Brian Savegar
Encyclopedia
Brian Savegar was a production designer
in the film and TV industry. He won an Academy Award in 1986 in the category Best Art Direction
for the film A Room with a View
.
, with a younger sister called Jill, he was encouraged to be musical by his parents who both loved jazz
and consequently he learned to play the trumpet at an early age. While studying Fine Art
at the Cardiff College of Art, he played trumpet semi-professionally with local jazz bands in and around Cardiff
and Bristol
and was also very briefly a member of the Acker Bilk Bristol Paramount Jazz Band.
His skills as a graphic artist were developed when he worked as an Art Editor and Designer before joining the film industry in 1962 when it become apparent that he needed to decide whether to earn a living as an artist or by playing jazz. He moved to [Cookham] near Maidenhead
in the early '60s while working in various UK film production and design roles at Shepperton
and Pinewood Studios
. During this time he was a member of Thames Valley Rugby Club playing for the first XV. He was keen on vintage cars and owned an{Invicta} among other vehicles.
Subsequently he decamped to Ferney Voltaire on the French-Swiss border with his wife Sarah, who had been offered a job with a UN agency in Geneva
. After some corporate film projects failed to materialize he mostly spent his time renovating an old property in the Gex
commune and propping up various bars in Ferney.
for Set Design & Art Direction on the Merchant Ivory production of A Room with a View
. The Oscar was presented to him by Isabella Rossellini
and Christopher Reeve
at the Academy Awards Ceremony on March 30, 1987 and he publicly thanked James Ivory
from the podium. The competing nominations in that year were Aliens
, The Mission
, The Colour of Money and Hannah and her Sisters
. He was also a member of the Art Directors Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
.
in Provence
. Unfortunately he was diagnosed with diabetes in 1989 and this led him to gradually reduce his workload during the late '90s and to spend more time at his home in France. He took up his trumpet playing again and would perform with local and visiting jazz musicians. Sadly, he finally succumbed to the condition on March 31, 2007 at the age of 74.
Production designer
In film and television, a production designer is the person responsible for the overall look of a filmed event such as films, TV programs, music videos or adverts. Production designers have one of the key creative roles in the creation of motion pictures and television. Working directly with the...
in the film and TV industry. He won an Academy Award in 1986 in the category Best Art Direction
Academy Award for Best Art Direction
The Academy Awards are the oldest awards ceremony for achievements in motion pictures. The Academy Award for Best Art Direction recognizes achievement in art direction on a film. The films below are listed with their production year, so the Oscar 2000 for best art direction went to a film from 1999...
for the film A Room with a View
A Room with a View (film)
A Room with a View is a 1985 British drama film directed by James Ivory and produced by Ismail Merchant. The film is a close adaptation of E. M...
.
Early years
Born and raised in AbergavennyAbergavenny
Abergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches...
, with a younger sister called Jill, he was encouraged to be musical by his parents who both loved jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and consequently he learned to play the trumpet at an early age. While studying Fine Art
Fine art
Fine art or the fine arts encompass art forms developed primarily for aesthetics and/or concept rather than practical application. Art is often a synonym for fine art, as employed in the term "art gallery"....
at the Cardiff College of Art, he played trumpet semi-professionally with local jazz bands in and around Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
and Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
and was also very briefly a member of the Acker Bilk Bristol Paramount Jazz Band.
His skills as a graphic artist were developed when he worked as an Art Editor and Designer before joining the film industry in 1962 when it become apparent that he needed to decide whether to earn a living as an artist or by playing jazz. He moved to [Cookham] near Maidenhead
Maidenhead
Maidenhead is a town and unparished area within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It lies on the River Thames and is situated west of Charing Cross in London.-History:...
in the early '60s while working in various UK film production and design roles at Shepperton
Shepperton
Shepperton is a town in the borough of Spelthorne, Surrey, England. To the south it is bounded by the river Thames at Desborough Island and is bisected by the M3 motorway...
and Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios is a major British film studio situated in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, approximately west of central London. The studios have played host to many productions over the years from huge blockbuster films to television shows to commercials to pop promos.The purchase of Shepperton...
. During this time he was a member of Thames Valley Rugby Club playing for the first XV. He was keen on vintage cars and owned an{Invicta} among other vehicles.
Subsequently he decamped to Ferney Voltaire on the French-Swiss border with his wife Sarah, who had been offered a job with a UN agency in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
. After some corporate film projects failed to materialize he mostly spent his time renovating an old property in the Gex
Gex, Ain
Gex is a commune in the Ain department in eastern France.It lies from the Swiss border and from Geneva. It is a sous-préfecture of Ain.-History:...
commune and propping up various bars in Ferney.
