Anaheim, CA – On the last day of WonderCon 2018, fans gathered to hear the secrets of superheroes in the “Behind Hollywood’s Hottest Heroes with TV and FIlm’s Top Creatives” panel. The conversation included costume designer Ruth Carter (Black Panther,) composer Jeff Russo (Star Trek: Discovery, Legion), makeup designer Sarit Klein (The Defenders, Daredevil), composer Sean Callery (Jessica Jones, 24), and costume designer Stephanie Maslansky (Luke Cage, The Defenders), and composer Siddhartha Khosla (Runaways, This is Us). The panel was moderator by fan-favorite talent Ariela Barer (Runaways) and Emily Coutts (Star Trek: Discovery.)
The conversation kicked off with a look into the emotional world of superhero stories. “Legion is a mind trip of a show,” said Jeff Russo. “The show has a wide open palette to support the emotional storyline.” Siddhartha Khosla agreed with the emotional breadth of this changing genre. “We want the show to feel grounded, so we play more on the relationship side rather than the hero side.” Sean Callery even treated the audience to a riff of Jessica Jones’ theme on his melodica. “Jessica always felt playful to me, like a cat.” “That sounded like a cat,” joked Siddhartha.
The panelists then turned their attention to the characters that populate their shows. “The goal in Black Panther was to make the king and queen relatable, yet fierce,” said Ruth Carter. “We wanted to make them bright and infuse their culture to make it feel noble and traditional.” Sarit Klein chimed in, “A fan told me that the feeling of Luke’s makeup took him back to the comic. The makeup should enhance the character rather the show off my skill.” Stephanie Maslansky agreed with the value of using costume and makeup to represent character. “We start with the iconic look of each character, but there is a certain degree of evolution that you’ll notice across seasons. To maintain consistency, we highlight specific traits in each character. In Defenders, each character has a palette, which sticks with them through clothing, lighting, and environment.”
The conversation then opened to questions from the audience. One fan asked about getting the call that they had gotten the job. “That was the most mind-blowing call I’ve ever had,” said Jeff Russo. “I was a Star Trek fan growing up. To think I was even considered was surreal.”
Ruth added, “My dog and I were hopping around in a circle. Then I froze, and was like ‘I have to get the comics and study.” Sean Callery laughed, “I was an hour late for a meeting, and was like ‘There goes the gig.’ But I still got the job!” Stephanie Maslansky, on the other hand, always knew that this project would come through. “I’ve done many series that fail in two episodes. I felt this one was going to be really popular.”
The panelists concluded with their gratitude for the crews and talent they work with. “I feel incredibly fortunate,” said Siddhartha. “I’m in my element making music for these shows, and it’s a reminder how lucky I am.”
Photo Credit – Doug Cowley/Charlie Martin
Poster Credit: Impact24 PR
