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Interview: Designer for Theatre & Big Screen Isabella Van Braeckel
Friday 16th August 2013 | Ayse
Designer for the theater and the screen Isabella Van Braeckel is someone with her finger firmly on the pulse of the London arts scene. She is the co-founder and directer of her own theatre company 'The Deckchair Collective' and spends her time rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest faces of the British film and television industry. Guestlist caught up with her to hear her thoughts on the film industry today, what's hot in cinemas and how to launch your own career in this competitive and vibrant industry!
1) So, I know that this can be an impossibly difficult question to answer but what would you say you favourite film/ films of all time are?
Probably my favourite films are... Back to the Future (1 & 3 especially!), the utterly beautiful Withnail & I, Lord of the Rings, Cabaret...The Day After Tomorrow & Brazil also have a special place in my heart!
2) Favourite movie character?
I do love Withnail, he's wry, darkly humoured and painfully depressed. But somehow he still manages to make me smile.
3) Which movie character would you most like to be gievn the chance?
This is a really hard one. Baloo? Mostly because I want his voice! I genuinely don't know, characters have such a dark side in film in general, most of them I just prefer to watch!
4) What recent film releases have been making you excited this year? (British or otherwise)
The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug, I really enjoyed the first film & thought the 48fps was an incredible way to show 3D film (which normally seems really flickery)
5) As someone who has personally set up your own theatre company ‘The Deckchair Collective’, what was that process like?
It started as a conversation over drinks about how difficult it was to get work experience actually designing or writing. So my friend & I talked about what we wanted to do. I think most of all, choosing a focus is what you want to do, start small and try and find a location! I think that's probably the biggest challenge for us as a company. We don't want people to pay to be involved, but we want to have a workable space. It was surprisingly easy; you have to use your connections, use facebook, twitter, wordpress, whatever you have. You'll be surprised who'll reply. And just keep trying. It won't fall into place in a matter of minutes or even days. We're still fighting to work out how we can keep the company and it's ethos going for further projects.
6) What advice would you give to any aspiring filmmakers, producers, directors or anyone who wants to work in the film/ theatre industry one day?
See as much as you can, and not just in your field, look at Science, flick through the papers, cut stuff out. Keep some kind of notepad around you; you never know when a good idea will come about.
Also, unfortunately (or fortunately) a large amount of getting realised is networking. Try and create some form of professional persona as soon as possible & attempt to keep it updated. Look for work experience- a lot of the time it is much better to work on a smaller scale production, as you'll get more time to interact with people. It's also important to get to know people with similar interests who are your age, as after all, they will be the people you could work with later on.
7) Beginning any sort of creative process can be daunting and often difficult, when you need to get creative, what’s your process?
As a designer, my starting point is usually a script. Generally I’ll read it through, highlight important lines or requirements & then start doodling and note-taking. I feel it's massively important to keep a very close working relationship with your director and cast, as you are creating the world for their people to live in.
8) A lot of films that are based on novels do not always stick faithfully to the core text. This often angers many fans, what are your opinions on scriptwriters using a little artistic license?
I think, within reason, it's easier and safer. A lot of the time, mental visuals can be a lot stronger than true visualisations. A film will always be one person's viewpoint of it. The most important thing in making a film of an existing novel is keeping the heart of the story intact. It's a very fine line and sometimes small changes can create a far bigger effect than expected. I generally look at a film as a different entity to a book. I try not to compare and contrast. They are very different mediums and will always impact an audience in a very different way.
9) You’ve attended some glitzy film premieres in your time, how do you think an experience like that, and other behind- the –scenes insights into a film can enlighten your enjoyment of it?
Glitzy premieres are odd. A lot of the time it's just you being shuffled into a corner because you're not the most important person in a room. I love going to theatre press nights (often on my own) and listen to critics and creatives talk through the interval.
Behind the scenes is what makes me excited. It's great to see a set being erected or taken down. Go to a show's last performance & you may be lucky and see the scenic dock being opened & a West End theatre becoming a completely different hive of activity. Theatre is very instant, film on the other hand leaves you to decide alone what you think of something. So you have to take a step back and view your work as 'the audience'. Film has a lot of trickery and however much you know about it, there will be nothing quite like seeing a film set for real. Seeing a beautifully ornate kitchen suddenly switch in one inch to plasterboard and galvanised metal.
10) As a London resident, how do you think the film industry of this city differs from other major world cities? What makes London films special?
London films are gritty. There’s such little film actually done here, especially on a professional scale. Wales & now Ireland are hubs due to more relaxed filming laws and more vast expanses. But there will always be that pang of excitement when you see London on the big screen- it is truly iconic. London has a history, a stoicism and a layering of detail unlike a large number of cities around the world. Each city has their look, New York is vast, and high, you feel like a little fly in a swarm when you see it on screen, Istanbul is dusty and colourful and crumbling. London on film is a statement. It has it's own quirks, beauty and ugliness and film can really highlight each element of it.
11) Why do you personally think that people should go and see lower budget, independent films as well as big budget box-office releases?
Lower budget films have much more of an ethos like theatre, everything is faster and less filtered through various layers of management & creatives. It means a single person has much more of a stamp on their work. Larger budget film has choices and opinions but they are picked through to create what appears to be the best outcome. It's a very different process involved, watch both and find your way through the maze to find those true gems.
12) What are some of you favourite places to go and watch independent film in London?
The BFI can be good, I also really like visiting the Phoenix Cinema in East Finchley, it's not cheap but it's worth going and trying something different one day.
13) What are your career plans for the future? What projects do you have lined up that you're excited for?
In the future, I would love to primarily be a designer for West End theatre, dance and opera & in a perfect world be able to work designing a film once every year or so. I'm working on a show called 'This is Living' which will be coming to the Edinburgh Fringe next year, an opera with the English Pocket Opera company and some events for Dance Umbrella & White Mischief & possibly designing a film. It's going to be a busy year!
14) If you could pick one movie quote to be your life’s philosophy, what would it be and why?
'Where we're going, we don't need roads!' (Back to the Future)
I guess, however cheesy that quote is, you have to create your own path in the industry, don't feel you should follow the well-heeled track, be creative & find your own way, there is seriously no incorrect way to get into the industry.
Keep up to date with Issy’s work and the latest projects of The Deckchair Collective:
Twitter: @issyvb
Website: http://issyvb.wordpress.com/
Deckchair Collective:
Twitter: @thedeckchairco
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDeckchairCollective?ref=ts
By Ayse Huseyin
