Every artist needs one essential tool to do their job.
In a special edition of Variety’s For the Love of the Craft, presented by Netflix, Senior Crafts Editor Jazz Tangcay interviews the artisans behind some of the streamer’s biggest shows to learn about the essentials of their work.
Erin Kruger Mekash, head of make-up for Stranger Things, revealed that brushes are a must-have: “Whether it’s an airbrush or a hand-held brush, I couldn’t do my job without a simple brush.”
For “Wednesday” co-musical director Jen Malone, it’s all about simplicity. Her essentials are a notebook and an automatic pencil. “I can’t live without a special pad.” But it’s more than just a notepad. “It has to be 5 by 7. It can’t be 8 by 10. It has to be hardcover, it has to be spiral, and you only have to use one of these pencils. That’s it. Nothing else.”
However, what she wrote on the notepad remains “top secret”. Nicole Weisberg, Malone’s colleague and the show’s co-music director, simply calls for “a soda every hour.”
Advances in technology are helping “Beef” editors Laura Zempel and Lauren Connolly look at daily newspapers and decide on the best takes. “ScriptSync was the most important thing we used to edit this season’s Beef,” said Sempel. She explains that this is a way to record every line that is said. “Showrunners can take notes on their favorite songs or record improvisations. It’s a great way to stay organized while editing scenes.”
Connolly added, “We created a visual roadmap for all the footage, and the tone of ‘Beef’ is reflected in every detail, allowing us to work very quickly as we go.”
The two also use scene cards created for each scene. Connolly said, “This allows you to clearly see all the different character arcs on the wall. So even if you want to do small rearrangements, you can use this to keep track of things. Even just watching an entire episode at once can be very helpful.”
Production designer Matthew Flood Ferguson set out to create the world of serial killers in Monster: The Ed Gein Story, and to do so he read a wide variety of books. “I have quite a few film books, photography and architecture books, and I need to have them on hand for every job. Even if it’s not related to the job I’m doing, I still need them, because you never know,” he says.
Those books are his most valuable asset. Magnum Cinema covers 50 years of filmmaking. “Sometimes you might think, ‘What am I doing? Do I know what I’m doing?'” And looking closely at these photos is comforting and a reminder of how this is done. ”
Tradition is also the secret behind the work of “Beef” set decorator Kelly Jo Tinney. She carries a mini tape measure with her wherever she goes and attaches it to her car keys. “I use it all the time. I like to play with scales, so you never know when you’re going to have to measure a lamp, the depth of a table, the depth of a shelf, the height of a shelf. It’s the only tool I can’t live without.”
Has she ever lost her keys? Yet. “If I lost my keys, I would be out of work,” she laughs.
Like you, Barry Gower, head of makeup effects for Stranger Things, needs staff. “I can’t do what I do without great talent in the people around me,” he says. “I feel so lucky and kind every day and I’m grateful every day for their help.”
Tom Turnbull, the visual effects supervisor for Wednesday, agreed that the crew is what he needs most.
“I slept well,” he said at the beginning, adding, “This is really all thanks to my staff. Without them, I wouldn’t even be able to start the day.”
With so much work behind the artisans, Tankai also asked them what the audience should see to get to know them. See their answers below.
Get to know the craftsmen.
Erin Kruger Mekash – “American Horror Story” Seasons 1-10
Mike Mekash – “American Horror Story” Seasons 1-10
Jen Malone – Wednesday Season 2 Soundtrack
Nicole Weisberg – “Wednesday” Season 2 Soundtrack
Tom Turnbull – “Wednesday” Seasons 1-2
Laura Zempel – “Beef” Season 2
Lauren Connolly – “Beef” Season 2
Matthew Flood Ferguson – Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Kelly Jo Tinney – “Beef” Season 2
Barry Gower – Stranger Things Seasons 1-5
