By Gordon Durich
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 7/24/22 – Gabriella Douglas is the epitome of a renaissance woman. The Architect turned Set Designer / Production Designer / Art Director for many top films and televisions productions, has overcome the odds to create a sparkling career.
Canadian Gabriella Douglas’ bi-racial parents encouraged her and her sisters to develop interests in different cultures and travel. “Through family trips to North and South America, I grew to admire different styles of architecture, foreign cultures and and languages.”
Entertainment was a huge influence on the young Gabriella Douglas. “Like many kids born in the early 90’s, I was raised on the Disney Black Diamond series (“The Lion King,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast” etc.). But the first movie I remember that truly made me marvel at the power of cinema was ‘Jurassic Park.’ No one could convince me that dinosaurs weren’t real after I saw that movie.”
Architecture was Gabriella Douglas’ first foray into the world of design. But her early influences tugged at her heartstrings. At Carleton University in Ottawa, she earned her Bachelor of Architectural Studies (B.AS) and her Master Of Architecture (M.Arch) degrees, both majoring in Design. When she spoke to her thesis advisor about potential lateral moves she could make in her field, he mentioned Production Design in Film and Television.” Gabriella Douglas had never heard of the career before and was amazed when it was described to her. After declaring she no longer wanted to practice architecture at conventional firms, Gabriella Douglas deduced “I had fallen out of love with the industry, but not of design.”
Gabriella Douglas grew up “fascinated” by film and would even seek out the behind-the-scenes footage from favorite movies. “My thesis advisor connected me with some alumni who had made the jump to the film industry, and I eventually got hired on my first film in Montreal.” Being fluent in English, French and Spanish, Gabriela Douglas has successfully worked in all three languages as a Set Designer in Canada and the US.
Since entering the entertainment industry in 2017, the talented Canadian has worked for FX, Disney, Lionsgate, Apple TV+ and others in Montreal and Toronto, where she resides.
Her favorite film genre is historical fiction, favorite actors include Cate Blanchett (“Mrs. America” on which Gabriella Douglas was Second Assistant Art Director) and favorite movies are “Jurassic Park,” “Sister Act,” and Joe Wright’s “Pride and Prejudice.”
If she was not a set designer, Gabriella Douglas would probably be working in furniture design or graphics.
“It can be exhausting and stressful working 12-hour days in the Art Department, but I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.”
She is currently working as First Assistant Art Director on “Chucky” (SyFy/ USA Network) Season 2, set to air in the Fall of this year on Peacock.