Nelson Coates is an American
production designer for feature film and television.
Nelson Coates. Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Retrieved September 8, 2020. His motion picture credits include the
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Lin-Manuel Miranda (; born January 16, 1980) is an American songwriter, actor, playwright and filmmaker. He is known for creating the Broadway musicals ''Hamilton'' (2015) and '' In the Heights'' (2005), and the soundtracks for the Disney animat ...
musical ''
In the Heights
''In the Heights'' is a musical with concept, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. The story is set over the course of three days, involving characters in the largely Dominican American neighborhood of ...
'', based on the
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
-winning Broadway show;
Jon M. Chu’s romantic comedy ''
Crazy Rich Asians
''Crazy Rich Asians'' is a satirical 2013 romantic comedy novel by Kevin Kwan. Kwan stated that his intention in writing the novel was to "introduce a contemporary Asia to a North American audience". He claimed the novel was loosely based on h ...
'', the highest-grossing romantic comedy of the last decade;
Robert Zemeckis’ dramatic thriller ''
Flight
Flight or flying is the process by which an object moves through a space without contacting any planetary surface, either within an atmosphere (i.e. air flight or aviation) or through the vacuum of outer space (i.e. spaceflight). This can be a ...
'', which critics
Roger Ebert and
Owen Gleiberman placed on their top-10 lists; and the biographical drama ''
Antwone Fisher
Antwone Quenton Fisher (born August 3, 1959) is an American director, screenwriter, author, and film producer.
His 2001 autobiographical book '' Finding Fish'' was a ''New York Times'' Best Seller. The 2002 film '' Antwone Fisher'' was writt ...
'', which received a
2002 American Film Institute Award.
“In the Heights.” Full Cast & Crew. Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Retrieved September 8, 2020.
“Crazy Rich Asians.” Full Cast & Crew. Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Retrieved September 8, 2020.[Marina Fang, September 30, 2018. ]
“Flight.” Full Cast & Crew. Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Retrieved September 8, 2020.[Roger Ebert, December 27, 2012. ][Entertainment Weekly Staff, February 8, 2013. Page 8. ][Carla Renata. February 7, 2020. ] Coates’ television projects include the mystery drama ''
Home Before Dark (TV series), Home Before Dark'' and the second season of the drama
''The Morning Show'', both for
Apple TV+
Apple TV is a digital media player and microconsole developed and marketed by Apple Inc. It is a small network appliance hardware that plays received media data such as video and audio to a television set or external display. Since its secon ...
.
“Home Before Dark.” Full Cast & Crew. Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Retrieved September 8, 2020.
“The Morning Show.” Full Cast & Crew. Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Retrieved September 8, 2020.
Coates is currently serving his second term as President of the
Art Directors Guild
The Art Directors Guild (ADG; IATSE Local 800) is a labor union and local of the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees (IATSE) representing 2,979 motion picture and television professionals in the United States and Canada.
T ...
.
“Nelson Coates.” AD-Production Designer. Art Directors Guild. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
Early life
Born in
Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Coates began his lifelong involvement in the performing arts at an early age. He made his professional debut at six, acting, singing and dancing in regional theater.
[James Collins, March 25, 2018. Retrieved September 8, 2020.][Staff, Fall 1998. ] During high school, Coates also competed in gymnastics, developing an understanding of biomechanics, action and physical space that informed his design of
Wesley Snipes
Wesley Trent Snipes (born July 31, 1962) is an American actor, film producer, and martial artist. His prominent film roles include '' Major League'' (1989), ''New Jack City'' (1991), '' White Men Can't Jump'' (1992), '' Passenger 57'' (1992), '' ...
’ escape route in ''
Murder at 1600
''Murder at 1600'' is a 1997 American action thriller film directed by Dwight Little and starring Wesley Snipes and Diane Lane.
Plot
In a restroom in the White House, a janitor finds secretary Carla Town dead. Metropolitan Police homicide detect ...
'' and continues to benefit his work today.
Coates attended
Abilene Christian University (ACU), graduating magna cum laude with a B.A. in journalism/mass communications and an emphasis in design. While in college, he performed in more than 30 cabarets, musicals and plays and simultaneously began to design for the stage.
[ Retrieved September 8, 2020.]
Career
After graduating, Coates appeared in
off-Broadway and national touring productions while designing sets for several Dallas theater companies. His work for the
Dallas Theater Center led to his first assignment designing for television, for the
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
series ''
Gerbert''.
[“'Fantasticks': a charmed life: It's not as good as last year's but the music is a lot better.” Jerome Weeks, December 6, 1989. Page 1C. ''Dallas Morning News.'' Retrieved September 8, 2020.][“Land ho-ho! Clever 'Rough Crossing' requires a smoother production.” Jerome Weeks. December 3, 1988. Page 5C. ''Dallas Morning News.'' Retrieved September 8, 2020.][“A reunion haunted in quiet sorrow: ‘A Shayna Maidel’ carries solemnity to a tedious end.” Jerome Weeks. May 10, 1989. Page 5C. ''Dallas Morning News.'' Retrieved September 8, 2020.]
