Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1500164
M AY / J U N E 2 0 2 3 | P E R S P E C T I V E 1 3 1 Andrew Neskoromny 1964-2022 B Y R U S T Y S M I T H , P R O D U C T I O N D E S I G N E R Our friend and colleague, Andrew Neskoromny, a Production Designer, Art Director and Set Designer, passed away on April 18, 2022, succumbing to a long, seven-year battle with cancer. He was 57 years old. He is survived by his wife Jean, and sons Ian and Nathan. Andrew began his career in Los Angeles, joining the Set Designers Union in 1986. Although he was only 20, he told everyone he was 23, because he was afraid no one would respect him if they knew he was so young. Jean said they were together over a year before she found out his real age. He would mature, and grow, into a vital and energetic "force of nature" in the Art Department. Andrew was born with a strong inner compass that gave him an extraordinary ability to navigate the complexity of the filmmaking process. He possessed a natural talent for bringing comaraderie to the most challenging assignments, from the frozen arctic to the blazing desert, and everything in between. I first met Andrew in the summer of 1996. I knew Andrew was a skilled draftsman from his work on the Star Trek movies, and series The Final Frontier, Voyager and Next Generation. He delivered the most gorgeous page of hand drafting I had seen in years, meticulously detailed and exact, and my respect for his talent began to grow. I was fortunate to work with Andrew again on Meet the Fockers, where we were faced with the difficult task of providing a successful studio sequel. While we were working on the show, the movie Andrew had previously designed in Toronto during 2003, Dawn of the Dead for Zack Snyder, opened in Los Angeles. The whole Art Department wanted to support him, so we stopped work early, and walked up the hill to Universal Studios for the screening. We were all blown away, it was a huge success, and he was on his way as a Production Designer. Andrew went on to Production Design the films White Noise 2, Aliens vs. Predators, Punisher: War Zone, Apollo 18 and Pacific Rim. The last time I saw him in person was in Los Angeles in 2013. He had come to LA to approve the artwork that Warner Bros. Studios was publishing for The Making of Pacific Rim book. He was vibrant, and beaming, eager to talk about his accomplishment. He had been personally called by Guillermo del Toro to take the reins of the design, earning him a shared credit on another cult classic. We spoke again in 2019, after relocating his family to Austin, Texas. He seemed in good spirits, but the cancer returned. He waged his battle privately, and it was not in his nature to complain. For those of us who worked with him, as a friend and collaborator, his legacy is the way he enriched our lives with his presence. C. ANDREW NESKOROMNY. D. ILLUSTRATION FOR PACIFIC RIM BY FRANK HONG. ANDREW NESKOROMNY, PRODUCTION DESIGNER. C D