Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1500164
I always start by seeing what Randall and Quinta think. I love working with Randall because he doesn't care how everyone else has done something before—what can we do to push things? Randall comes at things from a place where anything is possible. Quinta comes at things from a place of realism. She may have three jobs on our show already, but she notices every detail and is always trying to balance the need for making a fantastic episode of television against the financial constraints of a public school. She is hands down one of the calmest, nicest show runners I have ever worked with. I remember early on; she came to the Art Department on a FaceTime call with her parents and we discussed the look of the windows with her dad, who was in construction his whole life. I finally met her parents in Philadelphia this season, and her dad gave me ideas for our backlot for season three. I can't wait to show him that I was actually listening! And every show has a producer, but not everyone has Scott Sites. I'm very blessed to get to work with him at the tail end of his career. When you have a creative producer, everything is easier. He is in every meeting I have and on every scout we do. A big part of why the show is a success and why all the creative departments have what they need to succeed is because of him. Shooting 8- to 10-hour days probably helps too. I'm not bringing up all these names to kiss the ring—just simply to point out that a successful show has so much more involved in it than any one person can possibly take credit for. The Future of Abbott I consider myself a young designer, but I know that won't be true much longer. I've been at this for twenty-eight years. Everyone tells me how lucky I am to be on a show that is going to be around for 5-7 years, but I never think about things like that. I'm too busy. Always thinking about how to make things better for the crew and cast. Very rarely does a week go by without a new challenge presenting itself. One week, it's the elevated decks being too "alive" and needing to be deadened. Next, it's the vintage door hardware sticking. The week after that, it's how to build a museum inside of the show's existing gym. We are basically operating a school system with tons of kids and the Art Department is in charge of all maintenance. I don't know everything the future holds for the show, but I hope we can continue to create environments for our incredible cast to tell these amazing and hilarious stories. ADG Michael Whetstone, Production Designer Patrick Parkhurst, Megan Fenton, Suzan Wexler, Art Directors Tom Wagman, Set Designer Lissette Schettini, Graphic Artist Cherie Day Ledwith, Set Decorator C D