About
"My taste has to be the taste of the script, whether it's a log cabin or whether it's an elegant townhouse."
In her three-and-a-half-hour interview, Jan Scott (1914-2003) speaks about her early career working for NBC in Chicago and New York as an art director. She recalls working on live shows, including Hallmark Hall of Fame, Kaiser Aluminum Hour, and DuPont Show of the Week. She discusses the Sunday Showcase production of "The Sacco-Vanzetti-Story," Kismet, and the CBS production of Shadow Game, for which she received her first Emmy award for art direction. Scott concludes by talking about the then-future of production design, and how she would like to be remembered. Morrie Gelman conducted the interview on August 27, 1998 in North Hollywood, CA.
Highlights

Jan Scott on working with cinematographers

Jan Scott on when she first became aware of television, and on her first job at NBC in Chicago

Jan Scott on going to work at NBC in New York City as an art director

Jan Scott on mishaps in live productions she worked on

Jan Scott on helping to design the Television Academy headquarters in North Hollywood

Jan Scott on doing production design for Orphan Train
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On her early life and influences; on deciding to be a production designer; on when she first became aware of television, and on her first job at NBC in Chicago
On working on various shows out of NBC in Chicago, including Kukla, Fran & Ollie; on mishaps she witnessed on live television, and on going to work for the NBC station in Philadelphia; on going to work at NBC in New York City as an art director
Chapter 2
On working for the Metropolitan Opera; on her early days as a production designer at NBC; on working with directors Fielder Cook, Franklin J. Schaffner, and George Roy Hill
On working with Franklin J. Schaffner on Ford Startime and Hallmark Hall of Fame; on mishaps in live productions she worked on; on a typical work day as a production designer in the 1950s
On working with other art directors in the 1950s; on audience reaction to her work in art direction, and on collaborating
Chapter 3
On doing art direction for NBC Matinee Theater, and on being nominated for Emmys; on how technological advancements impacted her career as an art director; on doing art direction for the Sunday Showcase production of "The Sacco-Vanzetti Story"
On how the advent of video tape impacted her work as an art director; on doing art direction for Kismet; on her temperament
On being the head art director and having people report to her; on working for director Dan Curtis, and on working with actors
Chapter 4
On being involved with location scouting; on working with cinematographers; on working with Paul Bogart
On doing production design for Andersonville, with George C. Scott; on doing production design for "Scarecrow" on Hollywood Television Theatre for director Dwight Hemion; on doing production design for Eleanor and Franklin for director Daniel Petrie
Chapter 5
On doing production design for Eleanor and Franklin for director Daniel Petrie; on doing production design for Roots; on doing production design for The Gathering, starring Ed Asner
On doing production design for Orphan Train; on doing production design for Evergreen; on doing production design for Foxfire, with Jessica Tandy
Chapter 6
On how she selects projects to work on; on working on The Kennedys of Massachusetts, directed by Lamont Johnson; on how digital technology impacted her work as a production designer
On dealing with ageism in the television industry, and on working on feature films; on briefly working in Disney's art department; on her involvement with the production designer's union, and with the Television Academy
Chapter 7
On helping to design the Television Academy headquarters in North Hollywood; on her then-more recent production design jobs, including Harvest of Fire, The Summer of Ben Tyler, and The Love Letter
On her final production design job, Grace & Glorie, and on then-future plans; on the biggest changes in production design that happened during her career, and technological advancements in the field; on her style as a production designer
Chapter 8
On career regrets and the then-future of production design; on advice to aspiring production designers; on how she would like to be remembered
On various people with whom she worked in her career
Shows
Andersonville
Jan Scott on doing production design for Andersonville, with George C. Scott
Eleanor and Franklin
Jan Scott on doing production design for Eleanor and Franklin for director Daniel Petrie
Jan Scott on doing production design for Eleanor and Franklin for director Daniel Petrie
Ford Startime
Jan Scott on working with Franklin J. Schaffner on Ford Startime and Hallmark Hall of Fame
Foxfire
Jan Scott on doing production design for Foxfire, with Jessica Tandy
Gathering, The
Jan Scott on doing production design for The Gathering, starring Ed Asner
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Jan Scott on working with Franklin J. Schaffner on Ford Startime and Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hollywood Television Theatre
