Lost Boys & Fairies Art Director hopes to encourage more working class people into industry

Lost Boys and Fairies is one of the most talked about TV shows of the year so far – making headlines thanks to its touching portrayal of gay adoption and use of Welsh language in the mainstream.

Naturally, a lot of work goes on behind the scenes, and Nation.Cymru had a chat with one of its key players, Daniel Kennedy, to talk about his involvement and to share some thoughts on how others, particularly those from working class backgrounds, might get a foot into the industry.

From a TV and Film Set Design degree at the University of South Wales, Daniel, aged 32 has worked for the BBC and Netflix on productions including Bridgerton, Wolf Hall and recently Lost Boys & Fairies.

Passion

As an Art Director, Daniel is passionate about inspiring young people into the screen industry, and showcasing routes for them to do so.

He told us: “When I started out, there was no skills funding, no networking opportunities and nowhere to go for advice outside universities.

“It was incredibly hard to get into the screen industry, especially for someone from a working-class background. But now there’s much more awareness.”

What or who inspired you to want to work in this sector?

It was a couple of movies that I’ve watched as a kid National Treasure and Tomb Raider that got me hooked into wanting to be an Art Director, after watching all the special features on how they made the films.

Somewhat serendipitously, I’m now working on a TV production with the Production Designer who actually designed National Treasure!

What was your route into the sector? 

I studied TV and Film Set Design at University of Glamorgan (Now University of South Wales) and graduated in 2013, then got incredibly lucky in joining the crew as Art Department Assistant on BBC’s Wolf Hall.

From there onwards it was all through networking and luck, working my way up the ladder and gaining valuable experience along the way. 

What advice would you give to a young person looking to start a career in the screen sector?

My personal route was to study a TV and Film design course at university level. I chose Cardiff but there are also great courses in Salford and Nottingham.

Of course, I’m biased to say that University of Glamorgan’s TV and Film Set Design course is excellent, though!

It’s a fantastic degree that trains you on all the basics that all art department runners and assistants should have before they start in the industry; from drawing up technical drawings, how to do surveys, concept art and 3D modelling.

This all helps towards creating a portfolio to help get your foot in the door into the industry. I definitely wouldn’t have been able to get into the film industry without the help of the course and its fantastic lecturers.

You’ve recently worked on BBC production Lost Boys and Fairies, which has had widespread acclaim for its depiction of the gay adoption journey of a couple from Cardiff, could you tell us about your role in that production?

Absolutely, so I was the Art Director, I was the Production Designer’s right-hand man, making his vision into reality.

This involved everything from handling budgets and schedules to breakdowns and communicating design ideas to production and construction along the way.

It was an amazing series to work on and I’m so pleased with how well received it’s been.

What opportunities came from your involvement in Lost Boys and Fairies?

After Lost Boys and Fairies, I went on to be a Supervising Art Director for the reshoots segment of Lazarus Project 2.

More generally, my experience in the industry has been so varied; I’ve had highs such as working on big Netflix features in Cardiff, and with the amazing crew on Bridgerton in London.

All this experience has given me the skills and knowledge that would help me become an all-rounder better Art Director.

My key aim has always been to make sure that the crew’s welfare is excellent, and that we deliver the best set design within the budget, and most importantly, to have fun too.

What challenges have you faced?

As with any career path, it hasn’t all been plain sailing.

I’ve had lots of highs but also had to deal with lows such as bullying and harassment early in my career, and of course the writers’ strike. The writers’ strike in particular was a real learning curve, because of the slump in the industry.

However I was able to use the experience to generate community, and have organised and encouraged numerous meet-ups for art department crew members in south Wales to keep morale up and make sure that everyone’s voice is heard. 

What impact do you think skills funding through bodies like Creative Wales has on the screen sector in Wales?

It’s really positive that there’s an actual agency in Wales responsible for supporting the creative sector to thrive.

Creative Wales support has had a real and tangible impact, including helping new crew members from working class backgrounds and people with disabilities to get their foot in the door into the industry.

When I started out in the industry 13 years ago, there was no skills funding, no networking opportunities and nowhere to go for advice outside universities.

It was incredibly hard to get into the industry, especially for someone from a working-class background.

And now seeing all these fantastic schemes and funding becoming available gives me real hope for the future of the industry, but only if the support stays and grows. 

Do you think young people making decisions on future careers know a lot about opportunities that might exist in creative sectors like screen?

Compared to what we had 14 years ago, yes.

When I started out, there was nothing apart from our university course that helped guide us along on finding opportunities to find work in south Wales.

it was only pure luck and connections. Now, there are more awareness through organisations like Creative Wales and Screenskills, as well as networking events that makes it easier for the next generation to get their foot in the door.

How did support from Creative Wales help you to develop your talent personally within the screen sector?

I had the mentorship of a Production Designer, who taught me the essential skills that Art Directors required.

I’m a strong believer of learning new skills in a practical capacity rather than in the classroom. The scheme brought in via Creative Wales helped create that situation for those stepping up to learn on the go.

What sort of skills does a young person need to start developing in order to succeed in screen sector?

The phrase “recruit for aptitude, train for skills” springs to mind. Skills actually are not that important when starting out in the industry.

It’s the attitude and the ability to be a team player that counts. and the eagerness to learn new random skills on the go too.

The ability to say yes to seize any opportunity to help/learn, especially if it’s dressing a location in heavy rain!