Q & A with Simon Rogers, Production Designer
Simon Rogers is a Production Designer working in TV comedy and Feature Film. He has previously worked as the Art Director on the hugely influential TV comedies such as French & Saunders, I’m Alan Partridge, Brass Eye and Black Books.
His Production Designer credits include Hyperdrive, Pulling, Later with Jools Holland, Phone Shop, A Touch of Cloth, The Omid Djalili Show, Harry and Paul, Time Trumpet, Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle, The Midnight Beast, Mongrels and Come Fly with Me starring David Walliams and Matt Lucas. He also designed Paddy Considine’s award winning film, Tyrannosaur as well as music videos for the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs and the Arctic Monkeys
It was in 2005 that Producer Adam Tandy asked Simon to become the Production Designer on Armando Iannucci’s new political comedy, The Thick of It.
The multi - BAFTA winning political comedy is now on its fourth series and we asked him about making the show and his career.....
First though, a teaser for the next 3 episodes of The Thick of It....
THE THICK OF IT - Episode 5 - Saturday 13th October - BBC2 - 9:30pm
What can we expect from the rest of this series of The Thick of It?
Simon Rogers: A lot more intrigue, deception, back biting, paranoia, back stabbing and deceit. This series is as dramatic as it is funny. The central storyline carries through the remaining episodes and it results in all the character being put on the spot in a way that I think all politicians should be made to be.
What’s it like working with Armando Iannucci?
Very satisfying. I’m very proud to have been involved in some of the most originally funny and critically well received shows of the last 20 years. His shows generally demand an original approach. They have allowed me to discover that sometimes “if it feels wrong, it’s probably right.”
You’ve been the designer of The Thick of It since day one, what did you think of the initial script and what was your aim for the design?
I knew this project would be an exceptional piece of television. The writing was brilliant and extraordinarily funny and I could see that this show for BBC4 heralded a revolutionary approach to the BBC sitcom. The opportunity to create this world was too good to miss out on and I felt passionately that I could find a way to represent this world.
Where do you film it and what is set build and what is genuine location?
The last series was filmed in a variety of locations. Dosac was shot in Walton on Thames in an empty office building in which we built the departmental offices. These were designed to match the offices at the Media Centre at the BBC where we shot establishers and various arrivals and departures. The opposition offices, based on the look of the opposition offices in Norman Shaw House in Westminster, were constructed in a country house in Uxbridge also used in the film version of In The Loop. There are also many scenes that were shot on the streets in and around Westminster that knits the whole thing together.
Do you have a favourite moment from the series?
There are so many moments in each show its very difficult to choose one. I especially like the moment where Stewart and Peter Mannion have to climb to the top of a children’s slide to get a phone signal.
Have you always loved comedy shows and in terms of design, what are you looking for when you pick the script for the first time?
I have always enjoyed watching comedy. Design for comedy seems to provide a greater range of design challenges between each project. From job to job you find yourself working on sitcoms, studio entertainment shows, sketch shows, and single camera drama type projects. I‘ve even designed a puppet show. Each demands a different set of challenges and requires different techniques and approaches. I think the writing in comedy is often excellent and fortunately we make loads of it in this country, so its easy to keep busy. I like the type of people it tends to attract too. I like to find things that are original or that sets me new challenges and I’ve developed some great relationships with the people I work with.
Your first feature as a designer went on to win at Sundance before claiming both a BAFTA and BIFA. What drew you to Tyrannosaur and how did you work with Paddy Considine to develop the look and feel of the film?
I had been hoping to design a feature for a little while and had developed a relationship with Warp Films shooting Promos and some shorts. Everything they make is excellent so when the producer Diarmid Scrimshaw said he had a film he’d like me to design I was very excited. The script was excellent and I was familiar with Paddy as an actor and loved all his films. I met with Paddy a few times in the run up to preproduction and was able to put together extensive visual research that presented the world of the film. Research like this provides a great starting point and helps establish the tone, feel and look of a film.
What have you been working on most recently?
A TV show for Sky 1 written by Charlie Brooker and another feature film with Warp.
What’s been your best day at work?
Really, every day is fantastic. I really love my job!
What advice would give newcomers starting out in the industry?
To work hard and learn the ropes. Spend a bit of time developing your contacts, and focus on the areas of work that you enjoy the most. It’s very useful to have as many strings to your bow as possible. You need to make yourself a useful and indispensable member of an Art Department team.
Is there anyone you would you most like to work with (that you haven’t already)?
I really like the films of Charlie Kaufman. That would be cool. I’d like to put that out it out there. Otherwise, I’m very happy to keep seeing what comes along. It’s all good.
Episode 5 of The Thick Of It is on Saturday 13th October at 9:30pm.
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