Earlier this year, DGC Ontario Production Designer Mark Steel received his first Emmy nomination in the category of Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program for his work on The Umbrella Academy. Furthermore, Mark is nominated for this year’s DGC Awards on October 26. We caught up with Mark just before he went to L.A. for the Creative Arts Emmy awards.
How does it feel to be nominated for your first Emmy for The Umbrella Academy?
I feel very proud of the show and our Toronto art department. This is a tremendous compliment.
What makes the episode you were nominated for a stand out episode?
With the pilot episode, we had the task of establishing the visual relationships of the characters in their world, especially the relationship the Academy kids had with their past, and in particular their father ,who has died. The world they return to and inhabit is almost entirely the one he created. The sets were designed to carry the emotional weight of that storyline and I think they really made an impact.
What is the most rewarding aspect of designing The Umbrella Academy?
Having the opportunity to explore such a rich story. I’m so lucky to get to create and collaborate on a project with this much scope and imagination.
