Assembly Studios' Kurt Geoppinger on Bringing Movie Magic to Life Through Signs and Fabrication

Q & A with Kurt Geoppinger, Sign Shop Lead, at Universal Production Services at Assembly Studios

Tell us about your role overseeing the Sign & Fabrication Shop at Universal Production Services at Assembly Studios and what that involves.

Geoppinger: "The Sign Shop at Assembly is responsible for assisting productions in creating the atmosphere on the stages and locations for filming, both for those utilizing our lots, as well as those shooting around the city. Each member of the team has unique and specialized skills they have acquired over the years, which help us find solutions to the requests the film industry gives us.

My primary role is to meet the needs of our clients, utilizing the knowledge of myself and the team, to work out the best and fastest way to bring their ideas to life. Everything from decals for bottles, to newspapers and catalogs, to street and highway signs, including location directional signs, and even stained glass, our team has created quality work to meet the needs and time frame of every client.

Our goal is to give the art departments, set dec and locations a quick and dependable outlet for all their needs."

You've been a graphic designer since 1996. How did you get into the film industry?

Geoppinger: "I began my career as a graphic designer at a local sign shop in Montgomery, Alabama. Over that time, I learned as many aspects of sign work as possible that I could, eventually overseeing all aspects of production in the shop. My transition from a traditional sign shop to the film industry honestly came as a surprise. Like many, I had never fully connected sign work with film and television production.

I am proof that keeping your LinkedIn profile updated is a good thing. As NBCUniversal was preparing to open their new sign shop here in Atlanta, I was approached via email to see if I would be interested in applying to lead the shop. To tell the truth, part of me didn’t believe it until the day I walked on the Assembly Studio Lot. I quickly learned just how important the sign industry was to making movie magic come to life."

Can you walk us through what happens when a production needs custom signage or prop packaging? What does that process look like from the initial request to delivery on set?

Geoppinger: "Our process is simple. When a production contacts us with a request, our first goal is to understand where and how the product is to be used. Most art teams already understand the types of materials that are required for the product, but there are times when I can make suggestions that can save time and money, depending on what is needed. Once the estimate is approved, we then take the artwork they supply, or in the rare case, design ourselves, double-checking for anything that may need fixing, and prep it for printing and production. Between three wide format roll-to-roll printers, a flatbed printer, laser engraver and our router, the product(s) are created and assembled, double checked for quality, and prepared for pick up."

In the article from the Georgia Screen Entertainment Coalition, you mentioned that you usually have just a few hours to turn something around. How do you manage those incredibly tight deadlines while maintaining quality?

Geoppinger: "Proper time management is the key. It is not always easy, but with expert knowledge of our machines and their capabilities, our team can plan out how to best line up the jobs as they come in. Also, knowing different ways to accomplish similar tasks helps when one machine is in use and another job has come in behind it.

Our team has over a combined 50 years of sign work experience, and with that, we bring top-notch skill and a desire to make the best product we can every time. It also doesn’t hurt that we are all still excited to see our work on the large and small screen, and we take pride in our contribution to the industry."

What kinds of projects do you handle at the Sign Shop? Beyond the obvious signage, what are some of the more unexpected or interesting requests you've gotten from productions?

Geoppinger: "Most of what we produce would fall under what I would consider to be your “typical” signage. Banners, hospital signs, printed canvases and storefront window graphics and signs. I am always excited when the more creative asks are made, things that fall outside of the normal day-to-day.

When Scare Tactics was filming in Atlanta, they gave us such fun and creative projects to work on. A couple of the fun ones were pages for an old spell book and a bucket wrapped like a fast-food chicken bucket that had to be worn on an actor’s head.

My favorite job to date is the stained-glass windows we created for a mausoleum. That was printed on a sheet of acrylic, utilizing our flatbed’s raised ink capabilities to create the actual texture of the glass as well as the leading between each pane. The final product looked just like the real thing.

The Atlanta Sign Shop at Assembly also does not limit our services for productions on the Assembly lots. We are also able to cater to any and productions in the Greater Atlanta region, as well as businesses in the area. We have done work for auto dealerships as well as conventions like Momocon."

What advice would you give to someone with a graphic design background who's interested in working in the film industry, particularly in the sign and fabrication side of things?

Geoppinger: "For sign shop professionals, specifically, I would say “dare to dream.” Learn everything you can about everything possible in the shop. There is no knowledge that is wasted when you get here. From old school hand painters to wide format printing to wood working and routers and now 3D printing, there is nothing that is outside the realm of possibility here. The opportunity to work on projects from different eras and even different worlds can come around at the drop of a hat."