Ilana Portney (’21 Advertising Design)
Ilana Portney has been immersed in the world of set building since her childhood.
Fueled by her parents’ creativity during the 2008 recession, her journey began with crafting Popsicle stick structures and decorating dollhouses. Over the years, she evolved into a talented set designer, working on music videos, TV and film productions. Her impressive portfolio includes collaborations with artists including Ice Spice and Quavo, as well as with the likes of iconic companies like Nike, Vogue and Maybelline.
On a recent trip back to Detroit, Portney invited us to the Russell Industrial Center to discuss her latest project – designing a Complex magazine cover set for Detroit’s own Eminem.
The Interview
“When it comes to networking or getting a job, you do not have to do things in a practical way, because this world is not practical, and things don’t happen practically anywhere. All of my jobs came from Instagram, literally, and that’s how I grew my career. I didn’t start out as a production assistant. I started out as a production designer. I started out at the top of my career field.”
–Ilana Portney
What led you to this career path?
In my junior year of college, I met a director of photography who showed me the way of the Art department. We started making our own films and music videos. I took up a minor in Film my junior year and became obsessed with making videos and skits. The second I graduated I landed my first big project with the TODAY Show through NBC.
Once I did that, I wanted to do it forever.
I moved to New York and, after networking through Instagram, my first project was a Fetty Wap music video. From there, I met people my age and we all grew together and became really close friends. I met my now mentor, Robert Taylor, on a Charlie Puth music video, and I work with him all the time now. He’s like a brother to me.
What does a day in your life look like?
It depends on the project.
I care about my work so much that it really feeds into my life. I wake up around 6 or 7 a.m. on a project week. I think about all of the things that I have to do, maybe make a deck to present. Start sourcing all the props I need, talk to the producers about the budget, and fight them on it. Have tea if I can. Go shopping for the things that we need, and source more things. Talk to the photographer, the director and the director of photography. Talk to my team, if we need to build. Talk to the fabricators, a.k.a. Robert. I go to bed about 2 or 3 a.m., wake up and do it again.
I do it because I love it. This is my life. I love art, I love the people that I meet, and I’m fascinated by how people think. It’s really hard for me to sleep because I love the things I do.
What do you love most about your career?
I’m honored to be doing something that I love. I’m honored to be working with my friends, and I’m amazed that I get to work with them all the time and get paid to draw smiley faces on note cards and stick them in the background of a bedroom set. I get to do something fun every single day. It’s stressful to have to source three and a half yards of sand, but it’s like, that’s my job. Every day, it’s just an honor.
What would you say to current students or potential students who might be interested in this career?
No one masters everything. And I’m still learning that, you know.
As an artist, you’re your own worst critic. You have to better yourself, whether that’s working out, drawing, painting, therapy or something. You’ll continue to fall, but you can learn a lot from other artists and your friends and lean on those people.
There are so many incredible people who I grew with at CCS who have taught me so many valuable things, not just talent-wise, but socially as well. They brought perspectives that I wouldn’t have, from how they were raised and their stories. That helped inform my work.
What, or who, inspires you?
I love other people. Everyone around me is so talented. All of my friends, every single person at CCS. One of my closest friends, Dillan Murillo, is exceptionally talented. He was one of the hardest-working students at CCS, and I really admired his work ethic. Everyone at CCS was so talented in their own ways, you know, so other artists inspired me to have much more drive.
