Every artist needs one key tool to do their job.
In a special edition of Variety’s For the Love of the Craft presented by Netflix, senior artisans editor Jazz Tangcay caught up with the artisans behind some of the streamer’s biggest shows to learn about the one essential they need to do their work.
“Stranger Things” makeup department head Eryn Kruger Mekash revealed brushes were a must-have: “I could not do my job without would be a simple brush, whether it be an airbrush or just a handheld brush.”
It’s all about simplicity, too, for “Wednesday’s” co-music supervisor Jen Malone. Her go-to is a notebook and an automatic pencil. “I can’t live without my very special pad.” However, it’s not just any notepad. “It has to be five by seven; cannot be eight by 10. It has to be hard cover, it has to have spirals and it has to only be with one of these pencils. That’s it. Nothing else.”
What she writes in her notepad remains “top secret” though. Malone’s colleague and co-music supervisor on the show, Nicole Weisberg simply needs “sparkling water every hour.”
Technological advancements help “Beef” editors Laura Zempel and Lauren Connolly when it comes to watching dailies and deciding on the best takes. Zempel says, “The most important thing that we used this season of editing ‘Beef’ was ScriptSync.” She explains that it’s a way to keep track of all of the lines that were said. “We can take notes with selects that our showrunner likes, keep track of improv. It’s just a really nice way to stay organized while we’re editing our scenes.”
Connolly adds, “It creates this visual roadmap to all of the footage and the tone of ‘Beef’ is really in all the detail and it allows us to dive in while still working really quickly.”
The pair also use scene cards which they create for every single scene. Connolly says, “It allows us to see all the different character arcs clearly up on the wall. So you can use that to track things even if you want to do a small restructure. It’s really helpful just to see the episodes as a whole all at once.”
Production designer Matthew Flood Ferguson worked on building the world of a serial killer in “Monster: The Ed Gein Story,” and for that, he dove into an array of books. “I have quite a few film books, books on photography and architecture and I have to have them on every job. Even if it doesn’t pertain to the job that I’m on, I still need them because you never know,” he says.
Those books are his most valuable asset. Magnum Cinema covers 50 years of movie making. “Sometimes I may be like, ‘What am I doing? Do I know what I’m doing?’ and I’ll go through and look at these pictures and it’s comforting and reminds me that this is how it’s done.”
Tradition is also the secret to “Beef” set decorator Kellie Jo Tinney’s work. She carries a mini tape measure everywhere she goes and it’s attached to her car keys. “I always use it. I like to play with scale so you never know when you have to measure a lamp or you have to measure the depth of a table or the depth of a shelf or the height of a shelf. This is the one tool I cannot live without.”
Has she ever lost her keys? Not yet. “I wouldn’t be able to work if I lost my keys,” she laughs.
As with everyone, Barrie Gower, makeup effects department head on “Stranger Things,” needs his crew. “I cannot do my job without a tremendous amount of talent to people that are around me,” he says. “I’m very fortunate and gracious every single day and grateful every single day for their help.”
“Wednesday” visual effects supervisor Tom Turnbull agreed that his crew was what he needed most.
“A good night’s sleep,” he says at first, adding, “It’s really my crew. Without them, I wouldn’t have a day to even start.”
With an extensive body of work behind the artisans, Tangcay also asked them what audiences should watch to get to know them. See their responses below.
Get to know the artisans.
Eryn 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” season 1-2
Laura Zempel – “Beef” season 2
Lauren Connolly – “Beef” season 2
Matthew Flood Ferguson – “Monster: The Ed Gein Story”
Kellie Jo Tinney – “Beef” season 2
Barrie Gower – “Stranger Things” seasons 1-5
