Though he won’t be seen on the big screen, Jeremy Conway (B.F.A. ’78/School of the Arts) plays a pivotal role in the much anticipated “Sex and the City: The Movie,” which hits theaters in May 2008.
“When I’m working on a movie, I’m doing all the stuff I want to do,” says Conway, the movie’s production designer.
Over the years, Conway has enjoyed a distinguished career of designing sets for theater, TV, movies and even the Olympic Games.
“I happened to be at the right place at the right time,” he says of the opportunity to design sets for the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. That experience led to a steady gig, with Conway designing sets for the following four summer and winter games.
His most recognizable job, however, was as production designer for the hit HBO series “Sex and the City.”
Set in New York City, the cable show followed the lives of four women in the late 1990s and tackled many socially relevant issues not previously discussed on TV.
Conway designed many of the sets during the show’s six seasons as well as the four main characters’ apartments — focal points throughout the series. Now, he’s bringing his New York City designs to the big screen and sharing his behind-the-scenes insights with VCU students.
In 2006, at the invitation of associate professor Elizabeth Hopper, Conway brought “Sex and the City” to VCU theater students through a master class.
“I met with a lot of students interested in design,” he says. “Over the week, we broke down a typical script and they presented their ideas of how it should look — only in Richmond, Va.”
The VCU Department of Theatre’s “guest artists” program gives alumni the opportunity to share their real-world experiences with students. In addition to deconstructing “Sex and the City” set designs, Conway spoke about how he got his start.
After graduation, Conway headed to New York City, working initially as a freelance art director. He’s also served as the set designer and art director for “Late Night with David Letterman” and lent his creative talents to the movies “School of Rock,” “Up Close and Personal” and “Jacob’s Ladder.” His designs for the NBC News Olympics studio earned him two Emmy awards, in 2000 and 2002, and he’s received other Emmy nominations for his TV work.
Maybe “Sex and the City: The Movie” will earn him the next award to put on his shelf.
