Alessandra Querzola has worked as a set decorator on many films, including ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron. Read more about her, including her net worth.
Who is Alessandra Querzola?
Alessandra Querzola is an Italian set decorator. She is best known for her work on the 2017 film Blade Runner 2049 for which she was co-nominated for Oscar 2018 award for Best Production Design. Oscar 2018 will be held on March 4th this year. Alessandra Querzola has worked as set decorator in the films, Pompeii, Skyfall, Quantum of Solace, Gangs of New York and more recently on the Blade Runner 2049. Pompeii, released in 2014 was 3D romantic historical disaster film produced and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. Skyfall released in 2012 is the twenty-third spy film in the James Bond series produced by Eon Productions. Quantum of Solace was a 2008 twenty-second spy film in the James Bond series produced by Eon Productions and directed by Marc Forster. Gangs of New York is a 2002 American epic period drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, set in the mid-19th century. Querzola has worked on many more films but these are a few of her better known works. A set decorator works in the entertainment field, creating background scenery for movies, plays, television shows and other artistic properties. Collaborating with production designers and directors, they use artwork, furnishings and other props to design rooms for television and movie productions. They have the profound ability to read the script writer’s mind and recreate a realistic set of his imagination. Set decorators make the scriptwriter’s visuals a reality. Their task is often very tough and requires a lot of perfectionism. Alessandra Querzola displayed her skills in creating realistic sets for the films like Skyfall and Blade Runner 2049. She was even awarded with an Oscar nomination for the latter.
Net worth of the set decorator
Alessandra Querzola has a net worth of $12 million.
An interview with Querzola regarding Blade Runner 2049
Italian set decorator Alessandra Querzola does not like to take the entire credit for decorating the set of the film ‘Blade Runner 2049’ alone, she insists that it was a group effort and that she could not have done it alone. In a candid interview, Querzola reveals about the skills and techniques used on the set and she also told us that she is very proud of the details of the dystopian Los Angeles and Las Vegas created on soundstages in Budapest’s Origo film studios. Querzola handled the technology aspect of the film’s appearance right from the very first scene of a bone scanner. She also looked into all the video monitors and all the futuristic devices and made sure they appear in sync with the scene. She had a discussion with director Denis Villeneuve about the kind of look he desires. She had a detailed look into visuals and then worked on the look. Querzola explains, “He always has a clear idea of what he wants, still some aspects took as long as two months to make. Denis gave us some initial indications, then Dennis as production designer established the language, the vision [of the film], also in accordance with [cinematographer] Roger Deakins, who has been fantastic to work with.” Querzola also collaborated with Gassner on Bond Pics ‘Quantum of Solace’ and ‘Skyfall’. “On the “Blade Runner” sequel, the two would look at mine constantly updated mood boards” Querzola quipped, “And then we would remove everything that was superfluous or not pertinent,” she says. “[It was] a full immersion.” The bulk of the materials ordered by Querzola for the set came from Holland, though some of the lamps came from Italy, and the gigantic couches in the Vegas penthouse where Rick Deckard (played by Harrison Ford) hides out had to be directly flown over from the U.S. as no European couch was compatible with that ambiance. In terms of creating ambience, Querzola considers the set-piece in the film, in which Officer K goes to the Dickensian orphanage/sweatshop run by hooded taskmaster Mr. Cotton, among the most challenging. That whole scene had hundreds of children recycling computer parts and scraps of keyboards. It took three months of preparation right from starting with the work tables, each of which was made on-site to getting the set fully ready! Among the biggest challenges for Querzola was providing lamps and lights, which she sums up as the crucial part of her work with Deakins. Despite the myriad practical constraints that come with her job, Querzola, an alumnus of the Fine Arts Academy in Venice, considers herself as an artist. “Set decorating is like painting,” she says. “You do it with confidence because you know you are on the same wavelength [with the director, the production designer and the cinematographer] and because you’ve done your prep work. That’s my moment. Nobody can dampen my enthusiasm when I’m decorating a set.”
The task of a set decorator is not only tough but it requires great foresight. Alessandra Querzola excels in creating a near-real set for our beloved films giving wings to our imagination and make us better relate with the story we are watching.
