{"id":119141,"date":"2022-02-14T09:10:26","date_gmt":"2022-02-14T14:10:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/?p=119141"},"modified":"2022-02-14T09:10:26","modified_gmt":"2022-02-14T14:10:26","slug":"dayton-com-oscar-winning-centerville-raised-wright-state-grad-reflects-on-career","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2022\/02\/14\/dayton-com-oscar-winning-centerville-raised-wright-state-grad-reflects-on-career\/","title":{"rendered":"Dayton.com: Oscar-winning, Centerville-raised Wright State grad reflects on career"},"content":{"rendered":"

Excerpt<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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Hannah Beachler created a 400 page book envisioning what the African nation of Wakanda might look like for the film, \u201cBlack Panther.\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n

Hannah Beachler is the first African American to win an Academy Award for best production design but she\u2019s certain she will not be the last.<\/p>\n

The Centerville High School graduate and Wright State University film and production design alumna received the Oscar for \u201cBlack Panther,\u201d the game-changing Marvel blockbuster that redefined what Black artistry could be and achieve. The 2018 superhero movie earned $1.3 billion worldwide.<\/p>\n

The first female production designer to work on a Marvel film and reportedly did so with a $30 million arts budget, Beachler is currently in Atlanta working on the highly anticipated sequel, \u201cBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever.\u201d Directed by Ryan Coogler (\u201cFruitvale Station,\u201d \u201cCreed\u201d), the film, reuniting much of the original cast, is expected to finish production in April and hit theaters in November.<\/p>\n

As Black History Month is being observed, the history maker talked about her current project and reflected on her career.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s another level \u2013 we\u2019re taking it to another level,\u201d said Beachler, 51. \u201cUnderstanding the bar was set high, this wasn\u2019t the time to rest on our laurels. This wasn\u2019t the time to be complacent. We had to challenge ourselves and push ourselves even more and dig deeper within everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since production began in 2020, the voyage to Wakanda has seen its share of setbacks. In addition to filming while navigating COVID-19, the death of Chadwick Boseman (King T\u2019Challa\/Black Panther) from a private battle with colon cancer and controversial anti-vaccination statements from Letitia Wright (T\u2019Challa\u2019s sister Shuri) have been cause for concern. Still, Beachler says the film\u2019s foundation, which includes the return of Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth Carter, remains strong. And as with any project, the script is the starting point that allows her to follow her instincts to bring Wakanda to life.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a foundation that we built on, but now is my opportunity to become more detailed and intentional about design and world-building to really take the audience to (Wakanda),\u201d she said. \u201cThe production designer technically (oversees) departments such as costumes and makeup, but there is collaboration, particularly with colors and patterns. I\u2019m hoping we\u2019re really bringing something fresh and new within the world we\u2019ve already created.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reflecting on the 91st Academy Awards three years ago, Beachler, who accepted the Oscar alongside set decorator Jay Hart, describes the evening as \u201csurreal.\u201d She immediately felt the history of the barrier-breaking moment, knowing the recognition surpassed individualism into something greater and more meaningful.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was bigger than me,\u201d she said. \u201cI felt that and understood that very deeply. It wasn\u2019t about me getting an award. It was about my community, all the faces of my ancestors who survived, all the people who came before me who opened the door. But it was also sad that I was the first in 90 years. Now we know this is possible again and again and again with other young Black creatives. So, don\u2019t ever think you can\u2019t get there or let other people make you feel like you can\u2019t. Because I\u2019ve been through that, and I kept going. You keep moving forward. Your determination is the light that\u2019s inside you. (Oscar night) was my moment to shine my light on everyone who will be in my position one day. And I hope it illuminated them. This isn\u2019t an impossibility anymore and that\u2019s really what I wanted people to see when I was standing up there. They weren\u2019t used to seeing it but get used to seeing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

View the entire story at dayton.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hannah Beachler is the first African American to win an Academy Award for best production design but she\u2019s certain she will not be the last. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":49301,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[730],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-119141","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wright-state-in-the-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119141","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119141"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119141\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":119153,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119141\/revisions\/119153"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49301"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}