ADG Perspective

1 4 P E R S P E C T I V E | M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 2 N E W S A D G L I F E T I M E A C H I E V E M E N T AWA R D I D A R A N D O M Art Direction Craft Winner: Ida Random A. IDA RANDOM. B. RANDOM WITH GENE WILDER ON THE SET OF THE FRISCO KID. C. RANDOM IN THE WESTERN TOWN BUILT FOR SILVERADO. ADG Lifetime Award winner Ida Random is a trailblazer in a male- dominated industry, and her drive to succeed helped pave the way for many aspiring women designers to follow. Early on in her career, she viewed the process of fi lmmaking as making a painting and this gave her a unique vision that so many learned to trust and admire. Born in the small town of Johnstone, Scotland, Ida Random always knew she wanted to be an artist. Her family eventually settled in Vancouver, Canada, where she developed her skill as a painter in art school in the mid 1960s. She married her high school sweetheart, a popular young actor who had landed a role in a show and they were o to sunny Los Angeles. Needing to fi nd work in LA as the mother of two, she managed to land a job at The Hollywood Reporter in the Art Department, and it was here that she started fulfi lling her dreams of production design. With the support of ichi Wilkerson, Ida was able to take on small Art Department jobs, including a TV movie for Beau Bridges. Soon thereafter, a friend introduced her to one of her biggest in uences, Production Designer Richard Sylbert. It was with his guidance that she continued her education, learned how to draft, and was later introduced to the great British Production Designer erry Marsh, who gave Ida her fi rst ob as a Set Designer on the fi lm Frisco Kid. Seemingly guided by a lucky star, erry then introduced her to Oscarwinning Production Designer Stephen Grimes, and she was his Assistant Art Director on the fi lms Urban Cowboy and On Golden Pond. Her big break came when Richard Sylbert was approached to do The Big Chill but wasn't available, so he recommended her. She met with Lawrence asdan and he took a chance, leading to her fi rst Production Design ob. No one could have imagined the success of this fi lm, and it became the perfect launching pad for her career. She would team up with asdan on two more fi lms, Silverado and Wyatt Earp, both with ambitious builds where entire towns were erected in the middle of the C A B

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