Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexander Whittenberg.
Hi Alexander, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Looking back, I’m not so sure what initially sparked my dramatic imagination as a child. Perhaps it was the collection of handmade felt finger puppets featuring a cast of iconic Grimm Faerie Tale characters and lovingly crafted by my Grandmother. Maybe it was one of several films I watched constantly on repeat like The Wizard of Oz, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory or Walt Disney’s Pinocchio. Or could it have been one of several trips to Walt Disney World where the architecture of reassurance activated my curiosity? Whatever the reason, I was always drawn (no pun intended) to the visual arts and theatre, puppets and magic. I was always paying attention to the proverbial man behind the curtain.
I always found a reason to put on a show. I can’t imagine how many hours my family spent watching my unbearable productions in our living room. Despite the ragtag nature of these performances, I ALWAYS made sure there were printed tickets, programs, a carefully curated soundtrack and several practical effects in use. These performances weren’t limited to our living room as I would create an original production for every summer we visited a vacation resort on Lake Michigan. The shows would take place in a 100+ year old boathouse and they’d grow in complexity every year. The folks who would attend these productions might never know the continued effect they’ve had on my life and trajectory.
Several years later, when high school rolled around, I followed in the footsteps of my theatrically inclined older sister, Britta. She was three years my elder and chose to attend the local arts magnet where she “majored” in musical theatre. I started at the program as a musical theatre student until the events that would unfold behind the curtain began to draw me closer. I made the decision to switch gears and focus more on the design side of things. The production of The Elephant Man that I designed during my senior year opened my eyes to the power of poetry that can exist in a set design. It’s never just a “living room”, it’s the space that a character inhabits and we have the power to carefully craft that world and every detail that exists within it.
Naturally, I continued my trajectory of pursuing theatrical design to New York where I attended the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Purchase College. Over the next few years, I developed a series of personal and professional relationships that I deeply cherish to this day. I worked with or was taught/mentored by a number of industry luminaries including David Korins, Santo Loquasto, Eugene Lee, Riccardo Hernandez and Ina Mayhew. I also started designing a number of student films for my friend Joe Stribling who had attended my high school in Florida and was now a student of film at NYU. Joe really opened my eyes to what it actually meant to work in film and, for that, I’m grateful.
After graduating, I came home to Florida for just a moment before returning to continue my life in NYC. During that brief hiatus, I was encouraged to interview for a position within Entertainment at the Walt Disney World Resort. I ended up getting the job and staying for seven years. Among the several positions I held there, I worked as the head of props for the 30+ year old Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular and as the facility entertainment lead for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Working at the Indiana Jones show, in particular, represented this wonderful sort-of full-circle moment. The show offers a dramatization of what goes into making films like Raiders of the Lost Ark so all of the behind-the-scenes wizardry is on full display for the audience. As a child, I would watch this show and always pay attention to what was happening behind the main action…I wanted to know how movies were made and this was as close as I’d get. Working on this “film set” was also prepping me for when I’d adjust my professional trajectory just a few years later.
During the Disney years, I still found time to design sets for several local theatres. I also worked in the art department at Home Shopping Network and designed a number of indie film projects. When COVID rolled around, everything paused but I kept my imagination active by taking on a few personal projects and curating a little film festival every day (I’d watch 2 or 3 films a day for a couple of months). I was grateful to be counted among the small group that was called back to work at Disney several weeks before the parks reopened. Shortly after resuming work there, I got a call from Ina Mayhew who taught Production Design at my undergrad.
She was about to embark on designing a film called RISE about basketball legend Giannis Antetokounmpo in Greece for Disney+. She offered me a position on the project as the Assistant Art Director and I immediately jumped at the chance. What was funny about the whole situation is that I’d have to leave Disney to work on a Disney project. In early Feb 2021, I left for Athens where I ended up living and working for the next six months. During this period, I also joined the Art Directors Guild which marked a major career milestone.
When I returned stateside, it was clear that I needed to find a new home that was in alignment with the career path I was now on. Atlanta is the first place that came to mind as it’s one of the busiest cities for film and television production in the country. Several of the US-based crew working in Greece also called Atlanta home so I was able to pick their brains on the best neighborhoods to check out, etc. In January of 2022, I landed on a place in Midtown and have thoroughly enjoyed making Atlanta my new creative home. It’s been a busy year full of wonderful creative projects.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Well, it’s always a joy when you get to focus on the art and poetry of it all but, at the end of the day, it’s still a business. It is important, as an artist, to find a way to promote yourself and keep the work coming. Sometimes, I have to work on a project that I’m not passionate or excited about because, y’know, work is work. It becomes a “one for them, one for yourself” kind of thing.
