In need of enough room to work on the interior of a spaceship for a friend’s film project, Nikolai DeBrito ‘27 stumbled across a locked room near Drollinger turf field that looked like it could work, and climbed through the window.
Inside was old storage and the guts of a functional woodworking shop.
(DeBrito in front of Scenic Design Center)
After that friendly episode of breaking and entering, he asked the Light and Grip department on campus to let him in. This established a relationship and, after a couple months of working in the woodshop he asked to get paid. Before long he was getting compensated by the Light and Grip department for 10 hours weekly and just recently hired his own assistant. The room is now called, at least by DeBrito, the “Scenic Design Center.”
DeBrito, a screenwriting major, uses the space to make custom, often very specific projects to be used on film sets: A big red button to simulate launching nuclear weapons or guitars, both playable ones and their smashable duplicates.
(Guitars, Image by Nikolai DeBrito)
DeBrito charges directors for materials, but does not charge for labor. He has done work for USC and Chapman, but focuses on the LMU Film Program.
Work for film sets aside, DeBrito also uses the space to work on passion projects, like a remote control walking table.
Outside, a greenhouse is being built for a set. “After this weekend, the greenhouse is coming back and we’re chopping it to bits and reusing the wood,” DeBrito said. “We try to take a lot of it back and recycle materials.”
From building shelves to repairing equipment, workshop maintenance keeps project builds going smoothly. “I’d rather have a square foot of space than a bucket of old paint sitting there,” DeBrito said.
In design, he keeps in mind the chaos of sets, making sure the repairs aren’t technical so no experience is needed and things can be kept running on schedule.
The Scenic Design Center is looking to hire. Its doors are open Mondays and Wednesdays 1-4 p.m.
