE Client Name:
ALCON ENTERTAINMENT BLUE SKY FILMS
Name of Production:
THE GOOD LIE
Production House:
MOONLIGHTING / IMAGINE ENTERTAIMENT
Director:
PHILIPPE FALLARDEAU
Production Designer:
AARON OSBORNE
Position:
LEAD SET DRESSER 5 WEEK SHOOT
A group of Sudanese refugees given the chance to resettle in America arrive in Kansas City, Missouri, where their encounter with an employment agency counsellor forever changes all of their lives.
PLANE ON LOCATION
THE GOOD LIE
AFRICAN VILLAGE - CONSTRUCTION
All the materials that was used, got sourced from the farm and the surrounding area.
THE GOOD LIE
All the details were attended to, regarding the look and feel of a lived in rural village.
THE GOOD LIE
REFUGEE CAMP
This set was a 3 week set dress. It had multiple buildings and houses and tents.
THE GOOD LIE
An open field got transformed into bits of a bigger Refugee camp.
THE GOOD LIE
REFUGEE CAMP - MARKET
THE GOOD LIE
ENDGAME Name of Production:
End Game
Time:
5-Week shoot
Production House:
Film Afrika
Director:
Pete Travis
Executive Producer:
David Aukin
Producer:
Hal Vogel
Director UK:
Pete Travis
Art Director:
Birrie le Roux
Director of Photography UK:
David Odd
Set Decorator:
Fred du Preez
Set Dresser:
Ivan Fraser
Vantage Point director Pete Travis turns his attention from high-profile political assassinations to the high-risk talks that ushered in the end of apartheid while securing the release of Nelson Mandela in this historical drama Read More...starring William Hurt, Chiwetel Ejiofer, Mark Strong, and Johnny Lee Miller. The time is the late 1980s, a crucial period in the history of South Africa. President P.W. Botha is hanging onto power by a thread as the African National Congress (ANC) takes up arms against apartheid and the country tumbles towards insurrection.
BORDER CONTROL - SET BUILD
This border control house had to get erected and removed in one day.
ENDGAME
INTERIOR DRESSING
We changed a double story apartment into a Antique dealers showroom. Painting and re painting and removing and installing all the elements.
ENDGAME
THE NO1 LADIES DETECTIVE AGENCY Name of Production:
Number One Lady Detective Agency
Production House:
Film Afrika Bundle Two t/a Precious Films
OS Production House:
Mirage
Director:
Anthony Minghella
Producers:
David Wicht/Amy Moor/ Anthony Minghella
Head of Department:
Johny Breedt
Director of Photography:
Seamus McGarvey
Position:
Set Dresser
After her father's death, sensible and cheerful Mma Precious Ramotswe sells her inherited cattle and opens the country's only female-owned detective agency. She hires Botswana Secretarial College graduate (97% in the final exams!) Grace Makutsi as her assistant. Together they solve problems big and small with their wisdom, big hearts, and endless cups of red-bush tea. Meanwhile, Mma Ramotswe's best friend, mechanic Mr. JLB Matekoni, hopes for a chance to win her heart...
SCREEN GRABS
I spent two six month periods on this Feature and Series. We created the whole market hub from an open piece of land outside Gabarone.
THE NO1 LADIES DETECTIVE AGENCY
SCREEN GRABS
All dressing elements got found in and around Gabarone. We ended up exchanging various Bought items for ‘used’ ones from local people and markets.
THE NO1 LADIES DETECTIVE AGENCY
SCREEN GRABS
Most locations got altered.
THE NO1 LADIES DETECTIVE AGENCY
SCREEN GRABS
THE NO1 LADIES DETECTIVE AGENCY
ROTI
THE SCORPION KING 2 Name of Production:
Scorpion King II
Time:
6 Weeks
Production House: Producer: Head of Department:
Scorpion King Film Afrika Ltd Nina Heyns Fred du Preez
Position:
Standby Set Dresser
In Ancient Akkad, Mathayus grows up as the proud son of Ashur, a captain in the world-renowned military corps of Black Scorpions, first-rate bodyguards, most of which are sent to courts wide away. By objecting to young Mathayus joining the corps, Ashur incurs the undying enmity of ruthless generalissimo Sargon, gets killed and the orphaned knave is shipped off to a desolate training camp for six years by king Hammurabi's clemency. When he returns as a Black Scorpio, Sargon has bloodily seized the throne and demands cruel proof of blind loyalty. Mathayus refuses, becoming a chased hero.