In 1990, Coates relocated from Texas to Los Angeles, where he built his career designing for movies and television series. He developed collaborative relationships with numerous directors, working with
Gary Fleder on ''
Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead'', ''
Kiss the Girls'' and ''
Runaway Jury
''Runaway Jury'' is a 2003 American legal thriller film directed by Gary Fleder and starring John Cusack, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, and Rachel Weisz. An adaptation of John Grisham's 1996 novel ''The Runaway Jury'', the film pits lawyer We ...
'';
Anne Fletcher
Anne Fletcher (born May 1, 1966) is an American choreographer, film director, dancer and actress. She directed the films '' Step Up'' (2006), ''27 Dresses'' (2008) and '' The Proposal'' (2009).
Early life
Born Anne Marie Fletcher in Detroit, Mich ...
on ''
The Guilt Trip'', ''
The Proposal'' and ''
Hot Pursuit
Hot pursuit
Hot pursuit is a legal term.
Hot Pursuit may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''Hot Pursuit'' (1984 TV series), a 1984 NBC television series
* ''Hot Pursuit'' (2006 TV series), a 2006 Court TV television series
* ''Hot Pursuit ...
'';
Mimi Leder
Miriam Leder (; born January 26, 1952) is an American film and television director and producer noted for her action films and use of special effects.Hurd, Mary G. Women Directors and Their Films. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2007. She was the first f ...
on ''
Thick as Thieves'', ''
John Doe
John Doe (male) and Jane Doe (female) are multiple-use placeholder names that are used when the true name of a person is unknown or is being intentionally concealed. In the context of law enforcement in the United States, such names are often ...
'' and ''
On the Basis of Sex
''On the Basis of Sex'' is a 2018 American biographical legal drama film based on the life and early cases of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who was the second woman to serve as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Directed by Mimi Led ...
''; and
Jon M. Chu on ''Crazy Rich Asians'', ''Home Before Dark'' and ''In the Heights.'' Coates also designed
Angelica Huston
Anjelica Huston ( ; born July 8, 1951) is an American actress and director. Known for often portraying eccentric and distinctive characters, she has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as no ...
’s debut as a feature film director on ''
Bastard Out of Carolina'',
Bill Paxton
William Paxton (May 17, 1955 – February 25, 2017) was an American actor and filmmaker. He appeared in films such as '' Weird Science'' (1985), ''Aliens'' (1986), '' Near Dark'' (1987), '' Tombstone'' (1993), ''True Lies'' (1994), '' Apollo 1 ...
’s on ''
Frailty'' and
Denzel Washington’s on ''Antwone Fisher''.
Entertainment industry recognition
Coates was nominated for a 1997
Primetime Emmy Award for
Stephen King’s ''
The Stand
''The Stand'' is a post-apocalyptic dark fantasy novel written by American author Stephen King and first published in 1978 by Doubleday. The plot centers on a deadly pandemic of weaponized influenza and its aftermath, in which the few survivin ...
''. He designed 225 sets for the four-part miniseries, including a recreation of a Nebraska cornfield on a Utah stage. Coates grew 3,250 cornstalks from seed to dress the set, but when Utah’s harshest winter in 100 years stunted the crop’s growth, he interspersed close-up worthy replicas.
[“5 Points a Star Hollywood Action Invades Denver Neighborhood.” Michael Booth. August 27, 1994. Page A-1. ''Denver Post.'' Retrieved September 8, 2020.][“A Television Stand-Out.” Douglas E. Winter. February–March 1994. ''Fangoria.'' Retrieved September 8, 2020.]
Coates’ second major award nomination was for a 2008
Art Directors Guild
The Art Directors Guild (ADG; IATSE Local 800) is a labor union and local of the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees (IATSE) representing 2,979 motion picture and television professionals in the United States and Canada.
T ...
Excellence in Production Design Award, Contemporary Film for ''Flight'', about a troubled pilot who crash lands a plane to save its occupants.
Nelson Coates Awards. Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Retrieved September 8, 2020. Director Robert Zemeckis tasked the designer with creating a fictional, but believable airline that included the word “jet” in its name, but that avoided any real-world references.
"Taking Flight." ''ADG Perspective'', The Journal of the Art Director’s Guild. Nelson Coates. February–March, 2013. Page 35. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
Zemeckis wanted the passengers, crew and their belongings to react naturally to gravity during the accident. To solve this challenge, Coates built a full-length fuselage using modified, genuine, airline parts and that divided into sections. The fuselage, replete with performers and props, was mounted onto various motion simulation rigs including a “rotisserie rig” that rotated 180 degrees.
