Production design is a somewhat “hidden” element of filmmaking, but it’s one that far too many people take for granted. Everything you see on screen – the location, the sets, the vehicles, the props – were specifically crafted by the film’s production designer and art department, and for films likeInterstellarandThe Dark Knightthat design is an incredibly complicated and challenging process. But of course, that’s whyNathan Crowleyis one of the best in the business.
Crowley was recently gracious enough to join me on another installment of our remote interview seriesCollider Connectedto talk about his career and some of the specific designs for some of the films he’s worked on. Crowley has been nominated for five Oscars for his work, and even the first film he ever worked on was massive –Steven Spielberg’s 1991 movieHook. He has since gone on to become one ofChristopher Nolan’s closest collaborators while also working on films as varied asBehind Enemy Lines,Public Enemies, andThe Greatest Showman.
Over the course of our hourlong interview, Crowley explained precisely what a production designer does on a film set, and how he became involved in the profession in the first place. He talked at length about his working relationship with Christopher Nolan, walking me through their radical reinvention of Gotham City and various vehicles forThe Dark Knight Trilogyas well as the immense challenge of creating the Tesseract forInterstellar, the unique role he had onDunkirk, and how his early work on the practical effects ofFrancis Ford Coppola’sBram Stoker’s Draculacame in handy when it came time to tackle magic inThe Prestige.
Crowley also talked about the balance between visual effects and practical effects on these various films, as well as the difficult production ofJohn Carterand why he’s still eager to seeAndrew Stanton’ssequels(as am I!). He also discussed his work designing the world ofWestworldfor the HBO series’ pilot and collaborating withDamien ChazelleonFirst Man– for which he had to figure out how to recreate the surface of the moon in Atlanta, Georgia. And last but not least, he spoke vaguely about Nolan’s highly anticipated filmTenetand how the film serves as culmination of sorts of their efforts thus far.
If you have any interest or fascination with how movies are made, I can’t recommend this interview enough. Crowley sheds an insightful light on a major element of moviemaking that goes far too under-appreciated, and shares some fantastic stories along the way.
Check out the full interview in the video above, and see below for a list of what we discussed.
For even more Collider Connected interviews, check out our recent conversations withThe Lonely Island,Seth Meyers, andGina Prince-Bythewood.