ROTI
DISGRACE Name of Production:
Disgrace
Production House:
Do Productions
Director:
Steve Jacobs
Producers:
Marlow de Mardt/Julio Del Petrio/Emile Sherman
Head of Department:
Michael Berg
Director of Photography:
Steve Arnold
Position:
Standby Set Dresser
Cape Town professor David Lurie blatantly refuses to defend himself for an affair with a colored student whom he gave a passing grade for an exam she didn't even attend. Dismissed, he moves to his daughter Lucy's farm, which she runs under most disadvantage terms, favoring the black locals. Yet rowdies violently robs and abuse them both, unprovoked. Lucy refuses to fight back, unlike David, who however is surprised by his own altruistic potential.
ROTI
PRIMEVAL Name of Production:
Primeval
Time:
9-week shoot
Production House:
Wyatt Film Production(Pty)Ltd
Director:
Michael Katleman
Producers:
Gavin Polone / Mitch Engle
Head of Department:
Fred du Preez
Director of Photography:
Edward Pei
Position:
Assistant Set Dresser/Standby Set Dresser
TV show star reporter Tim Manfrey and his cameraman Steven Johnson travel to Burundi to get sensational footage of a giant crococilian monster which attacked a UN identification team and the Tutsi-Hutu tribal civil war carnage mass grave corpses it was digging up in a Great Lakes marsh area. But it turns out danger also lurks in the armed form of a local war lord.
BOAT BUILD AND DRESSING
This boat became quite tricky to get to float.A huge metal frame with some foam boys got added to the bottom.
PRIMEVAL
BOAT DRESSING
Retelling of the rescue of Ethiopian Jewish immigrants to Israel in 1981birirpjr jrrljbrlkjrr;okr;lmr;lmr;lmrl;m.
PRIMEVAL
NIGHT SHOOT
Retelling of the rescue of Ethiopian Jewish immigrants to Israel in 1981birirpjr jrrljbrlkjrr;okr;lmr;lmr;lmrl;m. SFX - RAIN RIGS
PRIMEVAL
SHOOTING ON LOCATION
Retelling of the rescue of Ethiopian Jewish immigrants to Israel in 1981birirpjr jrrljbrlkjrr;okr;lmr;lmr;lmrl;m.
PRIMEVAL
ACTION SEQUANCE
Retelling of the rescue of Ethiopian Jewish immigrants to Israel in 1981birirpjr jrrljbrlkjrr;okr;lmr;lmr;lmrl;m.
PRIMEVAL
WATER WORK
Retelling of the rescue of Ethiopian Jewish immigrants to Israel in 1981birirpjr jrrljbrlkjrr;okr;lmr;lmr;lmrl;m.
PRIMEVAL
WATER WORK - SPECIAL RIGGING
Retelling of the rescue of Ethiopian Jewish immigrants to Israel in 1981birirpjr jrrljbrlkjrr;okr;lmr;lmr;lmrl;m.
PRIMEVAL
PASSPORT CONTROL POINT - AFRICAN AIRPORT
Shooting inside Cape Towns train station, was quite challenging.
PRIMEVAL
ROTI
Break slide
TV SERIES
Most designers set their type arbitrarily, either by pulling values out of the sky or by adhering to a baseline grid. The former case isn’t worth discussing here, but the latter requires a closer look.
TUTANKHAMUN Client Name:
ITV Studios
Name of Production:
TUTANKHAMUN
Production House:
FILM AFRIKA
Director:
PETER WEBBER
Producer:
DIANE BEATY
Production Designer:
MIKE BURG
Art Director:
KURK DOMAN
Position:
SET DEC LEADMAN 14 WEEK SHOOT
Young, penniless and ostracized archaeologist, Howard Carter, whose obsession is to find the legendary tomb of the boy-king, Tutankhamun, in the so-called Valley of the Kings is hired by British aristocrat, Lord Carnarvon, to do just that.
