Linda DeScenna (born November 14, 1949) is an American

set decorator The set decorator is the head of the set decoration department in the film and television industry, responsible for selecting, designing, fabricating, and sourcing the " set dressing" elements of each set in a Feature Film, Television, or New Media ...

and

production designer In film and television, the production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions and feelings. Wo ...

. She has been nominated for five

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

in the category Best Art Direction.

Career

When hired to work on the 1979 film '' Star Trek: The Motion Picture'', one of DeScenna's tasks was to redesign the chairs seen on the bridge of the USS ''Enterprise''. She later credited Mike Huntoon with ensuring that her designs for the film were carried out. During the production of the 1982 film ''

Blade Runner ''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, and written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Dick' ...

'', DeScenna and her team were tasked with the creation of numerous props ranging from magazine covers, to store signs in order to flesh out the vision of director Ridley Scott. When she was recruited for the Robin Williams film ''

Patch Adams Hunter Doherty "Patch" Adams (born May 28, 1945) is an American physician, comedian, social activist, clown, and author. He founded the Gesundheit! Institute in 1971. Each year he also organizes volunteers from around the world to travel to var ...

'' in 1998, DeScenna was required to build one of the three main shooting locations from scratch. She oversaw the construction of a hospital set on

Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure no ...

near

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

. She worked on ''

Galaxy Quest ''Galaxy Quest'' is a 1999 American science fiction comedy film directed by Dean Parisot and written by David Howard and Robert Gordon. A parody of and homage to science-fiction films and series, especially ''Star Trek'' and its fandom, the ...

'', which was released the following year. For 2007's ''

Evan Almighty ''Evan Almighty'' is a 2007 American comedy film, and a spin-off of ''Bruce Almighty'' (2003). The film was directed by Tom Shadyac, written by Steve Oedekerk, based on the characters created by Steve Koren and Mark O'Keefe from the original fi ...

'', she worked alongside others on the

Ark Ark or ARK may refer to: Biblical narratives and religion Hebrew word ''teva'' * Noah's Ark, a massive vessel said to have been built to save the world's animals from a flood * Ark of bulrushes, the boat of the infant Moses Hebrew ''aron'' * ...

. She built the bottom level of the Ark from steel-reinforced wood, and the bow from

styrofoam Styrofoam is a trademarked brand of closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam (XPS), commonly called "Blue Board", manufactured as foam continuous building insulation board used in walls, roofs, and foundations as thermal insulation and water barrie ...

Awards

DeScenna's set decorating work has been nominated for five

as part of the Best Art Direction. Her first was for ''Star Trek: The Motion Picture'' alongside

Harold Michelson Harold Michelson (February 15, 1920 – March 1, 2007) was an American production designer and art director. In addition, he worked as an illustrator and/or storyboard artist on numerous films from the 1940s through the 1990s. Biography A nati ...

, Joe Jennings,

Leon Harris Leon Harris (born April 20, 1961, in Akron, Ohio) is an American journalist and newscaster. Harris was born to Leon Sr. and Lorrene Harris in Akron, Ohio. He has three brothers: Marcus, Jerry, and J.J., who still reside in Akron; and a sister, K ...

and John Vallone. She was nominated alongside Lawrence G. Paull and

David Snyder David L. Snyder (born September 22, 1944) is an American film and television production designer. He has worked as an art director, producer, and assistant director on films including ''Blade Runner'', '' Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey'', ''The Whole ...

for their work on ''Blade Runner'' at the

55th Academy Awards The 55th Academy Awards were presented April 11, 1983, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles. The ceremonies were presided over by Liza Minnelli, Dudley Moore, Richard Pryor, and Walter Matthau. Louis Gossett Jr. became the first Africa ...

. She was nominated once more at the

58th Academy Awards The 58th Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on March 24, 1986, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST. Durin ...

for set decorating on ''

The Color Purple ''The Color Purple'' is a 1982 epistolary novel by American author Alice Walker which won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction.

'', and twice more for ''

Rain Man ''Rain Man'' is a 1988 American road drama film directed by Barry Levinson and written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass. It tells the story of abrasive, selfish young wheeler-dealer Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise), who discovers that his estranged ...

'' and ''

Toys A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include toy blocks, board games, and dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and pe ...

'' respectively.

Personal life

Around 1974, DeScenna moved to Los Angeles with her then-boyfriend, John Zabrucky. They ended their relationship after the move, but remained friends. In 2017, DeScenna was married to

John Mark Robinson John Mark Robinson (born 19 July 1948) is an entrepreneur, director, and actor. Films he directed have included ''Roadhouse 66'', ''Kid'', and ''All Tied Up''. He also directed the music videos for various musical artists including Bob Dylan, Tina ...

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Descenna, Linda 1949 births Living people American set decorators People from Warren, Ohio