Jess Gonchor - Production Designer

Team Deakins

James Ellis Deakins

Tv & Film, Filmlighting, Deakins, Movies, Filmmaking, Production, Film, Cinematography, Film Interviews

4.8 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 28 July 2021

⏱️ 66 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

EPISODE 136 - JESS GONCHOR - Production Designer

Team Deakins talks design with production designer, Jess Gonchor (THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, TRUE GRIT, FOXCATCHER). He tells us how, early on, he learned the mistake of lighting the set and not the story which he’s never forgotten. We also talk about developing a color palette, what goes into his mood board, and using music references. He shares some of his experiences on The Siege, Capote, No Country for Old Men, Hail Caesar, as well as Lone Ranger and A Serious Man. We also learn how he approaches pitching his ideas to a director who has already lived with another idea for a long time. This episode is a really interesting look into the craft of production design!

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi and welcome to the Team Deakin's podcast. This podcast is a dialogue between Roger and
0:09.9	James Deakin's often joined in the conversation by a guest. It's very informal and we never
0:16.5	know where it will go. We're connecting through Zoom so bear that in mind when you hear
0:21.6	the audio.
0:23.6	If you'd like to submit a question or topic, please do so by emailing podpod at rogerdeakin's.com.
0:31.8	This episode is sponsored by Ari. More than just the manufacturer of the film industry's top
0:40.8	camera and lighting equipment, they are also the innovator behind cinematic lenses such
0:46.2	as the master prime and signature prime lenses. Ari, truly cinematic.
0:51.7	We're joined today by a production designer with whom we've had the pleasure of working
0:58.7	many times. Some of his credits include Foxcatcher, The Devil Wears Prada, No Country For Old Men,
1:06.6	Money Ball and Little Women. We're happy to welcome Jess Guntler with us today. Jess, thank
1:12.8	you for doing this.
1:14.8	Oh, pleasure. Thanks for having me.
1:17.7	We'd like to start with asking you how you got to where you are today. Is it something
1:21.8	you always wanted to do? Did you take another path and then find this? What's your story?
1:27.6	Okay. It's not something I always wanted to do, but it's in a field I always wanted
1:33.6	to be in. I knew very early on that I wanted to be in the theater in films and in the
1:44.6	backstage area of it. So I started out really in high school in the backstage theater department.
1:54.3	What I really wanted to do was be a lighting designer, which is I think why I get along
2:03.2	with DPs because I'm always thinking about where the light's going to come from. It's
2:07.0	the first thing when I go into a room and I'm like, how's he going to light this? What
2:11.1	is on the 12th floor? That's not going to work. All those things, of course, my mind,
	...

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