SET DRESSING ELEMENTS
Detail is the most important aspect when it comes to a period piece and Im convinced that all the areas was covered to really capture the ‘time’ correct.
TUTANKHAMUN
SET DRESSING ELEMENTS
Every digging site had to be personalised and working functionally.We ended up manufacturing all the ladders, tents, trestle tables and most crates.
TUTANKHAMUN
SET DRESSING ELEMENTS
From the start I knew that its going to take a lot of dressing to cover such a huge area.
TUTANKHAMUN
SET DRESSING ELEMENTS
It was quite a big operation to get all the tents up and dressing back out, before shooting crew arrived every day for shoot. Eventually we had teams for all the tasks.
TUTANKHAMUN
SET DRESSING ELEMENTS
TUTANKHAMUN
SET DRESSING ELEMENTS
The hotels exterior was built on a hill and the interior back in studio.
TUTANKHAMUN
CONSTRUCTION IN PROGRESS
It was a very barren and hot location. The ground was very hard and a lot of soil movement had to get done.
TUTANKHAMUN
CONSTRUCTION IN PROGRESS
Even though I was part of set dressing on this project, I was amazed at the level of ‘hands on’ work and scheduling it took to complete the sets on time.
TUTANKHAMUN
DIGGING SITE
One of the main characters, digging site. We even dug a whole for him to climb out from.
TUTANKHAMUN
VALLEY OF THE KINGS
HOTEL - LOCATION BUILDS
TOMBS
Shooting in Namibia in the middle of a summer heatwave.All materials had to be brought to the site.
TUTANKHAMUN
MANUFACTURING OF TOMB DRESSING
We had to get multiple elements manufactured.
TUTANKHAMUN
MOCK UPS OF CAIRO STREET SETS
It gave all parties involved a good idea of where what needed to get done.We raised many of the buildings to hide other elements.
TUTANKHAMUN
TOMB HALLWAYS
Carving foam panels to get plastered and painted.
STUDIO SHOOT
TUTANKHAMUN
DOMINION Client Name:
Bold Films, Sony Pictures Television, Universal Cable Productions
Name of Production:
DOMINION SEASON 2
Production House:
FILM AFRIKA
Director:
DERAN SARAFIAN
Producer:
CHERYL EATHOCK
Art Director:
GUY POTGIETER
Position:
SET DEC LEADMAN 15 WEEK SHOOT
Follows the perilous journey of a rebellious young soldier who discovers he's the unlikely savior of humanity.
CADECEUS’S ROOM
This location used to be an office block. We had to rip out the ceiling and all the carpets. A lot of paintwork and layers of set dressing.
DOMINION
CADECEUS’S ROOM
It became quite a technical dress. We worked closely with a rigging team to get all the elements to stay and hang in the correct places. Every item had to be movable for shooting crew.
DOMINION
CONTROL ROOM - SET BUILD AND DRESSING
The overall result came out amazing!The scenic department knocked it down and with a new ‘aged’ floor, it helped to sell the abandoned look.
DOMINION
CONTROL ROOM - SET BUILD AND DRESSING
Working closely with the construction team and finding all the correct dials and switches Made for a challenging set dress. The consoles was built on caster wheels.
DOMINION
LUXURY ROOM
We had to turn a part of the ‘Market’ set into a room. We added layers of curtaining and drapes and brought in some scaffolding and beautiful dressing elements and practical lighting.
DOMINION
CARGO PLANE - CONSTRUCTION AND DRESS
The back cargo door was functional and could open and close in 40sec.We created a piece of open field on the outside to match the actual location.
DOMINION
CARGO PLANE - CONSTRUCTION AND DRESS
It took some clever planning and a lot of metal fabrication to get all the parts in and looking correct.
DOMINION
INTERIOR STUDIO - APARTMENT LED-BACKING
One of the main sets that was built inside the studio.(43rd floor)
DOMINION
HALLWAYS BUSY BEING PAINTED AND AGED
Almost every location needed paintwork and ageing done.
DOMINION
INTERIOR PSYCHO HOSPITAL
Getting all the elements to dress such a huge place, was quite a challenge. Distressing and aging the whole set had to get done with a personal touch.
DOMINION
LAB
Very specific dressing elements, to enhance the character.
