"My taste has to be the taste of the script, whether it's a log cabin or whether it's an elegant townhouse."

    About This Interview

    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.

    All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.
    People Talking About ...
    Thumbnail of Jan Scott

    Jan Scott on working with cinematographers

    03:54
    Thumbnail of Jan Scott

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

    02:53
    Thumbnail of Jan Scott

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

    04:55
    Thumbnail of Jan Scott

    Jan Scott on mishaps in live productions she worked on

    03:22
    Thumbnail of Jan Scott

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

    06:57
    Thumbnail of Jan Scott

    Jan Scott on doing production design for Orphan Train

    05:46
    Play 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

    12:59

    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

    14:50

    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

    10:56

    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

    11:55

    On working with other art directors in the 1950s; on audience reaction to her work in art direction, and on collaborating

    05:12

    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"

    08:41

    On how the advent of video tape impacted her work as an art director; on doing art direction for Kismet; on her temperament

    09:41

    On being the head art director and having people report to her; on working for director Dan Curtis, and on working with actors

    09:47

    Chapter 4

    On being involved with location scouting; on working with cinematographers; on working with Paul Bogart

    08:28

    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

    19:48

    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

    10:02

    On doing production design for Orphan Train; on doing production design for Evergreen; on doing production design for Foxfire, with Jessica Tandy

    18:17

    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

    12:56

    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

    15:04

    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

    16:09

    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

    11:50

    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

    05:45

    On various people with whom she worked in her career

    10:20

    Andersonville

    Jan Scott on doing production design for Andersonville, with George C. Scott

    07:38

    Eleanor and Franklin

    Jan Scott on doing production design for Eleanor and Franklin for director Daniel Petrie

    07:03

    Jan Scott on doing production design for Eleanor and Franklin for director Daniel Petrie

    02:49

    Ford Startime

    Jan Scott on working with Franklin J. Schaffner on Ford Startime and Hallmark Hall of Fame

    03:18

    Foxfire

    Jan Scott on doing production design for Foxfire, with Jessica Tandy

    02:57

    Gathering, The

    Jan Scott on doing production design for The Gathering, starring Ed Asner

    02:35

    Hallmark Hall of Fame

    Jan Scott on working with Franklin J. Schaffner on Ford Startime and Hallmark Hall of Fame

    03:18

    Hollywood Television Theatre

    Jan Scott on doing production design for "Scarecrow" on Hollywood Television Theatre for director Dwight Hemion

    05:07

    Kennedys of Massachusetts, The

    Jan Scott on working on The Kennedys of Massachusetts, directed by Lamont Johnson

    08:35

    Kukla, Fran & Ollie

    Jan Scott on working on various shows out of NBC in Chicago, including Kukla, Fran & Ollie

    04:27

    NBC Matinee Theater

    Jan Scott on doing art direction for NBC Matinee Theater, and on being nominated for Emmys

    04:17

    Orphan Train

    Jan Scott on doing production design for Orphan Train

    05:46

    Roots

    Jan Scott on doing production design for Roots

    04:38

    Sunday Showcase

    Jan Scott on doing art direction for the Sunday Showcase production of "The Sacco-Vanzetti Story"

    01:44

    Bloopers

    Jan Scott on mishaps she witnessed on live television, and on going to work for the NBC station in Philadelphia

    05:28

    Jan Scott on mishaps in live productions she worked on

    03:22

    Emmy Awards

    Jan Scott on doing art direction for NBC Matinee Theater, and on being nominated for Emmys

    04:17

    Television Industry

    Jan Scott on dealing with ageism in the television industry, and on working on feature films

    08:01

    Jan Scott on briefly working in Disney's art department

    02:57

    Art Director/Set Decorator

    Jan Scott on a typical work day as an art director in the 1950s

    05:15

    Jan Scott on working with other art directors in the '50s

    02:40

    Jan Scott on audience reaction to her work in art direction, and on collaborating

    02:32

    Jan Scott on how technological advancements impacted her career as an art director

