Nelson Coates
Encyclopedia
Nelson Coates is an American
production designer and set designer for film, television, and theater. He was nominated for an Emmy Award
in 1994 for his art direction of the miniseries
The Stand
, for which he designed all 225 sets. Coates is a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. He was named Abilene Christian University's Outstanding Young Alumnus of the Year in 1996 and was recipient of the ACU Department of Journalism/Mass Communications Gutenberg Award. Coates was named Film Professional of the Year (2008) by Cambridge Who's Who in America. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Laguna College of Art and Design.
professors of education, Drs. Ed and Jane Coates, Nelson Coates became interested in the arts from a young age, creating costumes and scenery for school and community productions. He learned to create sculptures from natural fibers with the help of a book given to him at age 14 by his parents. He began acting in regional theatre at the age of 6. He continued to perform in regional theatre and sang with various vocal groups. During high school, he became involved in gymnastics
, a skill set he used years later when planning escape routes for Wesley Snipes
' character in Murder at 1600
. Coates went on to attend the college where his parents taught, changing majors from pre-med to mass communications and graduating magna cum laude with a BA in Journalism/Mass Communications with an emphasis in design. Coates has acted in and designed for numerous theatres throughout the U.S. While in college, Coates was a part of the acting company of the Dallas Shakespeare Festival, where he met Morgan Freeman. Coates later designed "Kiss the Girls
"and "Thick as Thieves", both of which star Freeman.
–Fort Worth
metroplex, where he exhibited his sculptures, acted in regional theater and television, and began his career in theatrical and feature film design.
The Stand is Coates' only television miniseries to date. In addition to designing all sets for the project, he took responsibility for other aspects of creating a realistic Nebraska
setting for the Utah
-based production. Faced with prices of $40 per stalk for New York-made fake corn, Coates opted instead to grow 3,250 corn stalks as a cost-cutting measure; when a winter storm hit Utah, the reproduction of a cornfield became complicated by the fact that the harsh weather did not allow the corn crop to grow taller than 4 feet. Three grade of artificial corn were created to augment the real corn which was featured in close up shots of the stalks or silks. The entire cornfield and house for the Mother Abigail character portrayed by Ruby Dee was created indoors in the former Osmond Stages in Provo, Utah. For the dream sequences, the fields elevated and changed angles, and the main house distorted and changed shape to strengthen the dream-like quality. His designs for "The Stand" garnered Coates an EMMY nomination.
His films include Three of Hearts, Disney's Blank Check, CB4
, 1995's Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead
, 1997's Kiss the Girls
and Murder at 1600
, 1998's Disturbing Behavior
and Living Out Loud
, and 1999's Stir of Echoes
. Other films include Don't Say a Word
(2001), Frailty
(2001), the science-fiction film Impostor
(2001), Antwone Fisher
(2002), Runaway Jury
(2003), "Aquamarine" (2004) School for Scoundrels
(2006), The Express (2008), The Proposal
(2009), The Last Song
(2010) and the Miley Cyrus music video, "When I Look At You." He recently completed work on the Universal feature, Everybody Loves Whales (2012) the first studio feature to ever film entirely in Alaska, and is currently designing the Paramount film, My Mother's Curse set to release March 30, 2012 starring Seth Rogan and Barbra Streisand.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
production designer and set designer for film, television, and theater. He was nominated for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
in 1994 for his art direction of the miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
The Stand
The Stand (TV miniseries)
# Project Blue [1:33]# The Dream Begins [2:08]# On the Road to Kansas [3:57]# The Trashmen in Vegas [1:58]# Headin' West [1:56]# Larry & Nadine [2:38]# Mother Abigail [3:10]# 'Sorry Mister, I Don't Understand' [2:54]# Mid Country [3:22]...
, for which he designed all 225 sets. Coates is a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. He was named Abilene Christian University's Outstanding Young Alumnus of the Year in 1996 and was recipient of the ACU Department of Journalism/Mass Communications Gutenberg Award. Coates was named Film Professional of the Year (2008) by Cambridge Who's Who in America. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Laguna College of Art and Design.
Background
The son of two Abilene Christian UniversityAbilene Christian University
Abilene Christian University is a private university located in Abilene, Texas, affiliated with Churches of Christ. ACU was founded in 1906, as Childers Classical Institute...
professors of education, Drs. Ed and Jane Coates, Nelson Coates became interested in the arts from a young age, creating costumes and scenery for school and community productions. He learned to create sculptures from natural fibers with the help of a book given to him at age 14 by his parents. He began acting in regional theatre at the age of 6. He continued to perform in regional theatre and sang with various vocal groups. During high school, he became involved in gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
, a skill set he used years later when planning escape routes for Wesley Snipes
Wesley Snipes
Wesley Trent Snipes is an American actor, film producer, and martial artist, who has starred in numerous action films, thrillers, and dramatic feature films. Snipes is known for playing the Marvel Comics character Blade in the Blade film trilogy, among various other high profile roles...
' character in Murder at 1600
Murder at 1600
Murder at 1600 is a 1997 thriller film starring Wesley Snipes, Diane Lane, Dennis Miller, Ronny Cox, Daniel Benzali, and Alan Alda. The 1600 in the title refers to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the address of the White House. The film is based on the novel Murder in the White House by Margaret Truman,...
. Coates went on to attend the college where his parents taught, changing majors from pre-med to mass communications and graduating magna cum laude with a BA in Journalism/Mass Communications with an emphasis in design. Coates has acted in and designed for numerous theatres throughout the U.S. While in college, Coates was a part of the acting company of the Dallas Shakespeare Festival, where he met Morgan Freeman. Coates later designed "Kiss the Girls
Kiss the Girls
Kiss the Girls is a psychological thriller novel by American writer James Patterson, the second to star his recurrent character Alex Cross, an African-American psychologist.-Plot summary:...