DOMINION
TENT - INTERIOR STUDIO
Due to bad weather, the tent became a weather cover.
DOMINION
INTERIOR STUDIO - TOWN CENTRE CONSTRUCTION
The dressing of this space, took a lot of layering of multiple materials. The ‘studio’ that was used is actually an old abandoned Movie Theatre.
DOMINION
DRESSED TOWN
DOMINION
OUR GIRL Client Name:
BBC Drama Productions, BBC
Name of Production:
OUR GIRL
Production House:
OUT OF AFRICA
Director:
ANTHONY PHILIPSON
Producer:
HAYDEN MATTHEWS
Art Director:
MARK AURET
Position:
LEADMAN 5 WEEK SHOOT
Our Girl is the story of Molly Dawes, born and raised in the London Borough of Newham. Molly is the eldest of five kids with little future, a difficult father and a mother who always wanted more for her. Leaving school with no qualifications, Molly has a part-time job in a local nail bar. Drunk and despondent on the evening of her 18th birthday, she throws up in the doorway of an Army Recruitment Office. She doesn't know it then, but it's an action that will change her life forever...
INTERIOR ARMOURED VEHICLE FABRICATION
Working with a seamstress on site and a metal fabricator and a rigger, made for an interesting 3 days of fabricating.
OUR GIRL
ARMY CAMP
Working for actual references, we had to get 15 big tents manufactured (with interiors). Ply board and canvas and chicken mesh was the building blocks of this set.
OUR GIRL
ARMY CAMP - DRESSING
A closer look at the elements that makes up an Afghan English Military Base.
OUR GIRL
TOWN STREET AND DRESSING
Most dressing we just left out over the 3 weeks of construction to give it the weathered look.
OUR GIRL
BOMB FACTORY - BUILD AND DRESS
Its amazing how much sourcing can get done at a scrap yard!
OUR GIRL
SAF3 Client Name:
Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films (EFO Films)
Name of Production:
SAF3
Production House
KALAHARI PICTURES
Director:
GREGORY BOWMAN
Producer:
MICHAEL BAY
Position:
DECORATOR 20 WEEK SHOOT
The series follows Southern California's elite rescue task force, SAF3 (pronouced "safe") , consists of the cream-of-the-crop from the sea, air, and fire divisions of the Malibu Fire Department. They are the heroes who answer the most challenging calls; specialists who collaborate, coordinate, and initiate daring rescues in the most dangerous venues to save human life, always aware of the harsh reality that one of them may not return.
SAF3 - HEADQUARTERS
HOUSE BUILD ON CAMPS BAY BEACH
GUARD TOWER
SAF3
HOUSE CONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY
Getting a real house building team to put up the structure on top of pylons.
SAF3
INTERIOR STUDIO - SET BUILDS
DECOMPRESSION CHAMBER
Repurposing of some wooden flats.
TATTOO STUDIO
SAF3
HELICOPTER BUILD
The manufacturing/fabrication of the working dials and lights was a first for me.
SAF3
SET BUILDS
BOAT BUILD
Upholstering of the boats sides and roof and dressing it to go through some burnt stages.
SAF3
HOSPITAL - SET BUILDS
All of the dressing had to be functional and contemporary.
SAF3
APARTMENT - SET BUILD
Creating a world that assist the actor to become the character is always fun.
SAF3
STRIKE BACK S2/3 Client Name:
Left Bank Pictures, Cinemax, Sky
Name of Production:
STRIKE BACK 3
Production House:
OUT OF AFRICA
Director:
BILL EAGLES/MICHAEL BASSET
Producer:
TREVOR HOPKINS
Position:
LEADMAN
August to November 2011
24 WEEK SHOOT
Follows the actions of Section 20, a secretive unit of British military intelligence. A team of special operations personnel conduct several high risk missions across the globe.
ROTI
OUTCASTS Name of Production: “
Outcasts“ BBC 8 Episodes
Time:
4-month shoot
Production House:
Film Afrika
Production Designer/Decorator:
Leon van der Merwe
Set Dresser:
Ivan Fraser
Leaving a deteriorating Earth behind, a group of courageous pioneers have colonized the planet Carpathia. Ten years later, the citizens of the settlement town Forthaven have lost contact with Earth and are uncertain if or when more transporters will arrive. President Tate governs the settlement, aided by Stella Isen and her security officers Fluer and Cass, while Expeditionaries like Jack Holt explore their new home.
