I have the immense pleasure today of welcoming a very special guest, production designer Nicole LeBlanc, to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS for an interview. Nicole has been a production designer for several movies such as THE NTH WARD, ROE V. WADE [my review of the film can be found here] INDIA SWEETS AND SPICES, and THE THING THAT KEEPS YOU. Nicole has also been responsible for the art direction of motion pictures DEATH TOLL, PREMATURE, and LIZZIE, to name a few examples. In addition, Nicole has also been set decorator for HUSK, JULIA X, +1, KILL THE MESSENGER, THE DUFF, and THE VAULT, for just a few titles. Nicole today will be discussing her role as production designer for ROE V. WADE, being an art director and set decorator, and which movie has been most influential on her work.
Welcome to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS Nicole!
Athan: When did you first realize that you wanted to be a production designer?
Nicole: I was a kid when I realized I wanted to make movies but it wasn’t until my late 20s after working in art departments on features that I realized I wanted to production design.
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Athan: Where did you study the art of production design?
Nicole: I have a bachelors degree in Film Production from the University of New Orleans focusing on Production Design.
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Athan: Your production design for ROE V. WADE was excellent, strongly evoking the movie’s 1970s setting with subtlety, and authenticity. There are various examples of this which stand out. Dr Nathanson’s family home, and apartment, the courtrooms where much of the action occurs, with their rich red drapes, the family homes of the judges, small touches such as vintage television sets, all convince of the 1970s. What is it that drew you to participating in the movie?
Nicole: I love working on period pieces. Roe V. Wade is an iconic court case in the US and when the opportunity presented itself, I couldn’t pass it up.
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Athan: What did you find most exciting about the experience of making ROE V. WADE?
Nicole: Researching the period and my team that helped me achieve the look of the film.
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Athan: For you, what was the most demanding, but emotionally satisfying segment of filming ROE V. WADE?
Nicole: The whole film actually. Believe it or not, as a woman in the US who is a liberal, making a conservative film about Roe V. Wade was very challenging. However, I did not let that get in the way of being a professional. At the end of the day, I’m a storyteller.
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Athan: Do you keep in contact with any cast members and crew from ROE V. WADE?
Nicole: I’ve never been good at keeping in contact with people I work with.
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Athan: ROE V. WADE was co-directed by Nick Loeb and Cathy Allyn in their directorial debut. What was the experience of working with Mr Loeb, and Miss Allyn on the movie?
Nicole: I found them to be very friendly people to work with.
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Athan: Have you done any prior acting work, or studied acting?
Nicole: No I have not.
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Athan: You have been a production designer, art director, and set decorator across a wide variety of projects, from movies, television, photo shoots, commercials, live events, to corporate event parties. Was there a project which you felt was the most challenging, but which, in the end, the most personally rewarding in terms of the completed result?
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Nicole: My favorite project I have ever worked on was the feature film Kill The Messenger starring Jeremy Renner. It is another period film based on a true story. I developed relationships with the family of the man who the movie is about, Gary Webb. I am still friends with his family today and that was a decade ago.
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Athan: Out of each era of cinema emerged very individual concepts of production design, such as METROPOLIS, CITIZEN KANE, TAXI DRIVER, and THE GODFATHER being prime examples. Is there an era of motion pictures, or a certain film, which has been most influential on you?
Nicole: Actually, Film Noir is genre of film that I studied at university. Metropolis happens to be one of my favorite films of all time. When I was in Germany, I went to the Sony Film Museum and there is an exhibit on Metropolis that is fantastic.
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Athan: Do you have any upcoming projects of which you would like to tell readers?
Nicole: With the current SAG-AFTRA & WGA strikes, that has put an indefinite hold on any projects I had coming up.
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Thank you so much today for your time Nicole, and for the insight you have provided into ROE V. WADE, production design, art direction, set decoration, and cinema. It has been wonderful having you on CINEMATIC REVELATIONS. You are welcome to return whenever you wish.
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Nicole LeBlanc links
+Nicole LeBlanc Official website
+Nicole LeBlanc IMDb Production Designer Page
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