By Nathan Snyder | Bomber Media
Stefan Dechant says he has had a varied career ranging from a “300-foot-tall monkey to Shakespeare.”
Dechant, a 1987 Kenston graduate, has worked as both a production designer and a director of art on a variety of films. His credits include Jurassic Park, Kong: Skull Island, Avatar, True Grit (2010), and other major releases.
Dechant recently worked on The Tragedy of Macbeth, which has been nominated for an Academy Award in the category of best production design.
Dechant found inspiration for The Tragedy of Macbeth’s visual design in the style of impressionist and silent films.
At times, the film’s minimalist set is something akin to that of a theatrical production, an aspect that Dechant says is intentional. He believes that separating the story’s origins as a play would have been a disservice to the themes and feel of the work.
Dechant says the sets create an environment where the audience “feels the hand of the artists.”
The film has been nominated among other large releases: Dune, West Side Story, The Power of the Dog, and Nightmare Alley.
Dechant’s journey to being nominated for an Oscar started when he attended the University of Cincinnati after graduating from KHS. He initially chose to study graphic design, but quickly discovered a passion for film and switched majors. Dechant was able to procure internships with both Saul Bass and Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) through a program at the university.
While attending college, Dechant was notified about potential work in the production of Jurassic Park. Working with one of his professors, Dechant drafted a screenplay and storyboard for the T-Rex attack that takes place in the film.
The production designer for the film was impressed and offered Dechant a position working on the project full time. Dechant created a number of graphic effects and worked on some 3D storyboarding.
By the time Dechant had finished Jurassic Park, he was a full member of the Illustrator’s Guild, an organization dedicated to helping graphic artists find consistent work and advocating for their rights, and was receiving job offers. He never went back to school.
Dechant says he is currently finishing a project with Back to the Future director Robert Zemeckis and Disney. He has also started working on a science fiction project with Zack Snyder, director of 300 and Justice League (2021).▮
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Nathan Snyder is a multimedia reporter for Bomber Media and a senior at Kenston High School.