Jan Scott on doing production design for "Scarecrow" on Hollywood Television Theatre for director Dwight Hemion
Kennedys of Massachusetts, The
Jan Scott on working on The Kennedys of Massachusetts, directed by Lamont Johnson
Kukla, Fran & Ollie
Jan Scott on working on various shows out of NBC in Chicago, including Kukla, Fran & Ollie
NBC Matinee Theater
Jan Scott on doing art direction for NBC Matinee Theater, and on being nominated for Emmys
Orphan Train
Jan Scott on doing production design for Orphan Train
Roots
Jan Scott on doing production design for Roots
Sunday Showcase
Jan Scott on doing art direction for the Sunday Showcase production of "The Sacco-Vanzetti Story"
Topics
Bloopers
Jan Scott on mishaps she witnessed on live television, and on going to work for the NBC station in Philadelphia
Jan Scott on mishaps in live productions she worked on
Emmy Awards
Jan Scott on doing art direction for NBC Matinee Theater, and on being nominated for Emmys
Television Industry
Jan Scott on dealing with ageism in the television industry, and on working on feature films
Jan Scott on briefly working in Disney's art department
Professions
Art Director/Set Decorator
Jan Scott on a typical work day as an art director in the 1950s
Jan Scott on working with other art directors in the '50s
Jan Scott on audience reaction to her work in art direction, and on collaborating
Jan Scott on how technological advancements impacted her career as an art director
Jan Scott on how the advent of video tape impacted her work as an art director
Jan Scott on being the head art director and having people report to her
Designers
Jan Scott on the biggest changes in production design that happened during her career, and technological advancements in the field
Jan Scott on her style as a production designer
Jan Scott on the the then-future of production design
Jan Scott on advice to aspiring production designers
Jan Scott on a typical work day as an art director in the 1950s
Jan Scott on working with other art directors in the '50s
Jan Scott on audience reaction to her work in art direction, and on collaborating
Jan Scott on how technological advancements impacted her career as an art director
Jan Scott on how the advent of video tape impacted her work as an art director
Jan Scott on being the head art director and having people report to her
Jan Scott on being involved with location scouting
Jan Scott on working with cinematographers
Jan Scott on how she selects projects to work on
Jan Scott on how digital technology impacted her work as a production designer
Jan Scott on her involvement with the production designer's union, and with the Television Academy
Production Designer
Jan Scott on the biggest changes in production design that happened during her career, and technological advancements in the field
Jan Scott on her style as a production designer
Jan Scott on the the then-future of production design
Jan Scott on advice to aspiring production designers
Jan Scott on being involved with location scouting
Jan Scott on working with cinematographers
Jan Scott on how she selects projects to work on
Jan Scott on how digital technology impacted her work as a production designer
Jan Scott on her involvement with the production designer's union, and with the Television Academy
Genres
Classic Anthology Series
Jan Scott on working with Franklin J. Schaffner on Ford Startime and Hallmark Hall of Fame
Jan Scott on doing production design for "Scarecrow" on Hollywood Television Theatre for director Dwight Hemion
TV Movies/Miniseries/Dramatic Specials
Jan Scott on her more recent production design jobs, including Harvest of Fire, The Summer of Ben Tyler, and The Love Letter
Jan Scott on her final production design job, Grace & Glorie
Jan Scott on doing production design for Andersonville, with George C. Scott
Jan Scott on doing production design for Eleanor and Franklin for director Daniel Petrie
Jan Scott on doing production design for Eleanor and Franklin
Jan Scott on doing production design for Roots
Jan Scott on doing production design for The Gathering, starring Ed Asner
Jan Scott on doing production design for Orphan Train
Jan Scott on doing production design for Evergreen
Jan Scott on doing production design for Foxfire, with Jessica Tandy
Jan Scott on working on The Kennedys of Massachusetts, directed by Lamont Johnson
People
Edward Asner
Jan Scott on doing production design for The Gathering, starring Ed Asner
Paul Bogart
Jan Scott on working with Paul Bogart
Fred Coe
Jan Scott on working with Fred Coe
Fielder Cook
Jan Scott on working with directors Fielder Cook, Franklin J. Schaffner, and George Roy Hill
Dan Curtis
Jan Scott on working for director Dan Curtis, and on working with actors
George Roy Hill
Jan Scott on working with directors Fielder Cook, Franklin J. Schaffner, and George Roy Hill
Lamont Johnson
Jan Scott on working on The Kennedys of Massachusetts, directed by Lamont Johnson
Franklin J. Schaffner
Jan Scott on working with directors Fielder Cook, Franklin J. Schaffner, and George Roy Hill
Jan Scott on working with Franklin J. Schaffner on Ford Startime and Hallmark Hall of Fame
Jessica Tandy
Jan Scott on doing production design for Foxfire, with Jessica Tandy