Sean Hargreaves
Encyclopedia
Sean Hargreaves is a British production designer
.
, Lancashire
, England
to an engineer
father and artistic mother. At the age of 13 his family moved to the U.S. After attending Sam Houston State University
and the University of Houston
, in 1986 he was accepted into the prestigious Art Center College of Design
in Pasadena
, California
where he excelled in the field of industrial design
, and graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science
degree.
and IBM
.
Following graduation from Art Center he was hired at General Motors
Advanced Concepts Center in Newbury Park California where he designed concept cars. It was here that he learned the importance of teamwork, deadlines, and attention to detail. After 3 years his interest in car design wavered, and he cast his eyes to the entertainment industry where one of his school colleagues, Jacques Rey, was working on the James Cameron
film Terminator 2. Rey helped with contacts and before long Hargreaves was working as a storyboard
artist in commercials. His first job in film came in 1991 for the film Candyman
. Following that he was hired as a concept artist on the movie The Shadow
, starring Alec Baldwin
.
In 1992 Hargreaves life was changed when he was hired to go to Paris
to design sets, props
, and costumes for the film The Fifth Element
, working alongside famed fantasy artist Jean Moebius
Giraud, and directed by Luc Besson
. It was in Paris his knowledge and appreciation of architecture
skyrocketed, and has influenced his work ever since. He was surrounded by design, sculpture, paintings, and infinite detail everywhere he looked. He was to stay there almost a year.
During his time in Paris, Hargreaves developed an almost photorealistic style of illustration
using pen and ink
, markers, and paint
that was relatively quick, and worked perfectly in the fast pace of the entertainment industry, during a time when markers were only used for very fast sketches. His style of high detail, design
, and lighting
, thereby showing directors
and producers
and production designers exactly what the sets would look like and how they were lit, became well known and subsequently he was in high demand in the entertainment industry.
Following his return to the U.S. Hargreaves worked on a number of large films by well known directors, Se7en
with David Fincher
, Batman Forever
with Joel Schumacher
, Heat
with Michael Mann, The Rock
with Michael Bay
, Crimson Tide
with Tony Scott
, and Jurassic Park: The Lost World with Steven Spielberg
are but a few.
In 1996 He approached production designer Tom Foden, who had hired him to illustrate sets for the Michael Jackson
video 'Scream', and asked him if he could art direct for him. A few weeks later he was Fodens art director on the Mark Romanek
directed Nine Inch Nails
video, 'Perfect Drug'.
In 1998 another offer came to him. A call from George Lucas
' Industrial Light and Magic
(I.L.M.) commercial division brought Hargreaves there as he was offered the job to production design a series of huge commercials for First Union Bank directed by Steve Beck, utilizing all I.L.M. had to offer in the way of visual effects. He was to work with I.L.M. for 3 years and has used the visual effects
knowledge he gained there on many subsequent projects.
In 2000, Steve Beck offered him the production design job for his first film, Thirteen Ghosts. A film about a wealthy collector played by F. Murray Abraham
, who built a three level glass house, that enclosed his collection of ghosts. The house was a design marvel and accorded Hargreaves many accolades from his peers. F. Murray Abraham was passionate in noting Hargreaves achievements in the construction of the glass house: "I thought it was a magic place! I was attached to it and I think it was great! I've never seen a set like that my whole life."
In 2004 Hargreaves production designed the film Neverwas
for first time director Joshua Michael Stern, that starred Ian McKellen
, Brittany Murphy
, William Hurt
, Aaron Eckhart
and others.
Hargreaves is known for a design approach that focuses on the original:
" I tend to eschew 'refined technologies' in favor of original design. I'll work tirelessly on a problem that hasn't been seen before until I solve it, or until I find it cannot be solved. I use new technologies to aid me in my work, in solving original design problems, and also in uncovering new ideas, which inevitably lead to new problems to be solved."
Hargreaves is an advocate of Transcendental Design, a design philosophy he pioneered which concentrates on original design achieved by unoriginal means, such as sculpture, collage, metalwork, sketch, paint, digital, or all of these.
Of the few production designers that actually illustrate their own designs, Hargreaves was one of the first to utilize Photoshop, and the first to design hands-on using 3D software, a route he took because of his demands for accuracy in presenting his designs.
for production design for commercials. His work is included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York. He has also been nominated three times for the Art Directors Guild
award for Excellence in Production Design. His work was also featured in the exhibition 'Pixar
: 20 Years of Animation
' at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and is also featured in the books 'Concept Design 2,' 'The Making of Jurassic Park
: The Lost World,' 'Cinefex
' and others.
