Jan Scott

Art Director
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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
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.

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

People Talking About ...
Jan Scott
Highlights
Jan Scott on working with cinematographers
03:54
Jan Scott on when she first became aware of television, and on her first job at NBC in Chicago
02:53
Jan Scott on going to work at NBC in New York City as an art director
04:55
Jan Scott on mishaps in live productions she worked on
03:22
Jan Scott on helping to design the Television Academy headquarters in North Hollywood
06:57
Jan Scott on doing production design for Orphan Train
05:46
Full Interview

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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

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Jan Scott on doing production design for Andersonville, with George C. Scott
07:38

Eleanor and Franklin

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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

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Jan Scott on working with Franklin J. Schaffner on Ford Startime and Hallmark Hall of Fame
03:18

Foxfire

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Jan Scott on doing production design for Foxfire, with Jessica Tandy
02:57

Gathering, The

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Jan Scott on doing production design for The Gathering, starring Ed Asner
02:35

Hallmark Hall of Fame

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Jan Scott on working with Franklin J. Schaffner on Ford Startime and Hallmark Hall of Fame
03:18

Hollywood Television Theatre

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Jan Scott on doing production design for "Scarecrow" on Hollywood Television Theatre for director Dwight Hemion
05:07

Kennedys of Massachusetts, The

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Jan Scott on working on The Kennedys of Massachusetts, directed by Lamont Johnson
08:35

Kukla, Fran & Ollie

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Jan Scott on working on various shows out of NBC in Chicago, including Kukla, Fran & Ollie
04:27

NBC Matinee Theater

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Jan Scott on doing art direction for NBC Matinee Theater, and on being nominated for Emmys
04:17

Orphan Train

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Jan Scott on doing production design for Orphan Train
05:46

Roots

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Jan Scott on doing production design for Roots
04:38

Sunday Showcase

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Jan Scott on doing art direction for the Sunday Showcase production of "The Sacco-Vanzetti Story"
01:44
Topics

Bloopers

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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

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Jan Scott on doing art direction for NBC Matinee Theater, and on being nominated for Emmys
04:17

Television Industry

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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
Professions

Art Director/Set Decorator

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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

View Profession
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
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

Production Designer

View Profession
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
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
Genres

Classic Anthology Series

View Genre
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

View Genre
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
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
People

Dan Curtis

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Jan Scott on working for director Dan Curtis, and on working with actors
06:13

Edward Asner

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Jan Scott on doing production design for The Gathering, starring Ed Asner
02:35

Fielder Cook

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Jan Scott on working with directors Fielder Cook, Franklin J. Schaffner, and George Roy Hill
06:03

Franklin J. Schaffner

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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

Fred Coe

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Jan Scott on working with Fred Coe
02:48

George Roy Hill

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Jan Scott on working with directors Fielder Cook, Franklin J. Schaffner, and George Roy Hill
06:03

Jessica Tandy

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Jan Scott on doing production design for Foxfire, with Jessica Tandy
02:57

Lamont Johnson

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Jan Scott on working on The Kennedys of Massachusetts, directed by Lamont Johnson
08:35

Paul Bogart

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Jan Scott on working with Paul Bogart
01:58

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