We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Juliana Copenhaver a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Juliana, appreciate you joining us today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?
Legacy is very important to me, but rather than myself being remembered for things I have done, I want the projects I worked on to be remembered and hold that legacy. No matter what form of media or entertainment I have my hands in, I want people to walk away with memories of the experience.
I know that is something that creatives often say, but it is 100% true! It’s passion and joy in doing what I do! The people I meet, the friends I make, and the things I create are why I love being a Production Designer. And one that is constantly growing! I am nowhere close to being the best of the best, but I try my absolute hardest on every project. And at the end of the day, if only a couple of fellow creatives think I am the best, that is just fine. Production Design, in my opinion, is one of the hardest professions a storyteller can take. Whether you are the Lead Production Designer or a Set Decorator, the amount of detail it takes to nail a visual story is beyond what many people think! And you truly have to love storytelling and the craft to continue in this career. It does not receive a lot of recognition but is arguably the most important aspect of any film, theme park, or visual experience. My direction and pursuit of breaking into the industry stems from my passion for the craft, and as long as I love what I do, I will keep on going!
At the end of the day, if people love the experiences and stories I’ve worked on- and perhaps found new inspiration, that is where I want my legacy to lie.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My name is Juliana Copenhaver, a Production Designer and Art Director finishing up my final months as a senior at the Savannah College of Art and Design. I concentrate on Art Direction and Set Design. However, I work on all types of media, from film, TV, and themed entertainment to live events! I am constantly seeking out new and exciting projects to work on, and oftentimes even more excited to meet and work with new people!
When a Production Designer is hired onto a project or experience, it is now my job to learn the story front to back and understand what the director(s) want out of the visual story. The Production Designer leads the art team and creates a direction for the team to work on and create! From mood boards to 3-D models and designing props and aesthetics, the Production Designer leads the whole visual story development. Art Directors work closely with the Production Designer and act as a bridge between the Art Department and the other departments, so communication and organization is key!
While spending a lot of time at each level in the art department team, I have learned a lot about organization, communication, and leadership. I have been drawn to leadership and managerial roles, so as I am beginning to venture out into the creative workforce, I ultimately want to work my way up to be in some type of leadership position!
Every job or project I pick up, I find the deeper story in it all. Whether it be why the director sees the story in a specific way, what drives the characters in the story, and what aspects get me and the team excited. The way I lead my art teams isn’t rocket science, though I do love space! I make it my job to keep everyone involved excited about the project. When everyone has something they are looking forward to, they will be working hard not just for the project but for themselves!
As for the phrase I use on all my social platforms, “Make Cool Things” it comes down to what I like to do. Make cool things! We are creatives! We constantly bounce around in our interests, and we love to put a little bit of ourselves in everything we make, because, at the end of the day, it’s the craft and search for new stories that drive me to make these stories come to life!
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Being an artist and creative is already very rewarding and fulfilling, but outwardly, one of the most rewarding things is that sweet little bit of time after a project is done. The seconds after someone shouts, “That’s a wrap,” to the last bit of cleanup after a live event, I find it to be the most rewarding. It’s the realization that the weeks and months of planning finally came to fruition and worked out. Many times, it’s like you can hear a collective sigh as everyone takes on a production or a team. I often also feel a bit of sadness. It’s a good sad feeling, like after the holidays are over. You made tons of memories and loved every second of the ride, but now it’s over!
Finishing a project, looking back at all the work you’ve accomplished, and the connections and friends you made, is by far the most rewarding thing to being creative!
We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.
As I am still collecting my clients and maintaining current team relationships, the number one thing is, unsurprisingly, communication. But also understanding positivity and forgiveness.
I go into every friendship and business relationship with an open mind. Everyone is different and has certain processes, but go deeper! Everyone has a story, and there are experiences and reasons why people are the way they are. So, being open and understanding of their previous experiences and opinions they’ve had will help find common ground immediately. As a Creative, I work with people to create things for people! And to be the best I can be, I need to know about people!
People and their personalities are so fascinating to me! I love to hear what gets people motivated and what gets them to tick. So, when gathering and keeping up with future and current clients and team members, I communicate and keep things light-hearted. Meetings are casual, and we catch up with what everyone has been doing, asking about trips and joking around before getting down to business. And even while we are in the middle of serious work, I make sure I am always smiling and always laughing. People who know me know I am aware I laugh at everything. Positivity is a massive thing to me. And treating every potential client with positivity will only help you. I have learned that you collect much more flys with honey rather than vinegar. And when you are feeling down or have a hiccup in the creative process, communicate it in the most positive way possible.
As for forgiveness, it is one of the hardest things to get good at giving. It is a quality that I pray daily to get better at. But forgiving small mistakes and big ones helps you protect those clients and the relationships you create and seek out. Of course, there is a thin line between forgiving mistakes and being a doormat, so you do have to go into each possible mistake very level-headed, and trying to understand the other person/people’s side.
In the end, just be a nice, decent person with the understanding that everyone is human. Be loving to everyone, because oftentimes that is all it takes for someone to be a new friend, teammate, or client!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://julianacopenhaver.com/
- Instagram: @j_soleil_11
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094680552529
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-copenhaver-75b860251/
