Reel

BRYNNE WASSEL

Art Department Freelancer | Artist

REFERENCES

David Tennenbaum

Production Designer on "Fuzzy Legs"

"This is my very strong endorsement of Brynne's skill and ambition. I write this with many years of experience as an art director and set designer in the film and television industry.

I first met Brynne when I was running a workshop on carpentry techniques in film, for DePaul University. As an instructor or lecturer I do look out for students who show more than a passing interest in what is being taught. Brynne was one of those students. She was willing to learn proper techniques, showed promise with her craftsmanship, and was not afraid of the tools.

After the workshop, as Brynne started doing her own projects, she would always approach me with questions if she needed to problem solve. We could always have an informed and intelligent conversation. Brynne understands that there is never one solution to any problem, and will work with you and listen."

Larry Lundy

Production Designer on "DePaul Second City: Find Your Funny"

"I had the distinct pleasure of working with Brynne on a project to production design two sets for a “sizzle reel” for Second City and
DePaul University. DePaul had brought me in to create an intimate restaurant and creative writer’s group worklab sets. She was my
assistant. I was instantly put at ease by Brynne’s focus, creative instincts and ability to follow through; not always traits of students
or new workers. She gets it. Brynne is grounded, and yet able to fly creatively . . .a great balance. Can’t wait to work with her on set. She’ll definitely be an asset to any art team she is hired on."

Matt Gehl

Director on "Dollar Store Birthday"

"Brynne is an insanely talented filmmaker with a history of being able to pull off the most extravagant to the most delicate set pieces on the tightest of schedules. We wanted our birthday party set to feel like the bottom of the ocean and she somehow pulled this off over the course of two days with a tight budget. I can't recommend her enough to Production Design your movie."

Ella Lubienski

Director on "The Yellow Wallpaper"

"Brynne is an incredibly skilled and hardworking member of the Art Department, no matter what position she's working in. As a Production Designer, I know I can always count on Brynne for high-quality and professional work, often on very tight budgets. She carried the weight of my film on her shoulders, from designing and building a true-to-life solitary confinement cell, to interfacing with the VFX Department to ensure her complex practical effects would mesh with their digital ones, to working with a shooting schedule that relied on required set modifications during production without ever slowing down our days. No matter what part of the art team she's leading, Brynne is someone I know I can count on to solve difficult problems and produce fantastic work in an efficient and organized manner. Brynne is an excellent collaborator, both creatively and logistically, who brings incredible ideas, reliability, and experience to any production she works on."

Sydney O'Haire

Director on "Mmmm!" and "Quicksand"

"When I have a crazy idea involving practical effects or production design in one of my films, I call Brynne. Her eagerness in figuring out how to make incredibly difficult practical effects play realistically on screen is contagious. Brynne has done practical effects and production design on two projects of mine: a short film titled "Mmmm!" and a music video titled "Quicksand". The film "Mmmm!" involved two actors throwing yogurt on themselves, as well as redesigning a logo to go on the yogurt cups themselves. Brynne figured out both of these tough components without a hitch; she knew exactly what to do and how to do it. The music video "Quicksand" was my most difficult practical effects project to date -- it involved putting the lead actress in water on a sound stage and covering the actress in colorful goo that would drip down her face. I had no idea how I was going to achieve both of these things, but Brynne knew exactly what to do. She suggested we purchase an inflatable swimming pool to use on the sound stage to avoid any equipment getting wet, and she knew exactly how to make colorful goo that was both realistic on screen and safe for the actor to ingest. The practical effects were a massive success, and Brynne was able to make this happen on a very small budget. Brynne's communication is great and timely, and I'd recommend her for any production design or practical effects needs!"

Penny Penniston

Director on "Circus Act"

Maggie O'Brien

"Brynne brought so many great things to my project-- a stunning, lush design; an eye for detail; a positive, collaborative, attitude; and inventive problem solving. Throughout the production process, she stayed on top of things and on budget. She was a delight to work with and I highly recommend her."

Production Designer on "CXL" and "Rumble"

"I’ve worked with Brynne on multiple occasions and got to know her pretty well over the years, and have always been impressed with her determination and drive. She worked as one of my set dressers on CXL, an ambitious sci-fi film with a small budget and tight schedule. Brynne showed up every day ready to work, and was a huge help in building and prepping our 5 sets. We teamed up again on the short film Rumble, which I designed and Brynne did practical effects. I never had to worry about the fx during prep or shoot because Brynne was always on the ball. Because of her problem solving and work ethic, all the gags worked perfectly, and her creativity was a huge benefit for the film. She’s not afraid of a challenge and will work hard to see a project through to the end. It’s been really fun to watch Brynne grow as a designer, and I’m excited to see what she does next!"

Alan Schwanke

Hand Drafting Professor at DePaul University

"The projects she chose to draft demonstrated to me that not only was Brynne willing to challenge herself, but that she had a real knack for breaking down large complex projects into workable components. In summation, Brynne is a highly qualified artist with one eye on the mechanical details and the other on the artistic composition of a project. She is an intelligent, hard working leader and I look forward to following her career closely as she continues"

John Klein

Director on "Cry it Out"

"My thesis film Cry It Out required a whole host of different elements from the art department, ranging from simple baby toys and decorations to more complex horror-centric bits - blood, fake snowfall, breakable props, the works. Having Brynne there to complement production designer Taylor Truskowski's work was immeasurably vital; she constantly had an attitude of "we can always make it better" in everything from leveling picture frames to figuring out the logistics for making snow fall in an apartment to figuring out the best ways to make use of the crazy assortment of random props and toys my family provided! Her visual stamp and work ethic is all over the film, and it was a blast to work with her."