Film success
After his marriage failed in the late '70s, he reactivated his network of film contacts and this led to a job offer on a documentary film that was being made in Canada. From there he moved back into the mainstream film and TV industry where he enjoyed considerable success over the next 20 years. He split his time principally between the UK and New Orleans where he worked on both TV and film projects. The pinnacle of his success was achieved in 1986 when he jointly won the Oscar with Elio AltramuraElio Altramura
Elio Altramura was an Italian art director. He won an Academy Award in the category Best Art Direction for the film A Room with a View.-External links:...
for Set Design & Art Direction on the Merchant Ivory production of A Room with a View
A Room with a View (film)
A Room with a View is a 1985 British drama film directed by James Ivory and produced by Ismail Merchant. The film is a close adaptation of E. M...
. The Oscar was presented to him by Isabella Rossellini
Isabella Rossellini
Isabella Fiorella Elettra Giovanna Rossellini is an Italian actress, filmmaker, author, philanthropist, and model. Rossellini is noted for her 14-year tenure as a Lancôme model, and for her roles in films such as Blue Velvet and Death Becomes Her.-Background and early life:Rossellini is a...
and Christopher Reeve
Christopher Reeve
Christopher D'Olier Reeve was an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, author and activist...
at the Academy Awards Ceremony on March 30, 1987 and he publicly thanked James Ivory
James Ivory (director)
James Francis Ivory is an American film director, best known for the results of his long collaboration with Merchant Ivory Productions, which included both Indian-born film producer Ismail Merchant, and screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala...
from the podium. The competing nominations in that year were Aliens
Alien (film)
Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto. The film's title refers to its primary antagonist: a highly aggressive extraterrestrial creature which...
, The Mission
The Mission
- Film and theater :* The Mission , 1986 film by Roland Joffé* The Mission , a.k.a. Cheung fo, by Johnnie To* The Mission , 1980 German play by former East German playwright Heiner Müller, also known as The Task- Music :* The Mission , the original score album of the 1986 film by Ennio Morricone*...
, The Colour of Money and Hannah and her Sisters
Hannah and Her Sisters
Hannah and Her Sisters is a 1986 American comedy-drama film which tells the intertwined stories of an extended family over two years that begin and end with a family Thanksgiving dinner...
. He was also a member of the Art Directors Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures...
.
Final years
Following his new-found success in films and TV, he bought himself a home in the southern French village of RoumoulesRoumoules
Roumoules is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.-Population:-See also:* Roumoules radio transmitter*Communes of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department-References:*...
in Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
. Unfortunately he was diagnosed with diabetes in 1989 and this led him to gradually reduce his workload during the late '90s and to spend more time at his home in France. He took up his trumpet playing again and would perform with local and visiting jazz musicians. Sadly, he finally succumbed to the condition on March 31, 2007 at the age of 74.
Selected filmography
- 1999 The Fall Production Designer
- 1999 Michael Landon, The Father I Knew Production Designer
- 1996 Dalva Production Designer
- 1993 Trapped Alive Production Designer
- 1992 Hoffa Set Decorator
- 1990 The Inheritor Director
- 1987 Maurice Art Director
- 1985 A Room with a ViewA Room with a View (film)A Room with a View is a 1985 British drama film directed by James Ivory and produced by Ismail Merchant. The film is a close adaptation of E. M...
Production Designer - 1985 Screamtime Art Director
- 1984 Space RidersSpace RidersSpace Riders is a 1984 movie directed by Joe Massot starring Grand Prix motorcycle racing world champion Barry Sheene as himself. It tells the story of Sheene's pursuit of the world title, including his recovery from a near-fatal accident at Brands Hatch....
Art Director - 1982 The Last Horror FilmThe Last Horror FilmThe Last Horror Film is a 1982 cult horror film directed by David Winters and starring Joe Spinell and Caroline Munro...
Art Director - 1982 The Fanatic Art Director
- 1980 Babylon Art Director
TV credits
- 1984 Remington SteeleRemington SteeleRemington Steele is an American television series, co-created by Robert Butler and Michael Gleason. The series, starring Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan, was produced by MTM Enterprises and first broadcast on the NBC network from 1982 to 1987. The series blended the genres of romantic...
Art Director - 1986 Hold the DreamHold the DreamHold the Dream is a British two-part miniseries made in 1986, based on the novel of the same name by Barbara Taylor Bradford. It is the second book in the Emma Harte series, following A Woman of Substance...
Set Decorator - 1995 Dazzle Production Designer
- 1996 The Big Easy Production Designer (13 episodes)
- 1996 Lucifer's Child Production Designer
- 1997 Rag and Bone Production Designer
- 2001 Conspiracy Set Dresser