SPACE SHIP - SET BUILD (LAY OUT)
OUTCASTS
INTERIOR STUDIO BUILD
The scale of this build was huge.It was my first serious set dressing experience.
OUTCASTS
SET BUILD PHOTOS
OUTCASTS
SPACE SHIP - SET BUILD (LAY OUT)
Seeing the set build progress and getting all the dressing elements togethe, was very rewarding.
OUTCASTS
INTERIOR STUDIO - SPACE SHIP
Taking ownership of such a dress, was daunting in the beginning.I learnt to work with different contractors and fabricators.
OUTCASTS
SPACE SHIP - SET BUILD (LAY OUT)
LED lighting strips and plastic correlated sheets gave some amazing depth.
OUTCASTS
INTERIOR STUDIO BUILDS
The set got to converted into various other sets.
OUTCASTS
TOWN LAYOUT
OUTCASTS
LIVING QUARTER
Dressing sets with part (repurposed) elements and part self made elements.
OUTCASTS
HOSPITAL SET/SCHOOL CLASSROOM
I got a couple of Street Artist in, to create ‘self made’ elements.
OUTCASTS
BAR
Lots of ‘found’ objects, of the life that was left behind, was placed everywhere.
OUTCASTS
LIVING QUARTERS
Some of the living quarters, was part steel shipping containers and part set builds. Each one had a unique look/feel.
OUTCASTS
EXTERIOR HOUSES/ AFTER STORM DRESSING
The main set, went through a couple of dress and re dress moments.
OUTCASTS
FLOOD Name of Production:
Flood
Time:
10-Week shoot
Production House:
Quickvest 215 (Pty) Ltd
Director:
Tony Mitchell
Producer:
Peter McAleese
Head of Department:
Leon van der Merwe
Director of Photograph:
Pierre Jodoin
Position:
Set Dresser Assistant
Timely yet terrifying, The Flood predicts the unthinkable. When a raging storm coincides with high seas it unleashes a colossal tidal surge, which travels mercilessly down England's East Coast and into the Thames Estuary. Overwhelming the Barrier, torrents of water pour into the city. The lives of millions of Londoners are at stake. Top marine engineers and barrier experts Rob, his ex-wife Sam and his father Leonard Morrison, have only a few hours to save the city from total devastation.
INTERIOR STUDIO MAIN STAGE- CONTROL ROOM
THE TRIANGLE Name of Production:
The Triangle
Time:
8 Weeks Shoot
Production House:
Kalahari Pictures CC t/a The Triangle
OS Production House:
Electric Entertainment UK
Director:
Craig Baxley
Producers: Alex Garcia
Dean Devlin/Michael Murphy/Steven St Amaud/
Head of Department:
Leon van der Merwe
Director of Photography:
David Connell
Position:
Set Dresser Assistant
A shipping magnate hires four experts from various fields to investigate what happened to his ships that went missing in the Bermuda Triangle. The team discovers a threat that might unravel time itself and cause the world to end.
BOAT - SET BUILD
This was my first ever set, that I had to learn to read plans/drawings and work with construction, in order to achieve the final product.
THE TRIANGLE
WATER WORK IN TANK
Dressing a technical shooting set, is a lot of hard work and focus.Handing it over to the shooting crew and walking away is sometimes even more difficult.
THE TRIANGLE
THE TRIANGLE
AVENGER Name of Production:
The Avenger
Time:
7-Week Shoot
Production House:
Dexter Films (Pty) Ltd
OS Production House:
Warner Brothers
Director:
Robert Markowitz
Producers: Judy Goldstein/ Mitch Engel
Larry Spiegel/
Head of Department:
Fred du Preez
Director of Photography:
Oliver Bokelberg
Cast:
Sam Elliott/Timothy Hutton/David Hymen
Position:
Set Dresser Assistant
After his own daughter was killed in Panama in 1994, former CIA agent Calvin Dexter became a private 'specialist' in cases which wouldn't reach justice trough the regular legal channels. Two years later he accepts to find Richard 'Ricky' Edmunds for his pa, influential rich businessman Stephen Edmonds. Ricky for a private Canadian war victims charity in Bosnia and went missing. Dexter discovers Ricky was beaten to pulp and drowned for no other crime then helping street boys from the other side by Zoran Zilic and his Serbian paramilitary 'order'.
