Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ella Van Haren. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Ella, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
The genesis of my career in themed entertainment all started pretty much by accident. I was a broke college student in desperate need of a job, and I saw that the theater department scene shop was actively hiring. I was a fine arts major at the time and assumed they could use my help painting sets and backdrops, but on my very first day of work the shop manager brought me into the wood shop and asked, “so, how familiar are you with power tools?” At 18 years old I think the most complicated tool I’d ever handled was a screwdriver, but the shop staff took me under their wings, and before long I was a solid carpenter and had developed a love for production design. I spent the rest of my college career working in the shop, and after graduation I got a job working at the professional theater in my city. I was consistently the youngest, and often only, woman in the room on these job sites, so I had to get used to proving myself quickly and holding my own in an industry that didn’t expect someone who looked like me to be there. However, I also was fortunate to have a number of incredible mentors who helped me develop my skills and find my path. It was through these relationships that I realized I wanted to get into the design side of this industry and enrolled at SCAD. I truly believe that having the foundation of physical construction has made me a much better designer, both in the world of theater and themed experiences. My journey to where I am now was definitely a long and winding one, but I don’t think I’d be where I am today if I hadn’t taken those detours.
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.
Working in themed entertainment design means you have to be able to wear a lot of hats, so it’s difficult to pigeonhole myself into just one role – but that’s also part of the fun. Because of my background in fine art, drawing and concept art is a large part of my design practice. I love sketching out ideas for attractions and making them come to life. Additionally, my background in theater and show carpentry has aided me as a designer crafting packages for the production of sets and props. I currently work at a themed attraction company here in Savannah called Plague Productions that focuses mainly on creating haunted houses and turnkey themed experiences. I get the best of both worlds by working in the shop constructing and painting, while also assisting in the design portion with modeling and digital drawing. My favorite part of this career is getting to be a ‘jack of all trades’ and learning new skills constantly. I consider myself a student for life, and I love working in an industry where I get to evolve and grow every single day.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
Something I have to explain often to friends and family that don’t work in a creative field is that artists have to get used to chaos and unknown. Especially in an industry like themed entertainment design, freelance and contract work is a huge part of the business, and it’s not unusual for us to have high and low periods when it comes to work. It can be really tricky to remain calm and collected when you don’t necessarily know where your next paycheck might come from, and the lack of stability can be a drawback to the creative lifestyle. However, it can also be exciting and inspiring to have fresh projects on a frequent basis and have to challenge yourself to find creative solutions on extreme time constraints. One of my favorite parts of my job is traveling for installs of our various projects and spending a week or two in a new place. Installs often have long hours, housing debacles, and unexpected twists, but they’re some of the most fun experiences I’ve been a part of in my time in themed entertainment. A little chaos is part of the deal; you’ll have more fun if you learn to embrace it.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I think one of the most important aspects of a successful creative career is having access to mentorship. I have had the immense privilege of working under mentors who completely changed not only my career but my entire life, and I believe wholeheartedly in extending that same mentorship to the younger creatives in my field whenever I can. I’ll always have more to learn about my field, but if I’m able to provide even a fraction of the advice and assistance to my up-and-coming peers as my mentors gave to me, I’ll feel good about my contribution to this industry.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ellavanharen.myportfolio.com/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellavanharen/