In her ''New York Times'' review, movie critic Manohla Dargis said, “…the accident in ''Flight'' is freakishly real… It’s a showstopper.”
[Manohla Dargis. Nov. 1, 2012. ]
On ''Crazy Rich Asians,'' Coates’ directive was to bring
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
’s tastes, traditions, culture and design to the silver screen. For greater authenticity, Coates imbued the characters with
Peranakan
The Peranakans () are an ethnic group defined by their genealogical descent from the first waves of Southern Chinese settlers to maritime Southeast Asia, known as Nanyang (), namely the British Colonial ruled ports in the Malay Peninsula, ...
heritage (it wasn’t in the original novel) and tapped its rich art, architecture and design practices for his sets.
Chu wanted the film’s climactic marriage ceremony “…to be a wedding like you’ve never seen before.” In the novel, the ceremony costs $40 million, but the project’s entire budget was only $30 million. Coates attended more than 35 Chinese and Singaporean weddings as research and designed a set in a former 19th Century convent that ''
Architectural Digest'' described as a “church of nature.” He also developed a system for flooding the chapel that preserved the decorations so that the bride could walk on water down the aisle.
[Cathy Whitlock. August 9, 2018. ][Eamon Barrett. March 16, 2019. ][Gregory E. Miller. August 16, 2018. ]
Coates won a 2018 Art Directors Guild Excellence in Production Design Award, Contemporary Film, for his designs for the film.
Additional movie projects
Coates recreated the tundra town of
Barrow, Alaska (later renamed Utqiagvik) in the warmer, greener, mountainous
Anchorage for the feature film ''
Big Miracle
''Big Miracle'' is a 2012 drama film directed by Ken Kwapis, and stars Drew Barrymore and John Krasinski. The film is based on Tom Rose's 1989 book '' Freeing the Whales'', which covers Operation Breakthrough, the 1988 international effort to ...
'' (2012). The remote town was the original setting for the movie’s true story about a 1988 whale rescue.
To prepare, Coates watched more than 70 hours of news and documentary footage. He built houses on wagons with varied looks so that the structures could be rearranged overnight to simulate different Barrow streets.
Coates also designed a multi-function water tank that was large enough to stage the underwater action, which included three robotic vehicles maneuvering three animatronic whales. He oversaw the whales’ fabrication so that they precisely matched the original animals in appearance and movement (the historical and new footage were intercut).
[Staff. February 12, 2012. ][''ADG Perspective'', The Journal of the Art Director’s Guild. Nelson Coates. February–March, 2013. Page 46. ]
For ''
Fifty Shades Darker'' (2017) and ''
Fifty Shades Freed'' (2018), director
James Foley hired Coates to reimagine the franchise’s world. The designer added texture and depth to the projects’ 160 sets and introduced visual references to reflect the characters’ backstories. The films were shot simultaneously over 106 days in 167 locations and required Coates to balance a myriad of details to maintain the visual integrity and continuity of each movie.
[Kelsey Kloss, Elle Decore. February 10, 2017. ][Elizabeth Stamp. February 8, 2017.]
Entertainment industry and arts organizations
Coates is serving his second term as President of the Art Directors Guild (ADG). In 2016 he oversaw the formation of ADG’s women’s and diversity committees to address issues in front of and behind the camera. Coates was also instrumental in creating and organizing the Guild’s first new member orientation and first member directory.
[The Hollywood Reporter’s “Behind the Scenes” Podcast. ][Carolyn Giardina. ]
Coates is a voting member of the
Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), also colloquially known as the Television Academy, is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the television industry in the United States. It is a 501(c)(6) non-prof ...
(ATAS) and the
Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motion ...
(AMPAS), where he also serves on th
Executive Committee of the Production Design Branch He previously served on AMPAS’ Foreign Language Film Committee (later renamed the International Feature Film Committee).
Collegiate support
Coates is a member of the Board of Trustees of
Laguna College of Art and Design
Laguna College of Art and Design (LCAD) is a private college in Laguna Beach, California. With an enrollment of more than 700 students, the college offers Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in 11 majors and three Master of Fine Arts degree programs as w ...
(LCAD), where he has co-chaired fundraising events to support student scholarships.
Coates speaks frequently at universities, including at his alma mater, Abilene Christian University. In 1996, he was named ACU’s Outstanding Young Alumnus of the Year and was accorded the University’s Department of Journalism/Mass Communications’ Gutenberg Award, which recognizes distinguished professional achievements by alumni.
Coates endowed two scholarships at ACU, one in production design and the second in education in honor of his parents.
[ Retrieved September 8, 2020.]
Coates served as the keynote speaker at UCLA’s Design Showcase West.
Filmography
Film
Television
References
External links
Abilene Christian UniversityLaguna College Art & DesignArt Directors Guild
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coates, Nelson
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
People from Abilene, Texas
American production designers
Abilene Christian University alumni