Scope and arrangement
The collection represents Hoover's professional work as a scenic designer for theater, and a production designer and art director for television and film. It contains designs, production binders, photographs, sketches, and video recordings related to his career from the 1969 to 2015. The collection is arranged in three series: Theater; Film and Television; and Photograph and Sketch Files. The first two series represent Hoover's work as a scenic designer and as a production director, respectively. While the bulk of the collection consists of production binders and designs, the content within these two formats varies depending on whether Hoover was designing for a staged production or for a film/television production. As a scenic designer, Hoover was primarily in charge of the set, but as a production designer he headed the art department and oversaw all visual elements of a commercial, television show, or film.
The bulk of the collection is composed of set designs, production designs, sketches, and technical designs. The set designs, production designs, and sketches are in pencil, charcoal, and watercolor and depict sets and scenes. The technical designs depict set specifications for staged productions, film sets, and location shooting. Though the collection spans Hoover's entire professional career, the collection particularly documents the theater productions 39 Steps, After the Fall, Not About Nightingales, The Thing About Men, and Twelfth Night; films Ed Wood, It Takes Two, Lackawanna Blues, Live From Baghdad, The Mothman Prophesies, and Torch Song Trilogy; and the television show Twin Peaks.
The Richard Hoover designs and papers are arranged in three series:
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1969-2015116.57 Megabytes
This series contains material related to Hoover's work as a scenic designer for staged productions. The material consists of photograph albums, production binders, and designs.
The photograph albums were numbered by Hoover and contain prints, slides, and negatives from various productions. Within each album, the photographs are labeled and grouped by production, though most of the material is undated. The photographs depict sets and include close-ups of sections of sets and of props. Occasionally cast or crew members are present in the photographs. Additionally, there are separate albums for Not About Nightingales, Private Battle, and Urban Folktales.
The production binders are arranged alphabetically by production, and contain notes, calendars, prop lists, rehearsal reports, scripts, and sketches. The designs are arranged alphabetically and consist of scenic designs that detail the set, and technical designs including lighting plots, stage plans, and theater plans.
Both the photograph albums and scenic designs explore the set from multiple visual perspectives, anticipating how the set would look from the varied vantage points of audience members. Hoover often rolled designs for various productions together. This material is listed at the end of each alphabetical run with a note listing the productions represented.
The electronic records consist of production material and designs. The production material is primarily images used to design the set of Stones in His Pocket, a play that was set on a film set. The images include photographs of carts, cranes, lights, and craft services and may have been taken on the set of films Hoover worked on previously. The designs are AutoCAD files for King Lear and The Thing About Men.
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1983-20111.21 Megabytes
This series contains material related to Hoover's work on film and television productions and consists of photograph albums, production binders, and designs.
The photograph albums are arranged alphabetically by production and depict both film set and location sets in various stages of construction. Often there are close-ups of sections of sets and of props, or snapshots that Hoover taped together to create panoramic images. Occasionally cast or crew members are visible.
The production binders are arranged alphabetically by production and document both the administrative and creative duties in Hoover's role of production designer. They contain correspondence and memoranda with directors, producers, and other staff members; contact sheets; information sheets for location shooting; photographs; prop lists; research files; story boards; and scripts. Occasionally, the binders contain set elements like carpet, fabric, and paint samples. There is a production binder for the music video for Bruce Springstein's "Lonesome Day." The Bob Roberts files include printed material that was used as props including mailings for a political campaign depicted in the film. The Mothman Prophecies files contain a special effects investigation report prepared by an outside consultant. The production files for the film Fail Safe are electronic and consist of memoranda, invoices, and contracts regarding the production activities of the art department.
The designs are arranged alphabetically by production and consist of sketches, set designs, and technical designs for both film sets and location shooting. Often there are multiple iterations of a design, including preliminary sketches, first pass, and final revisions. The designs usually list the scene and location, and are numbered. These designs are rich with visual elements of the production, and can include costumes and prop details, as well as continuity sketches. Hoover often rolled designs for various productions together. This material is listed at the end of each alphabetical run with a note listing the productions represented.
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2003, undated
This series is arranged alphabetically by production includes photographs and sketches for theater, film, and television productions. These files appear to be reference files used by Hoover to quickly refer to a production's set and visual tone. The majority of this material is undated.