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When you see the sublime stage and amazing scenery in exhibits like Sex Education, it’s not hard to see why Netflix and Hollywood go to Wales to film.
With Doctor Who filmed in the capital and the stars of His Dark Materials appearing in winds-whipped Brecon Beacons, it’s tempting for enthusiasts to check out the blows they might recognize in their favorite shows.
Even Hollywood made an appearance in Wales with Mark Wahlberg’s Infinite Portions of Cardiff last year and some scenes for the upcoming 1984 women’s film filmed in Snowdonia.
But for Rhiannon Clarke, who has worked for most of the big hitters on tv screens, life at the highlight is far from the glamour other people envision.
And he has more explanation why he maxed to take a look at the background behind the actors, because Rhiannon, from Pontardawe, is a component of the team that painted the scenes with nothing more complicated than popular painting and MDF.
The 31-year-old lives in Brynglas Farm with his parents and, after the lockdown, has embraced a new life as a florist and florist, but as a level artist for Sex Education, His Dark Materials and other productions, adding Doctor Who, Will and Britannia., you can literally look back.
“Basically, we represent MDF and plywood to make it old and ugly,” Rhiannon says, laughing, adding that what it means is bringing the scenes to life.
“It makes me laugh because other people say they’ll have to be amazing paintings.Yes, it can be amazing and you get a genuine enthusiasm when you see your paintings on TV and they look really beautiful.
“But there are times when we could have spent a week doing things and it’s deep down, an actor and really blurry, so it can be a little disappointing.Actually, it’s a juxtaposition of laughter.”
There was a time when his portraits became the spotlight, when he was tasked with portraying the bricks around a giant rugby ball that gave the impression that he was leaving Cardiff Castle for the Rugby World Cup.
Hired through Wild Creations, his portraits consisted of meticulously portraying moss pieces to fit as much as can be imagined in the original century-old bricks.
“It’s nowhere near as glamorous as other people think,” Rhiannon adds.The avant-garde glamour is headed for the last few nights after the end of filming, however, Rhiannon only remembers going to one: His Dark Material.running on Will’s production set is portrayed in the rain.
“We spent most of the day covered in paint because the appliance is outdoors in all climates,” he recalls.”Rain makes the task difficult because it washes the paint as fast as you can imagine on the tray.Painting in the rain is really hilarious.”
In fact, there are almost no parties or opportunities to rub shoulders with the stars.You’ll find Rhiannon hitting the M4 in his car for the next task or squeezed into a workshop, painstakingly portraying pieces of moss to make them look like breads or pieces of bread.wood to look like old stakes.
For Sex Education, which was about to begin filming the third season before the lockdown was interrupted, she traveled daily between Pontardawe and Newport.It’s a life form that’s going on bills.
There’s a lot of level artist on television, admits, but less in global theater.He did both.
“You only paint about six months a year because tv tends to be quiet in the winter and you paint for many hours and you’re meant to paint a lot of weekends,” she says.
“So 10 or 11 hours a day conforms to the norm and for me, Long-term Array, is not sustainable.It makes me unhappy because I love the television industry, but it’s not sustainable in terms of life.I know a lot about other people in the industry who have had relationships and a circle of relatives that has collapsed because of it.”
By far, your favorite task runs on the Sex Education set.Anyway, she’s helping her be a big fan of the series.
“I’d like my teens to see it because it normalizes a lot of things that are taboo,” she says.”He talks about all those vital things that are missing from the lives of many teenagers.I think it’s kind of hard.
“This is the ultimate laugh I’ve had on a show.The arts branch is simply amazing and is such a small piece of equipment for such a big Netflix show.Just before the closing, we had started filming the third season.I don’t know if it’s been rejected now.
“Only me, some other level artist, painter, decorator and carpenter.That’s all. Then we had a large art branch of about 20 more people who dealt with graphic design and a separate attire branch as well.
“The art branch came here and charled. For me, that’s what it is in the industry: hanging out, having fun.And all the actors were adorable too.”
Rhiannon will end up portraying hours and create the stage, then wait until the end of filming before seeing the carpenters dismantle everything.
With Sex Education, which was filmed on the Caerleon campus in Newport, he had to go from college buildings to a college campus.
“It’s pretty fun about Sex Education because our workshop in the old gym.We had built a set where we had changed the hallway to the school hallway and were still running in the gym at the end while they were filming outside.”I just walked past the door wondering where the rest of the hall was going.We were all there and they just greeted us.”
Especially if Rhiannon won’t see or interact with any of the actors unless he gets the dreaded “painter waiting” paintings.This is feared because it is literally a matter of status aside with a brush in a position to tweak the total.as needed.
Still, Rhiannon has learned that she was looking to paint on movie stages since she was a child.
“It all started because I’m a bit of a filmmaker and I love movies, especially science fiction,” he said.”I’m a big fan of Lord of the Rings and spent a lot of time watching all the extra pieces, like all the things in the scenes, when I was younger.Looking at them, I found out that other people were doing this for a job.I don’t forget to think, “How is it possible?” So I did some studies and found out I can graduate in theatrical design.”
After 3 years at Nottingham Trent University, Rhiannon graduated and entered a world where painting opportunities were scarce.Knowing quickly that he discovered that administrators were difficult to paint and that he liked to use his hands, he discovered that the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama was taking a master’s course in level painting.
“It was wonderful and gave me a lot of contact,” he says. I did a jolgorio in Doctor Who and it all started from there.It is a small global industry in the film and television industry in Wales.”
“Everything came here [by] word of mouth. When I started there, there weren’t many of us, but now there are quite a few.The television industry in Wales has gone crazy, especially since they opened their studies.”
It’s like Bad Wolf Studios, where His Dark Materials and A Discovery of Witches were filmed.But when the country entered a lockout and all the filming stopped, Rhiannon had to step back and reconsider his options.
Fed up with long hours and constantly looking for work, she started her own business called Blue Hill Flora at Brynglas Farm, where she grows wholesale flowers and weddings.Forced pause is almost a blessing in disguise.
“My level paintings have dried up,” he explains. I had nothing else and the flowers were the only source of income I had, so it freed me to devote all my power to it and paid massive dividends.
“I’m not going to chase level paintings anymore because one thing about being a level artist is that I’m always in favor of paintings and contact with people.It’s complicated and it’s a complicated industry to do.
“With the flowers, I feel that this is my calling.I love to portray and I still do a lot of work on the wall, however, it is something that I do a lot in parallel.
“I enjoyed gardening and enjoyed nature and being outdoors.As I grew older, I became more aware of our climate and precariousness.I was more worried and even left the vegetarian.
“Now I return it to the land that I take it off.”
You can see more Rhiannon paintings on www.rhiannon-clarke-design.com or www.bluehillflora.com.