The AFI Production Design Workshop will be held on Saturday/Sunday, November 21/22nd. Report to the Student Lounge in the PAC promptly at 9:00 am each day and be sure to sign in to get credit for the workshop. Grades for the course are based entirely on attendance: both days=A, one day=C, no days=F. All communications about the workshop should be addressed to professor Kevin Griffith at: kgriffit@uno.edu. See below for a bio on the AFI instructor for the workshop.
Ashild Mjelde Nordas bio:
Aashild graduated from Birmingham City University (formerly University of Central England in Birmingham), UK, in 2004 with a BA (Hons) in Theatre Design. There she collaborated with film students on projects as well as creating her own pilot for a children's television program. Before moving to Birmingham, she studied history of art for a year at the University of Bergen. Back in Norway, she has worked with community theatre, designing and producing sets, designing costumes, acting and directing. In addition, she has participated in local workshops covering most aspects of filmmaking.
As an AFI Production Design Fellow, she designed three short films as part of the first year curriculum; “APT.209”, “ANYTHING GOES” and “THE SEA OF TRANQUILITY”, as well as helping the art department on several other AFI shorts. Her thesis film ”LIBERTY LANE” recently premiered at AFI, and it is currently in the process of being submitted to various film festivals around the world.
Since completing the MFA program at AFI, she has worked on a few independent shorts, as well as co-designed an independent feature called “WELCOME BACK, SATAN”.
Her major influences in design come mainly from contemporary Production Designers such as Dennis Gassner, Alex McDowell and Rick Carter, but just as important is simply observing your surroundings.
Being an international student, she is now looking forward to the opportunity to work in the film industry in LA in 2010, and hopefully for many years to come.