Alumni
Grad Nominated for Set Decorators Award for Beyonce's Black is King
FIDM Visual Communications Graduate Maile Cassara was nominated for a Set Decorators Society of America Award in Best Achievement in Decor/Design of a Variety Special for Black is King, the 2020 musical film directed, written, and executive produced by Beyoncé. Maile previously received an Art Directors Guild Award in the Variety Special category for the same project, which served as a visual companion to the 2019 album The Lion King: The Gift.
“Receiving a nomination for the SDSA and winning an ADG award was so rewarding; we put in a lot of hard work to make Beyoncé and the team's vision come to light,” said Maile, a Set Decorator who has enjoyed a successful career in the art departments of numerous films, television series, commercials, and music videos since graduating from FIDM. “I love that there was a group of decorators working on different portions of the film and I am so honored to be a part of the group.”
Maile is currently prepping a new series for Netflix, Boo, Bitch, a live-action comedy starring and executive produced by Lana Condor. “I start with a meeting with the Production Designer to go over the look and feel of the show,” she said of her approach to a new project. “From there, we as a group begin to pull reference photos and get styles/looks approved by our show runners. Then shop until we drop!” Maile said she loves to dive into the minds of characters to decide what their passions and hobbies are so she can visually describe the character through their environments.
“FIDM’s demand for my most creative and organized self has truly prepared me for this industry,” said Maile, who advises current students to network and be patient prior to entering the industry. “I worked long hours on my projects, began working on film sets, and worked at a prop house at the same time. The Visual Communications major gave me knowledge on a bit of everything and as a decorator you need to know a bit of everything. I found FIDM gave me a great base of knowledge for this career.”
Learn more about Maile online at mailecassara.com.
Categories: Visual Communication Alumni
