From Creed to Moonlight to Black Panther, Hannah Bleacher is Unstoppable

Hot off the back of her Emmy nomination for Beyonce's 'Lemonade,' Hannah Bleacher has hit her stride as one of the hottest production designers at the moment. After working on Creed last year, Hannah is enjoying the praises of director Barry Jenkin’s coming-of-age story MOONLIGHT, and is already set to work on the upcoming THE BLACK PANTHER film. In an exclusive interview with ProductionHUB, Hannah talks favorite sets, challenges with filming and more. 

ProductionHUB: How did you get on board with the MOONLIGHT film?

Hannah Bleacher: I was taking a bit of a break after Creed and the first script I read was Moonlight. I talked to Barry and we really clicked, the script was phenomenal and the timing was right.   

PH: How is this film different than others you've worked on?

Hannah Bleacher: The structure of it was so unique, I hadn't encountered anything like it before and it was so provocative and visceral, we really leaned in to stylizing the film but with the concentration of realism.

PH: What was your favorite set and why?

Hannah Bleacher: I think my favorite set was Juan and Theresa's house.  It was so transformative, through color and decoration, I really enjoyed working on that one.  

PH: What type of tone/mood did the Director, DP, etc want for the film and how did you put your own spin on it?

Hannah Bleacher: I think we all worked in tandem to create a very stylized look for the film. We wanted color story to play a very strong part in the visuals as you move from one chapter to the next, but then play back into each other as a whole.  I'm all about finding color organically, especially when filming in a city where the story is set. I think how it presents itself throughout is something I really tried to key in on. 

PH: What were the challenges associated with working with shifts in time and location? 

Hannah Bleacher: Being that this was a low budget film it was challenging to create everything we needed to and stay where we need to budget wise.  I had a hardworking great, albeit small, crew who really went non-stop, which made making all of the transitions and using so many locations. 

PH: The film is already receiving five-star reviews and there is Oscar-buzz surrounding the film. What would that mean to have the film receive an Oscar nomination, especially given the"whitewash" of the Oscars this year?

Hannah Bleacher: You know, at the end of the day being recognized by your peers is really wonderful, especially for a film that's story is unique and long overdue, especially in the times that we live in.  But, I think regardless of that recognition, it's just a great film and that is the most important thing, bringing a unique, magnificent story to the screen, nothing else. 

PH: You are about to start working on BLACK PANTHER. How is that going and what stage are you currently in? 

Hannah Bleacher: It's a privilege, as always, to be working with my friend Ryan again for the third time.  As far as the film, all I can really say right now is it's going to be lit, for real.  

PH: Anything you can tell us to expect? 

Hannah Bleacher: Something you've never seen before.