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...
.
Early life and education
Sean Hargreaves was born 1 September 1965 in BlackpoolBlackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to an engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
father and artistic mother. At the age of 13 his family moved to the U.S. After attending Sam Houston State University
Sam Houston State University
Sam Houston State University was founded in 1879 and is the third oldest public institution of higher learning in the State of Texas. It is located in Huntsville, Texas. It is one of the oldest purpose-built institutions for the instruction of teachers west of the Mississippi River and the first...
and the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
, in 1986 he was accepted into the prestigious Art Center College of Design
Art Center College of Design
Art Center College of Design is a private college located in Pasadena, California, and was cited by BusinessWeek as one of the 60 best design schools in the world. The college’s industrial design program is consistently ranked number one by both DesignIntelligence and U.S...
in Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
where he excelled in the field of industrial design
Industrial design
Industrial design is the use of a combination of applied art and applied science to improve the aesthetics, ergonomics, and usability of a product, but it may also be used to improve the product's marketability and production...
, and graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree.
Career
Hargreaves began his design career at the age of 18, just after graduation from high school, at Visual Engineering in Dallas, Texas. There he participated in the fabrication and design of prototypes for Texas InstrumentsTexas Instruments
Texas Instruments Inc. , widely known as TI, is an American company based in Dallas, Texas, United States, which develops and commercializes semiconductor and computer technology...
and IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
.
Following graduation from Art Center he was hired at General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
Advanced Concepts Center in Newbury Park California where he designed concept cars. It was here that he learned the importance of teamwork, deadlines, and attention to detail. After 3 years his interest in car design wavered, and he cast his eyes to the entertainment industry where one of his school colleagues, Jacques Rey, was working on the James Cameron
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...
film Terminator 2. Rey helped with contacts and before long Hargreaves was working as a storyboard
Storyboard
Storyboards are graphic organizers in the form of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive media sequence....
artist in commercials. His first job in film came in 1991 for the film Candyman
Candyman (film)
Candyman is a 1992 horror film starring Virginia Madsen, Tony Todd and Xander Berkeley. It was directed by Bernard Rose and is based on the short story "The Forbidden" by Clive Barker, though the film's scenario is switched from England to Chicago. The film was scored by Philip Glass. The film was...
. Following that he was hired as a concept artist on the movie The Shadow
The Shadow
The Shadow is a collection of serialized dramas, originally in pulp magazines, then on 1930s radio and then in a wide variety of media, that follow the exploits of the title character, a crime-fighting vigilante in the pulps, which carried over to the airwaves as a "wealthy, young man about town"...
, starring Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
.
In 1992 Hargreaves life was changed when he was hired to go to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to design sets, props
Theatrical property
A theatrical property, commonly referred to as a prop, is an object used on stage by actors to further the plot or story line of a theatrical production. Smaller props are referred to as "hand props". Larger props may also be set decoration, such as a chair or table. The difference between a set...
, and costumes for the film The Fifth Element
The Fifth Element
The Fifth Element is a 1997 French science fiction film directed, co-written, and based on a story by Luc Besson, starring Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, and Milla Jovovich...
, working alongside famed fantasy artist Jean Moebius
Jean Giraud
Jean Henri Gaston Giraud is a French comics artist. Giraud has earned worldwide fame, not only under his own name but also under the pseudonym Moebius, and to a lesser extent Gir, the latter appearing mostly in the form of a boxed signature at the bottom of the artist's paintings, for instance the...
Giraud, and directed by Luc Besson
Luc Besson
Luc Besson is a French film director, writer, and producer. He is the creator of EuropaCorp film company. He has been involved with over 50 films, spanning 26 years, as writer, director, and/or producer.-Early life:...
. It was in Paris his knowledge and appreciation of architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
skyrocketed, and has influenced his work ever since. He was surrounded by design, sculpture, paintings, and infinite detail everywhere he looked. He was to stay there almost a year.
