بیوگرافی
Roger C. Ambrose, also known as Roger Ambrose, is an American Production Designer and Art Director in the television and film industry. Born in Hollywood and raised in Southern California, he has established himself as an innovative artist with a diverse range of styles, genres, and experience in production design and art direction. With over 25 years of professional experience, Ambrose has dedicated his academic and career pursuits entirely to the Art Department, consistently delivering exceptional production value to every project.
He has designed hundreds of sets across theatre, television, film, music videos, commercials, internet broadcasts, concerts, and convention exhibits. His work also includes designs for themed events such as "The X-File UFO Crash" at The Grove in LA, Pixelon's iBash in Las Vegas, the grand opening of the New Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, and projects for the Ronald McDonald House Foundation at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles.
Growing up near Hollywood, Ambrose was deeply influenced by the entertainment industry. The abundance of theatres, the expanding television and cable sectors, and the theme parks of Disneyland and Universal Studios fueled his passion for design. After graduating from San Gabriel High School under the mentorship of Dennis Reed and R.O. Wilson, he earned a double major Bachelor of Science degree from San Diego State University’s School of Theatre Arts and Television/Film Department, both focused on design for TV and film.
Ambrose began his career in the early 1980s in San Diego, art directing the cult classic "Return of the Killer Tomatoes" starring George Clooney. He was the first official intern for San Diego Film Commissioner Wally Schlotter before moving to Hollywood, where he served as Department Head and staff Art Director for the Arthur Company (MCA) at the historic Desilu Studios (Hollywood Center Studios) and later at the Universal Studios backlot.
As a staff Art Director, he designed and supervised over 250 episodes for Turner Broadcasting’s original sitcoms including "Down to Earth," "Rocky Road," and "Safe at Home." He also designed sets for "The O'Briens" with Darren McGavin (MCA), "Around the Bend" with Heather O'Rourke (MCA), "Comedy Challenge" hosted by Ray Combs (WTBS), and the Arthur Company’s original pilot "Ace Diamond Private Eye" starring Adam West.
Additional television credits include "The Steven Banks Show," PBS’s first original sitcom, Brandon Tartikoff's ABC pilot "Best Defense," "King's Pawn" starring James Avery, "Knock Out" with Lou Rawls, and "Driving Me Crazy" featuring Rance Howard. He also served as Art Director on NBC’s comedy program "Television Parts with Michael Nesmith," working with Michael Nesmith and director Bill Dear.
In the music video arena, Ambrose collaborated with prominent MTV-era directors like Joseph Kahn and Paul Hunter, contributing to award-winning videos for artists including Aaliyah, Erykah Badu, Changing Faces, 702, Total, New Edition, Johnny Gill, Montell Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Heavy D, John Oates, Warren G, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Lionel Richie, Sean Combs (Puff Daddy), Vince Gill, and Barbra Streisand.
His experience also extends to television pilots, feature films, national commercials, and infomercials. Notable projects include Jason Alexander’s "The Whitey Show" starring Michael McKean (Studios USA/MTV), Sean Young’s indie film "Hollywoodland – The Desmond Taylor Affair," "Conan the Adventurer" (TV series), Paramount Television’s "Dance 360," and docu-dramas for Discovery Channel and Investigation Discovery. Ambrose’s career has spanned locations from Iceland and Mexico to various sites across the U.S. and Canada.
Ambrose has also contributed to the internet and podcast world, working on TechTV’s original "Screen Savers" with Leo Laporte, "Unscrewed with Martin Sargent," and designing the TWiT TV Network’s studio, "The TWiT BrickHouse."
His set designs have enhanced the fitness video market, with work on several Billy Blanks TaeBo videos, "The Firm," "Crunch Fitness" on ESPN, Paula Abdul's "Cardio Dance," Winsor Pilates with Daisy Fuentes, Gunnar Peterson’s "Core Secrets" featuring Brooke Burke, and the "Buns of Steel" video series. He has helped brand numerous health and fitness video products for producer/director Andrea Ambandos and Dragonfly Productions.
Ambrose also served as Manager of Scenic Design at QVC in Philadelphia for a season and continued freelancing on the East Coast and internationally. He held the position of VP of Creative Design Affairs for BBTV (Better Black TV), was Creative Director at Ultra-Star Cinema, and supervised event design for the launch of the Anaheim International Film Festival.
His accolades include two Emmy Awards for Art Direction in San Diego, multiple film festival awards for Art Direction and Production Design, a Commercial Cleo Award, a Student Emmy Award, several MTV Video of the Week honors, and the Action on Film International Film Festival’s Best Art Direction for the feature "20 Ft Below: The Darkness Descending" (2014).
A skilled Production Designer and Art Director, Roger C. Ambrose’s career is marked by creativity, innovation, and extensive experience.