The other thing that’s tricky but wonderful about designing film and theatre is that they’re both highly collaborative art forms. This means that any single decision to be made might be influenced by 20 different people representing 20 different departments. It’s easy for the artistry and initial idea to give way to the chaos of meeting of every department’s individual needs. This is why it’s extremely important to establish trust with each individual collaborator early on so that everybody is on the same page.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’ve worn a great many hats over the years but I suppose the most prominent of these hats is serving as a Production Designer and Art Director for film and television. For those who might not know, the Production Designer is responsible for designing and creating the visual world and everything that exists within it for film and television. The past few years have brought a lot of wonderful projects my way. These projects range from ultra-low budget indies to large studio productions. This range of production scales keeps me on my toes and fosters a great understanding of the bigger picture. I start every first-time conversation with a new director or producer by sharing my philosophy that there is ALWAYS a way to arrive at something poetic and truthful, no matter the budget. I sincerely believe this. It might look different if you have $100 instead of $1mil but ultimately, the same emotional ideas can be expressed either way.
There are a lot of projects I’m proud of but I’m particularly excited about a family picture called Popular Theory which is slated for a theatrical release later in 2023. It stars Cheryl Hines and a brilliant ensemble of terrific comedic talents. It was filmed all around Atlanta too, so local audiences will enjoy picking out their favorite neighborhoods in the film!
I also just returned from a wonderful event on the island of Spetses in Greece. It was called the Production Designers Gathering and was a first-of-its-kind event where 250+ designers from 36 different countries gathered in one place over a long weekend. We wined, dined and exchanged philosophies and ideas about the state of the art and what the future of film has in store. I was able to celebrate my love of travel sketching by hosting a series of plein air (meaning outdoors) drawing sessions which, in itself, was a great thrill. There was this wonderful pinch-me moment when I was asked to sit on a panel about sketching with Grant Major (designer of Lord of the Rings and Power of the Dog), KK Barrett (designer of Her and Marie Antoinette), Kalina Ivanov (designer of Lovecraft Country and Little Miss Sunshine) and my friend Boryana Ilieva (@fplancroissant on Instagram). It’s a truly beautiful thing to see these masters of the craft sharing what they’ve learned over the years with the next generation. The whole event really felt like the start of something special.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
The Covid crisis seemed to bring a lot of life lessons and realizations with it for a lot of people. I think it really caused everyone to pause and take stock of their life and ponder who and/or what brought them to where they are. It seems that a lot of folks were inspired to reflect on their individual journeys and where they might want to go in their lives. This time to meditate on things certainly caused me to rethink where I wanted to go next in my career.
My friend Caryn and I started a series of live online interviews with film/tv/theatre designers working at the top of their game, several of whom I’d met in person during my last visit to Greece. We called it the Creative Quarantine Sessions. The impetus of these interviews was simply the desire to connect with fellow creative types whose journeys have inspired so many of us over the years. It was really all about looking back and reflecting on these projects of the past. The other piece of this was creating a platform on which to ponder how the industry might evolve as a result of COVID-19. The conversation of how things might change for better or for worse is a conversation that anyone in the industry seemed eager to participate in. The simple exchange of ideas is very important.
Another major personal realization I had was that I’m actually a homebody. I used to leave my house early in the morning for a day of work at Disney and then I’d dart downtown to whichever theatre I was designing for at the moment and then I’d go for a late-night drink or catch a late film screening…I’d get home with barely enough time to catch a few good hours of sleep before doing it all again the next day. That caught up with me and I burned out pretty badly. Ever since the initial lockdown, I’ve never underestimated the value of taking that time at home between projects for personal rejuvenation.
Also, the lockdown reinforced something I’ve always believed…creativity can be applied to anything. I brought my creativity into the kitchen and found great joy in experimenting with all sorts of different recipes and flavor combinations. Up until that moment I hadn’t been much of a cook, now I just love it!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://whittenbergcreative.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whittenberg_creative/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60duaku1yYg
Image Credits
The main personal photo is taken by Stephen Zane. ALEXANDER IN GREECE: Photo by Delaney Spicer ALEXANDER IN STUDIO: Photo by Brian Tovar INDIANA JONES SET: Photo by Walt Disney World Photography All other images are courtesy of the artist.