During his time in Paris, Hargreaves developed an almost photorealistic style of illustration
Illustration
An illustration is a displayed visualization form presented as a drawing, painting, photograph or other work of art that is created to elucidate or dictate sensual information by providing a visual representation graphically.- Early history :The earliest forms of illustration were prehistoric...
using pen and ink
Ink
Ink is a liquid or paste that contains pigments and/or dyes and is used to color a surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing and/or writing with a pen, brush, or quill...
, markers, and paint
Paint
Paint is any liquid, liquefiable, or mastic composition which after application to a substrate in a thin layer is converted to an opaque solid film. One may also consider the digital mimicry thereof...
that was relatively quick, and worked perfectly in the fast pace of the entertainment industry, during a time when markers were only used for very fast sketches. His style of high detail, design
Design
Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
, and lighting
Lighting
Lighting or illumination is the deliberate application of light to achieve some practical or aesthetic effect. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources such as lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight...
, thereby showing directors
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and producers
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
and production designers exactly what the sets would look like and how they were lit, became well known and subsequently he was in high demand in the entertainment industry.
Following his return to the U.S. Hargreaves worked on a number of large films by well known directors, Se7en
Se7en
Seven is a 1995 American thriller film, which also contains horror and neo-noir elements, directed by David Fincher and written by Andrew Kevin Walker. It was distributed by New Line Cinema and stars Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, R...
with David Fincher
David Fincher
David Andrew Leo Fincher is an American film and music video director. Known for his dark and stylish thrillers, such as Seven , The Game , Fight Club , Panic Room , and Zodiac , Fincher received Academy Award nominations for Best Director for his 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and...
, Batman Forever
Batman Forever
Batman Forever is a 1995 American superhero film directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Tim Burton. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is a sequel to Batman Returns , with Val Kilmer replacing Michael Keaton as Batman...
with Joel Schumacher
Joel Schumacher
Joel T. Schumacher is an American film director, screenwriter and producer.-Early life:Schumacher was born in New York City, the son of Marian and Francis Schumacher. His mother was a Swedish Jew, and his father was a Baptist from Knoxville, Tennessee, who died when Joel was four years old...
, Heat
Heat
In physics and thermodynamics, heat is energy transferred from one body, region, or thermodynamic system to another due to thermal contact or thermal radiation when the systems are at different temperatures. It is often described as one of the fundamental processes of energy transfer between...
with Michael Mann, The Rock
The Rock (film)
The Rock is a 1996 action film that primarily takes place on Alcatraz Island and in the San Francisco Bay area. It was directed by Michael Bay and stars Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage and Ed Harris. It was produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and released through Hollywood Pictures. The film...
with Michael Bay
Michael Bay
Michael Benjamin Bay is an American film director and producer. He is known for directing high-budget action films characterized by their fast edits, stylistic visuals and substantial practical special effects...
, Crimson Tide
Crimson Tide (film)
The film has uncredited additional writing by Quentin Tarantino, much of it being the pop-culture reference-laden dialogue.The U.S. Navy objected to many of the elements in the script — particularly the aspect of mutiny on board a U.S. naval vessel — and as such, the film was produced...
with Tony Scott
Tony Scott
Anthony D. L. "Tony" Scott is an English film director. His films include Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II, The Last Boy Scout, True Romance, Crimson Tide, Enemy of the State, Spy Game, Man on Fire, Déjà Vu, The Taking of Pelham 123, and Unstoppable...
, and Jurassic Park: The Lost World with Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
are but a few.
In 1996 He approached production designer Tom Foden, who had hired him to illustrate sets for the Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
video 'Scream', and asked him if he could art direct for him. A few weeks later he was Fodens art director on the Mark Romanek
Mark Romanek
Mark Romanek is an American filmmaker, whose directing work includes feature films, music videos and commercials.He wrote and directed the critically acclaimed 2002 film One Hour Photo starring Robin Williams...
directed Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
video, 'Perfect Drug'.
In 1998 another offer came to him. A call from George Lucas
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
' Industrial Light and Magic
Industrial Light and Magic
Industrial Light & Magic is an Academy Award-winning motion picture visual effects company that was founded in May 1975 by George Lucas and is owned by Lucasfilm. Lucas created the company when he discovered that the special effects department at 20th Century Fox was shut down after he was given...
