Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1485934
Erika Toth Ham on Art Department coordinator Katie Hampton: "She's effortless and makes the whole Art Department feel like it's gliding." Alex Maziekien: "Working with this group is like working with your closest friends—everything is one hundred times easier and one hundred times more fun. Having such a good relationship with my team means we are more efficient as well—it feels like we almost have the ability to read each other's minds at times!" Jade Martinez: "It was the most fun I've ever had on any project. There was a real fostering of kindness, openness, transparency and inclusivity. Everybody felt like this was their project. I felt like we were allowed ownership and felt like we were all working together to make this beautiful thing come together." A Hope for Change In 2018, the film industry led the charge on the #MeToo movement, which rippled to reach beyond our industry bubble. Hollywood once again has an opportunity to help people advance to a more equitable and humanistic condition. Society puts so much pressure on individuals to set up their own boundaries, but we need to collaboratively take care of each other. It's the very mission of this movie, the way we made it and the words we would love to leave readers with. There is more we as an industry can do. Here are some ideas put forward by the film's crew for consideration: "Pay equity and pay transparency." "We need to be strict with the hours we work. Those on flat rates need to hold each other accountable to the hours we all work. It's really easy when we love what we do to overwork ourselves. We need to keep a check on each other that we are eating, getting enough sleep, taking care of their homes and relationships. It's paramount to a creative output." "I don't think we would have been able to have a unified look for Don't Worry Darling if it wasn't for taking care of ourselves at home. We were lucky that our team was honest and free of ego. We were honest about limitations. The Art Department that we had was such a good illustration of what healthy working relationships can be." "We shouldn't work art PAs full 12-hour days. They don't get paid enough. Put them on twelves and make them work tens." "Coordinators deserve the same pay as Art Directors. They are responsible for so much!" "For any young woman out there who has had negative experiences with difficult men in the industry, it does get better. There are plenty of loving people who are going to bring you up." ADG Katie Byron, Production Designer Erika Toth Ham, Super vising Art Director Mar y Florence Brown, Art Director Betty Krul, Lead Set Designer Argya Sadan, Maggie Srmayan, John Isaac Watters, Set Designers Jessica Owen, Illustrator Alexandra Maziekien, Graphic Artist Rachael Ferrara, Set Decorator E