In early 2014, whilst working on A Place to Call Home, I made the decision to try my luck for work in the film and TV industry in the UK. I’d been working as an Art Department Coordinator for roughly three years, but I really wanted to get into graphic design – something I had been doing on the side since I was a small kid. I spent months planning, networking through LinkedIn and Facebook groups and all of a sudden it was weeks away. After joining the British Film Designers Guild, and with only two weeks left, I received an email from a Supervising Art Director – Stuart Kearns – on a film looking for an Art Dept Coordinator. After the interview I was offered the job.

I landed on the Tuesday and started work the following day on a feature film Grimsby starring Sasha Baron Cohen. The Art Department and Set Decoration departments were in one room, and both were very small departments. As we got to filming, I helped ‘Set Dec source’ certain dressing pieces (including a “Bud Light” beer tap handle that was required in two days – over a weekend, and which could only be found in the US!) and helped the Graphic Designer to produce the many graphics needed. It was great to finally start creating graphics, especially for a feature film!

July rolled around and the London art department was coming to an end, as Grimsbywas about to relocate to South Africa to continue filming. One of the Art Directors was going on to Sense8, a Netflix production, that had a short four week pre and four day shoot. The role again was Art Dept Coordinator, however there would be no Graphic Designer – so I would be able to design a lot of the graphics requirements. It was an incredibly large production as far as TV shows go, with Art Departments in each country. Australian Production Designer Hugh Bateup APDG and series Art Dept Coordinator Trish Foreman oversaw the whole production, travelling to each country before filming commenced.

This led to Now You See Me 2, a film starring many of my favourite actors, including Daniel Radcliffe and Morgan Freeman. Sharon Seymour was Production Designer, with Stuart Kearns taking on the Supervising Art Director role again. With roughly forty people in Art Department, it was the biggest production I’d worked on at that point. The film was based in Longcross, a studio that was an old Military base. We built large sets in the studios, ranging from New York apartments to a Chinese magic shop.

I again had time to assist the Graphics team, this time working with Camise Oldfield and Andrew Tapper. I helped to create a number of graphics and was also tasked with organising photoshoots with both Daniel Radcliffe and Morgan Freeman for prop and set dressing photos, and was lucky to get a photo with Morgan that was used in the film.

Close to the end of March 2015, I received a call about a job coming up that needed an Art Dept Coordinator for roughly three months. They needed someone to start up the department as there was an overlap with their current and next film. I’d heard what this team was moving onto, and knew instantly it was Star Wars 8. Despite wanting to get into Graphics, how could I turn it down?! I started and was faced with fitting out an empty three level building with the requirements for Art Department – desks, internet, lighting etc. I was reporting back to the Coordinator who would take over from me, while she was working on Spectre (yep – Bond!). Shortly afterwards, plans were starting to be made for the Production Designer (Rick Heinrichs) to come across from the US. We set up his office and a large meeting room, as people slowly started to come across from Spectre. As we got into it, we did a weekly “Art Review” with all the concept artists, as well as with the Director and Producers. It was an amazing opportunity to listen in on these creative decisions. I stayed on the production for roughly seven months, before moving on.

My final job wasn’t exactly in the UK. A film (War Machine – Netflix – Production Designed by Australian Jo Ford) was shooting in London, however it had a 3 week shoot in the UAE. Camise Oldfield who I had worked with on Now You See Me 2 contacted me, and was again working with Andrew Tapper. She asked if I was interested in going to the UAE, to handle all the graphics from that end, as they were filming in the UAE but it was to be set in Afghanistan. Finally, my first Graphics job! I said yes, and within two weeks I was in the UAE. I had a month of pre to get it all ready. It will likely be one of the most challenging but rewarding jobs I have ever completed. I worked seven weeks and had just two days off, however we were put up in amazing hotels, which at least made the evenings comfortable!

I visited most of our UAE locations, measured up for signage then reported that information back to Camise to start designing. However, as they were still filming in London, they were focused on the requirements for London, so I took on some of the designing. I found and met with a printer who could help turn around graphics quickly, and luckily, they had some helpers that I relied on to carry out a lot of the graphic installs. Our main graphic heavy sets were converting a convention centre into an airport, an empty exterior space into an army base that had small shops and food stalls, a large security point, as well as converting a large street where we changed most of the shop signs. Working in another language was challenging at times, but we were lucky to have translators who assisted.

Unfortunately, my working visa came to an end, but I had had an incredible time. I returned back to Australia where I’ve continued to work in Graphics, on projects such as Doctor Doctor, Janet King, Bite Club and Pine Gap.

I highly recommend giving London a go if you ever get the chance. The UK is one of the busiest places for film and TV production at the moment, and it’s growing. As they aren’t restricted by unions, it’s much easier to break into their industry compared to the US and Canada.

Morgan Freeman and Daniel Willis

Daniel Willis in the Star Wars office