(I.L.M.) commercial division brought Hargreaves there as he was offered the job to production design a series of huge commercials for First Union Bank directed by Steve Beck, utilizing all I.L.M. had to offer in the way of visual effects. He was to work with I.L.M. for 3 years and has used the visual effects
Visual effects
Visual effects are the various processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shoot. Visual effects involve the integration of live-action footage and generated imagery to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, costly, or...
knowledge he gained there on many subsequent projects.
In 2000, Steve Beck offered him the production design job for his first film, Thirteen Ghosts. A film about a wealthy collector played by F. Murray Abraham
F. Murray Abraham
Fahrid Murray Abraham is an American actor. He became known during the 1980s after winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Antonio Salieri in Amadeus. He has appeared in many roles, both leading and supporting, in films such as All the President's Men and Scarface...
, who built a three level glass house, that enclosed his collection of ghosts. The house was a design marvel and accorded Hargreaves many accolades from his peers. F. Murray Abraham was passionate in noting Hargreaves achievements in the construction of the glass house: "I thought it was a magic place! I was attached to it and I think it was great! I've never seen a set like that my whole life."
In 2004 Hargreaves production designed the film Neverwas
Neverwas
Neverwas is a 2005 English film written and directed by Joshua Michael Stern, starring Ian McKellen, Aaron Eckhart, Brittany Murphy and Nick Nolte.It was first shown at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival...
for first time director Joshua Michael Stern, that starred Ian McKellen
Ian McKellen
Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE is an English actor. He has received a Tony Award, two Academy Award nominations, and five Emmy Award nominations. His work has spanned genres from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction...
, Brittany Murphy
Brittany Murphy
Brittany Anne Murphy-Monjack , known professionally as Brittany Murphy, was an American actress and singer. She starred in films such as Clueless, Just Married, Girl Interrupted, Spun, 8 Mile, Uptown Girls, Sin City, Happy Feet, and Riding in Cars with Boys...
, William Hurt
William Hurt
William McGill Hurt is an American stage and film actor. He received his acting training at the Juilliard School, and began acting on stage in the 1970s. Hurt made his film debut as a troubled scientist in the science-fiction feature Altered States , for which he received a Golden Globe nomination...
, Aaron Eckhart
Aaron Eckhart
Aaron Edward Eckhart is an American film and stage actor. Born in California, he moved to England at the age of 13, when his father relocated the family. Several years later, he began his acting career by performing in school plays, before moving to Sydney, Australia, for his high school senior year...
and others.
Hargreaves is known for a design approach that focuses on the original:
" I tend to eschew 'refined technologies' in favor of original design. I'll work tirelessly on a problem that hasn't been seen before until I solve it, or until I find it cannot be solved. I use new technologies to aid me in my work, in solving original design problems, and also in uncovering new ideas, which inevitably lead to new problems to be solved."
Hargreaves is an advocate of Transcendental Design, a design philosophy he pioneered which concentrates on original design achieved by unoriginal means, such as sculpture, collage, metalwork, sketch, paint, digital, or all of these.
Of the few production designers that actually illustrate their own designs, Hargreaves was one of the first to utilize Photoshop, and the first to design hands-on using 3D software, a route he took because of his demands for accuracy in presenting his designs.
Awards and honors
Hargreaves has twice won the AICP-Association of Independent Commercial Producers- awardAward
An award is something given to a person or a group of people to recognize excellence in a certain field; a certificate of excellence. Awards are often signifiedby trophies, titles, certificates, commemorative plaques, medals, badges, pins, or ribbons...
for production design for commercials. His work is included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York. He has also been nominated three times for the Art Directors Guild
Art Directors Guild
The Art Directors Guild is an American labor union and branch of the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees representing almost 2,000 motion picture and television professionals....
award for Excellence in Production Design. His work was also featured in the exhibition 'Pixar
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios, pronounced , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio has earned 26 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and three Grammy Awards, among many other awards and acknowledgments. Its films have made over $6.3 billion worldwide...
: 20 Years of Animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
' at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and is also featured in the books 'Concept Design 2,' 'The Making of Jurassic Park
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
The Lost World: Jurassic Park is a 1997 science fiction thriller film, directed by Steven Spielberg. The film was produced by Bonnie Curtis, Kathleen Kennedy, Gerald R. Molen and Colin Wilson...
: The Lost World,' 'Cinefex
Cinefex
Cinefex is a quarterly professional movie special effects magazine. It is among the first dedicated special effects magazines ever produced, at a time where computer generated imagery effects were not as common....
' and others.