HOTEL INTERIOR SET BUILD
KIDNAP AND RANSOM S2 Name of Production:
Kidnap & Ransom 2
Time:
6-week shoot
Production House:
Out of Africa Films
Director:
David Drury
Producers:
Eve/Trevor Hopkins
Production Designer:
Robert van de Coolwyk
Decorator:
Henry du Randt
Position:
Set Dresser January to June 2011
Expert British hostage negotiator Dominic King (Trevor Eve) is called upon when a businesswoman (Emma Fielding) from the UK is kidnapped in South Africa by a sinister figure named Willard (John Hannah). When the release of the woman goes wrong and Willard strikes again in Britain, King realizes this was never a straightforward case of kidnapping for ransom, and that the man's motives run much deeper than ever imagined.
Pictures
STREETS IN CAPE TOWN
A huge part of a street was barricaded off in Cape Towns, very busy Salt River station.
KIDNAP AND RANSOM
STREETS IN CAPE TOWN
INDIAN MARKET
Awnings and huge wooden CNC fabricated shutters, transformed the buildings.
KIDNAP AND RANSOM
STREETS IN CAPE TOWN
All the road surfaces had to be covered in dirt.Most buildings had to get painted.
INDIAN MARKET
KIDNAP AND RANSOM
STREETS IN CAPE TOWN
A Huge amount of produce was brought in daily, to keep the vibrant functioning market place, open for business.
KIDNAP AND RANSOM
STREETS IN CAPE TOWN
All the street dressing and market stalls, got packed up every night and then re dressed in the mornings, before the shooting crew arrives.
KIDNAP AND RANSOM
STREETS IN CAPE TOWN
I put a lot of effort into the layers of detail.Truly capturing years and years of market place.
KIDNAP AND RANSOM
MARKET PHOTOS
KIDNAP AND RANSOM
MARKET PHOTOS
KIDNAP AND RANSOM
MARKET PHOTOS
KIDNAP AND RANSOM
HOSPITAL SET
Taking an old abandoned building and turning it into a hospital.It took flooring, painting and more sand to sell the space.
KIDNAP AND RANSOM
HOSPITAL MORGUE SET
This was a fun set to dress. Small but almost ‘prop’ specific type dressing.I got labels made and put some shelves up, never mind getting the big extractor to hang.
KIDNAP AND RANSOM
FABRIC DYING HOUSE
Once again a completely empty building, that was transformed into a functional set. The dying bath I got manufactured and it worked.
KIDNAP AND RANSOM
Break slide
MORE PROJECTS IMAGES
Most designers set their type arbitrarily, either by pulling values out of the sky or by adhering to a baseline grid. The former case isn’t worth discussing here, but the latter requires a closer look.
ENOLA GAY - B-29 INTERIOR SET BUILD
I was the Decorator of this project
The plane and most of the interior dressing got built/ manufactured.I really had to think ‘outside of the box’ to dress this set ie. the view finder is a theodolite on a plastic pipe.
HISTORY OF MANKIND
PIRATE BOATS
Re dressing all the sets for 2nd unit (there was 2, second units). Wow, this was a physical and mentally draining job. Working with so many department heads to help get the staging correct.
BLACK SAILS SEASON 1
SCREEN GRABS
The Cape Town Studios back lot is huge and it took a lot of planning to get all the dressing from various sets or warehouses, back to where they belonged for TODAYS shoot!
BLACK SAILS SEASON 1
FISHING VILLAGE ARCHWAYS
This was my first ever set that I dressed and my first ever movie that I worked on!
STARS OVER MADEIRA
SCREEN GRABS
STARS OVER MADEIRA
MARKET PHOTOS
My main job, was to re dress already shot sets, back into continuity.Little did I know at the time that its going to become my job for the next 3 months.
STARS OVER MADEIRA
THE END
THANK YOU