    02:40

    Jan Scott on how the advent of video tape impacted her work as an art director

    00:34

    Jan Scott on being the head art director and having people report to her

    03:34

    Designers

    Jan Scott on the biggest changes in production design that happened during her career, and technological advancements in the field

    03:19

    Jan Scott on her style as a production designer

    01:27

    Jan Scott on the the then-future of production design

    03:05

    Jan Scott on advice to aspiring production designers

    01:09

    Jan Scott on a typical work day as an art director in the 1950s

    05:15

    Jan Scott on working with other art directors in the '50s

    02:40

    Jan Scott on audience reaction to her work in art direction, and on collaborating

    02:32

    Jan Scott on how technological advancements impacted her career as an art director

    02:40

    Jan Scott on how the advent of video tape impacted her work as an art director

    00:33

    Jan Scott on being the head art director and having people report to her

    03:34

    Jan Scott on being involved with location scouting

    02:37

    Jan Scott on working with cinematographers

    03:54

    Jan Scott on how she selects projects to work on

    02:24

    Jan Scott on how digital technology impacted her work as a production designer

    02:01

    Jan Scott on her involvement with the production designer's union, and with the Television Academy

    04:06

    Production Designer

    Jan Scott on the biggest changes in production design that happened during her career, and technological advancements in the field

    03:19

    Jan Scott on her style as a production designer

    01:27

    Jan Scott on the the then-future of production design

    03:05

    Jan Scott on advice to aspiring production designers

    01:09

    Jan Scott on being involved with location scouting

    02:37

    Jan Scott on working with cinematographers

    03:54

    Jan Scott on how she selects projects to work on

    02:24

    Jan Scott on how digital technology impacted her work as a production designer

    02:01

    Jan Scott on her involvement with the production designer's union, and with the Television Academy

    04:06

    Classic Anthology Series

    Jan Scott on working with Franklin J. Schaffner on Ford Startime and Hallmark Hall of Fame

    03:18

    Jan Scott on doing production design for "Scarecrow" on Hollywood Television Theatre for director Dwight Hemion

    05:07

    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

    09:12

    Jan Scott on her final production design job, Grace & Glorie

    03:20

    Jan Scott on doing production design for Andersonville, with George C. Scott

    07:38

    Jan Scott on doing production design for Eleanor and Franklin for director Daniel Petrie

    07:03

    Jan Scott on doing production design for Eleanor and Franklin

    02:49

    Jan Scott on doing production design for Roots

    04:38

    Jan Scott on doing production design for The Gathering, starring Ed Asner

    02:35

    Jan Scott on doing production design for Orphan Train

    05:46

    Jan Scott on doing production design for Evergreen

    09:34

    Jan Scott on doing production design for Foxfire, with Jessica Tandy

    02:57

    Jan Scott on working on The Kennedys of Massachusetts, directed by Lamont Johnson

    08:35

    Edward Asner

    Jan Scott on doing production design for The Gathering, starring Ed Asner

    02:35

    Paul Bogart

    Jan Scott on working with Paul Bogart

    01:58

    Fred Coe

    Jan Scott on working with Fred Coe

    02:48

    Fielder Cook

    Jan Scott on working with directors Fielder Cook, Franklin J. Schaffner, and George Roy Hill

    06:03

    Dan Curtis

    Jan Scott on working for director Dan Curtis, and on working with actors

    06:13

    George Roy Hill

    Jan Scott on working with directors Fielder Cook, Franklin J. Schaffner, and George Roy Hill

    06:03

    Lamont Johnson

    Jan Scott on working on The Kennedys of Massachusetts, directed by Lamont Johnson

    08:35

    Franklin J. Schaffner

    Jan Scott on working with directors Fielder Cook, Franklin J. Schaffner, and George Roy Hill

    06:03

    Jan Scott on working with Franklin J. Schaffner on Ford Startime and Hallmark Hall of Fame

    03:18

    Jessica Tandy

    Jan Scott on doing production design for Foxfire, with Jessica Tandy

    02:57

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