The Creator of The World on Screen
The Award-Winning Production Designer Luca Tranchino is our May 2021 Spotlight Celebrity
The Aviator, Art Direction by Luca Tranchino, Production Design by Dante Ferretti - Photo Courtesy of Luca Tranchino
Luca Tranchino is an award-winning Production Designer and Art Director, known for his contribution to movies like Martin Scorsese’s Hugo (2011), The Aviator (2004), Gangs of New York (2002), and for his work on TV series like Prison Break (2017), as well as on the recently released TV series Domina (2021). His long collaboration with legendary Oscar-winning production designer Dante Ferretti started in 1998 with Titus, continuing with Gangs of New York (2002), and many other movies.
Imagine your all-time favorite film. You’ve probably watched it more than once and you will be able to name the lead actors as well as the supporting cast and director, but if asked who the production designer was most likely you will not be able to come up with that name. However, without the works of a production designer, a film may not have much appeal.
In a way, the set design these artists create is another character, one that doesn’t speak but has the power to make or break a film’s success, making the Production Designer and Art Director one of the most important team members in film production. Without these two, and sometimes they come as one in the same person, a film could fail to capture the audience because these are the film crew members responsible for the visual concept of a film and who with their creative mindset, imagination, and skillful planning set the mood for each scene of the film. Together with the director, producer, costume designer, and actors, they create the world on screen and turn it into an enthralling story. In addition to their creative skills, production designers have to be quick on their feet and be able to rise to the occasion if the director’s vision for a scene changes suddenly while filming.
Meet Luca Tranchino, the award-winning production designer and art director from Rome, Italy who says he decided on this profession when he was about 7 years old after being captivated by American musicals and films shown on TV in Italy.
That’s how his dream to one day live on these incredible movie sets in Hollywood began. His perseverance paid off and his dream became reality in the late 90s when he was invited to collaborate with Oscar-winning production designer Dante Ferretti to work on successful films such as Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York, The Aviator, and Hugo.
Art Direction for Hugo by Luca Tranchino, Production Design by Dante Ferretti. Photo Courtesy of Luca Tranchino.
The main Parisian Train Station set in the film Hugo that was built on two levels using two connected sound stages is another notable project that won the Excellence in Production Design Award from the Art Directors Guild. The set required a modern times cathedral made of steel and glass filled with kiosks, shops, and cafés, and the reinterpretation of that era meant working closely with the CGI (computer-generated imagery) department to prepare the digital set extensions.
Luca describes his production design and art direction experiences with Scorsese like this:
“Immediately evident in Scorsese was his strong knowledge and passion for the history of cinema and all genres of films. Usually, while approaching the subject for a new movie in preparation, he used to send us several boxes filled with reference books, DVDs of classic movies or documentaries, folders of archive photos, etc. It was a fulfilling process because in a Scorsese movie the set is not just a background to the actors, but it’s an important and meaningful character of the story he wants to tell. For Gangs of New York, everything was designed and built from scratch recreating the old New York in Rome. The extensive and detailed sets required a long preparation and effort to be built. For Aviator, not only did it require numerous sets to be built on sound stages, but the old Hollywood glamour of the 30s and 40s had to be recreated realistically, too. The Aviator won the OFTA Film Award for Best Production Design and was nominated for the Excellence in Production Design Award from the Art Directors Guild.”
He also worked with Woody Allen in To Rome with Love and Lasse Hallström in Casanova, just to mention a few.
Art Direction for To Rome With Love by Luca Tranchino, Production Design by Anne Seibel. Photo Courtesy of Luca Tranchino
Luca’s latest exciting project is Domina, a Sky Atlantic historical drama, set in ancient Rome, that follows the extraordinary life of Livia Drusilla and explores the city’s power struggles from a female perspective.
Domina Production Design by Luca Tranchino - Photo Courtesy of Luca Tranchino.
Domina was released in the UK on May 14, 2021, and will air on June 6, 2021 in the U.S. on Epix.
Also on his slate is Masks Don’t Lie (2022), a thriller with a supernatural touch set in Venice during the Carnival time written and directed by Sylvia Kurth. His task will be to portray the magical atmospheres of this incredible city and to recreate some 18th century masked balls in ancient buildings filled with mystery, memories, and suspense.
Masks Don’t Lie Production Design by Luca Tranchino. Photo Courtesy of Luca Tranchino.
“I see production design primarily as the visual expression of a mental state. The main goal is to be able to emotionally affect an audience, somehow making people reflect on reality and life, transforming the inner suffering into a universal feeling, sharing moods, desires, and hopes for the future. We, as moviemakers, often create to entertain the public, but hopefully also moments that can give some comfort and encouragement to move forward.”
-Luca Tranchino