Image by Jasin Boland)
Every object – big or small – that appears in a film or TV scene has been placed there by someone like Lisa Brennan.
Known throughout the industry as “Blitz”, Lisa learned her craft on small productions more than three decades ago and her long list of credits includes blockbusters such as The Pacific, Mortal Kombat and The Matrix.
As a set decorator, Lisa places furniture, artwork and other decorative items, creating the world in which the character exists.
When working as prop (property) master she deals with the placing of objects an actor holds.
Lisa’s been part of the Docklands family since we opened our doors in 2004, working here more recently for the Robbie Williams biopic Better Man (scheduled for release December 2024) and Sony Pictures’ Beneath the Storm (scheduled for release 2025).
After graduating in Fine Arts in Adelaide I travelled and worked overseas for a couple of years, before deciding I wanted to get into the film industry. At the time I was working for (clothing retailer) Sportsgirl in Adelaide as a window dresser.
A friend of my sister was a makeup artist who gave me some contacts to ring in Sydney and that’s how I landed (as art department assistant) on a film called Cappuccino. It was 1988.
I worked for nothing on that job. The standby props man organized a meat raffle to pay my rent for the month and I thought I’ve found my tribe!
What’s the knack behind using set decoration to tell a story?
It depends on what type of genre the film is depicting. If it’s a set a character lives in versus for example a spaceship, I always start with a backstory to who they are and where they come from. Are they working class, middle class or wealthy? And where would they buy the furniture from? It is Walmart or somewhere upscale or is it antiques? Then I proceed to purchase the big items. Once you’ve got the furniture you can work out where your layering is going to be. You might have a desk or you might put some sort of a decorative shelf on the top and end up layering that. That might have books and photos that add more of the personal items. Usually I get a lookbook together or a mood board and go through that with the designer and discuss colours and textures.
What’s your go-to place for finding furniture and other items?
I like using antique and second-hand shops where things stay around a lot longer. And of course the internet, especially Facebook Marketplace. Or if it’s a specific item you can’t find, there is always the option to have it made.
Your work has taken you all over Australia?
Moving from Adelaide to Sydney, my first job was on the last of the 10BA (financing scheme) films, so there wasn’t much work at that time. So, in the 1990s I got into TV commercials in Sydney. Then luckily I got taken up to Queensland to do an American TV series called Time Trax at the (Gold Coast Studios). Then in the late 90s I moved back to Sydney to do The Matrix. As soon as I read The Matrix script I thought it was going to be big. As a sci-fi fan, I love (author) William Gibson and it was very similar to his books. The first film had a 60s vintage look – though mid-century furniture was not as popular then as it is now and people were putting it out in the rubbish. We’d go around and find things on the kerbside or in auctions. I think we created Oracle’s apartment on a budget of around $10,000.
You seem to be drawn back to Docklands Studios time and again?
My first film here was Ghost Rider. My main memory for that is of going to Melbourne cemetery where they built a caretaker’s cottage, using a mould to make it look like bluestone. It was built in three weeks – even the locals thought it was real and wondered why they hadn’t noticed it before!
I’ve loved being here at Docklands Studios. I’ve worked here for The Pacific; I, Frankenstein; Childhood’s End; Winchester; Better Man and just recently the Sony project. In Melbourne it’s very easy to film and you’re so near the city, you’re so near the freeways and the shops.
Do you have a favourite project of all-time?
I would have to say one of them was The Pacific (HBO series, filmed at Docklands Studios 2007-08). The scripts were beautifully written, and the background stories were amazing.
Anything to do with war is quite tricky – there’s slight changes that happen during the battles. And a lot hasn’t survived so we had to make a lot of the props. For example, one of the main characters stole a Japanese officer’s trunk and we had to make the trunk and everything inside. That was lovely research to do.
Your CV also covers so many international projects?
I like working overseas, it’s just a special experience. I was lucky enough to work in Jordan and Berlin, courtesy of designer Hugh Bateup. I think those jobs both hold a special place in my heart. I have also worked in France, the UK, New Zealand and Asia. Whether overseas or Australia, every film has its own rhythm and develops differently – it’s a new experience every time.
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