"and "Thick as Thieves", both of which star Freeman.
Career
After graduating from college, Coates moved to the DallasDallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
–Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
metroplex, where he exhibited his sculptures, acted in regional theater and television, and began his career in theatrical and feature film design.
The Stand is Coates' only television miniseries to date. In addition to designing all sets for the project, he took responsibility for other aspects of creating a realistic Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
setting for the Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
-based production. Faced with prices of $40 per stalk for New York-made fake corn, Coates opted instead to grow 3,250 corn stalks as a cost-cutting measure; when a winter storm hit Utah, the reproduction of a cornfield became complicated by the fact that the harsh weather did not allow the corn crop to grow taller than 4 feet. Three grade of artificial corn were created to augment the real corn which was featured in close up shots of the stalks or silks. The entire cornfield and house for the Mother Abigail character portrayed by Ruby Dee was created indoors in the former Osmond Stages in Provo, Utah. For the dream sequences, the fields elevated and changed angles, and the main house distorted and changed shape to strengthen the dream-like quality. His designs for "The Stand" garnered Coates an EMMY nomination.
His films include Three of Hearts, Disney's Blank Check, CB4
CB4
CB4 is a 1993 comedy film directed by Tamra Davis, and starring Chris Rock. The film follows a fictional rap group named 'CB4', named after the prison block in which the group was allegedly formed...
, 1995's Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead
Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead
Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead is a 1995 crime film directed by Gary Fleder from a screenplay written by Scott Rosenberg. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Andy García, Christopher Lloyd, Steve Buscemi, Christopher Walken, Fairuza Balk, and Gabrielle Anwar.The film's title...
, 1997's Kiss the Girls
Kiss the Girls
Kiss the Girls is a psychological thriller novel by American writer James Patterson, the second to star his recurrent character Alex Cross, an African-American psychologist.-Plot summary:...
and Murder at 1600
Murder at 1600
Murder at 1600 is a 1997 thriller film starring Wesley Snipes, Diane Lane, Dennis Miller, Ronny Cox, Daniel Benzali, and Alan Alda. The 1600 in the title refers to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the address of the White House. The film is based on the novel Murder in the White House by Margaret Truman,...
, 1998's Disturbing Behavior
Disturbing Behavior
Disturbing Behavior is a 1998 thriller science fiction film starring James Marsden, Katie Holmes, and Nick Stahl. The film was released on July 24, 1998. The plot follows a group of high school outcasts who are horrified by their "Blue Ribbon" classmates...
and Living Out Loud
Living Out Loud
The film, set in New York City, stars Holly Hunter, Danny DeVito, Queen Latifah, Martin Donovan, and Claudia Shear.-Plot:Judith Moore had what she thought was a perfect marriage, both she and her husband studying to be doctors...
, and 1999's Stir of Echoes
Stir of Echoes
Stir of Echoes is a supernatural horror / thriller released in the United States in 1999, starring Kevin Bacon and directed by David Koepp. The film is loosely based on the novel of the same name by Richard Matheson.-Plot:...
. Other films include Don't Say a Word
Don't Say a Word
Don't Say a Word is a 2001 psychological thriller film starring Michael Douglas, Brittany Murphy and Sean Bean based on the novel of the same title by Andrew Klavan...
(2001), Frailty
Frailty (film)
Frailty is a 2002 psychological thriller film directed by and starring Bill Paxton, and co-starring Matthew McConaughey. This film is the directorial debut for Paxton. The plot focuses on the strange relationship between two young boys and their father, who believes that he has been commanded by...
(2001), the science-fiction film Impostor
Impostor (film)
Impostor is a 2002 American science fiction film based upon a short story of the same name, written by Philip K. Dick in 1953.-Plot:The movie takes place in the year 2079. Forty-five years earlier, Earth was attacked by a hostile alien civilization from Alpha Centauri...
(2001), Antwone Fisher
Antwone Fisher (film)
Antwone Fisher is a 2002 American drama film directed by Denzel Washington, marking his directorial debut. He also stars in the film as the psychiatrist Jerome Davenport, alongside Hollywood newcomer Derek Luke, who plays the title role , and ex-model Joy Bryant, as Fisher's girlfriend.The film is...
(2002), Runaway Jury
Runaway Jury
Runaway Jury is a 2003 American drama/thriller film directed by Gary Fleder and starring John Cusack, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, and Rachel Weisz...
(2003), "Aquamarine" (2004) School for Scoundrels
School for Scoundrels (2006 film)
School for Scoundrels is a 2006 American comedy film, starring Billy Bob Thornton and Jon Heder, and directed by Todd Phillips. The film is based on the 1960 British film of the same name...
(2006), The Express (2008), The Proposal
The Proposal (film)
The Proposal is a 2009 American romantic comedy film set in Sitka, Alaska. Directed by Anne Fletcher and written by Peter Chiarelli, the film features Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds as the leading roles, with Mary Steenburgen, Betty White, and Craig T. Nelson in supporting roles...
(2009), The Last Song
The Last Song (film)
The Last Song is a 2010 American coming of age drama film developed alongside Nicholas Sparks novel by the same name. The film was directed by Julie Anne Robinson in her feature film directorial debut and co-written by Sparks and Jeff Van Wie...
(2010) and the Miley Cyrus music video, "When I Look At You." He recently completed work on the Universal feature, Everybody Loves Whales (2012) the first studio feature to ever film entirely in Alaska, and is currently designing the Paramount film, My Mother's Curse set to release March 30, 2012 starring Seth Rogan and Barbra Streisand.