Happy Massee: Diary of a Set Designer: Polaroids

(Hardback)

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Description

Diary of a Set Designer is a book of Polaroids that Happy Massee shot over a 25-year period, while travelling the world as a production designer. This photographic journal is a journey through time--a collection of images taken with the nowdefunct Polaroid camera, which at the time was as essential to the art of designing for film as was a measuring tape. The images of personalities, sets, locations, and encounters all tell a story related to Massee's work and travels and the people he met while on them. The images in this book, which was designed by Fabien Baron, are raw, unretouched, and candid and capture his art as well as his life.

Reviews

Massee has packed a Polaroid camera like a Swiss Army knife, using it as a light meter, measuring tape, and reference library, enabling him to check continuity between takes or confirm props with a director.--Max Lakin "W Magazine"
Massee has travelled the world during his 25-year career as a set designer - highlights of which include designing sets for not just Madonna but Jay Z and Keith Richards, brands like Gucci and Chanel and directors like David Lynch and Wes Anderson. The book is comprised entirely of Polaroids taken in Morocco, Australia and countless other locations in between... They're scenes captured in a way nobody captures anything anymore.--Elyssa Goodman "The New York Times, T Magazine"

Author Bio

After growing up in France and receiving his MFA from the School of Applied Arts in Paris, American-born Happy Massee moved to New York to establish himself as a top production designer. His career has spanned theatre, film, commercials and fashion. He has worked with directors including Wes Anderson, David Lynch, Rob Marshall, and David Fincher. His film credits include Broken English, Welcome to the Rileys, Two Lovers and The Immigrant. In the world of fashion, he has worked with Mert and Marcus, Inez and Vinoodh, Peter Lindbergh, and Craig McDean. He also received a nomination for Best Production Design at the MTV Music Video Awards for Madonna's "Take A Bow," which was elected to the permanent video library of the Museum of Modern Art, New York.