Double Dare/Double Dare 2000 Production Designer

I recently had the pleasure to ask Double Dare 2000 Production Designer, Byron Taylor, a few questions about his career with Nickelodeon and what we can expect to see in future episodes of Double Dare 2000. He has quite a history with Nick, particularly with the original Double Dare. Byron is responsible for the way most of your favorite Nick shows "look" on TV, so read on and learn a little bit about what it takes to bring you Double Dare 2000.

Could you tell our readers a little about your background/training/education?

I'm a life-long theatre junkie, who found himself designing sets in high
school and wound up doing kid's television by accident. Along the way I got
a BA [Bachelor of Arts Degree] from Cal State Long Beach and an
MFA (Master of Fine Arts Degree] from NYU, both in theatrical
design, worked off-Broadway and in regional theatres a bit, and for the last
14 years or so worked for Nickelodeon.

Please tell our readers a little bit about what you do for Nickelodeon.

I'm a staff "Production Designer" for the Production Services department
here at Nickelodeon, primarily working on live-action series and game
shows. Production design can mean different things to different producers,
but ideally I'm there early enough in the process when a show is in
development, to help define the physical requirements of the show, determine
the "look" so to speak and then design the sets and props, and sometimes the
costumes and even the graphics, logos etc.

How long have you worked for Nick and how did you get selected to work
on the original Double Dare?

It was actually a complete accident: I got a call to come in and
assist Jim Fenhagen, the original designer of Double Dare, for a few days
during the summer of '86. Things just sort of snowballed, and here we are 14
years later.

Is it a great staff to work with or what?

All the folks here at Nick over the years have been generally great to work
with, and those that are an exception to this rule usually move on.

Do you have a funny/embarrassing story to tell about working on Double Dare?

Practically everything that happens on Double Dare is either funny or
embarrassing, so it's hard to pick just one... the missing flag in obstacle
#1 on the first show (that one really runs the gamut of emotions),  being
hunted down backstage by Marc and put on camera,  watching a couple of the
stagehands doing synchronized swimming in The Tank when it was full of
pudding...

What kind of "insider information" can you give us about Double Dare and
Double Dare 2000?

Speaking as an "insider" I must confess, the show is as much fun to make as
it is to watch.

How long did it take to go from concept to design to finished product
for Double Dare? ---- DD2K?

The show was pretty much set and fully designed when I came in to help,
there were just a few obstacles left to do. This development process must
have taken at least half a year or more to do, and the show changed
relatively little after it was on its feet.

DD2K on the other hand happened in fits and starts. There was some talk of
reviving the show for its 10th anniversary, but serious discussion didn't
get under way until the summer of '98, with run throughs happening later in
the year. It was determined that the stunts needed to be "bigger",
especially since we had done shows like Nickelodeon GUTS and Legends of the
Hidden Temple that had upped the spectacle quotient for game shows. Bigger
stunts were tested in the spring of '99 and some more development occurred
that summer, but a final "go" was not given until September and then it was
a mad dash to get the show into production.

Could you tell us what it's like during a day of production on DD2K?

Sheer bedlam... even though I have done nearly 600 episodes it's a learning
process everyday with new stunts coming in, new configurations of obstacle
courses etc. Most of the crew was new to the show as well, and they needed time
to get up to speed, even though we were making shows.
It starts for some of the crew (the Gak Meisters) as early as 6 am and can
go as late as 7 or 8 pm with clean up.

How many more episodes can we expect to see from this summer's taping of DD2K?

25 more, to bring this order up to 65 new episodes.

What do your responsibilities entail as production designer for DD2K?

Designing the set, props (stunts and obstacles), uniforms, on-set graphics
and logo for the show. This was accomplished with various crews totaling
about 100 people.

What other shows have you designed for Nickelodeon?

Finders Keepers, Family Double Dare, Think Fast, Make the Grade, Welcome
Freshman, Clarissa Explains it All, Get the Picture, Nickelodeon Arcade,
Roundhouse, Nickelodeon GUTS, What Would You Do?, All That, Legends of the
Hidden Temple, Kenan & Kel, The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo,Figure it Out...

Do original set pieces from the first Double Dare series still exist?

Just a few, most rotted away, some were cannibalized for parts. Marc's
podium is still used at Nick Studios for special events and is on display on
the tour.

Do you have any idea what the production schedule looks like for DD2K
this summer?

Sometime in July, when there are lots of kids and families around.

What kind of changes can we look forward to seeing in the new batch of
DD2K episodes?

I haven't any clue just yet, perhaps in a few weeks.

Any plans to bring back more original Double Dare obstacles/physical
challenges?

I think we cherry-picked the best stuff, although I always loved the "Kid
Farm" and the "Hourglass" from the old shows.

What's in the future of the "Triple Dare Challenge"?

I hope that people will get more familiar with it and it will take less time
to explain and allow more time for Q&A or stunts.

What is your favorite part of working at Nickelodeon?

Getting paid for having fun and doing something that I would, and have done
for free.

Thanks so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule for this
interview...if there's one piece of advice you could give to our web readers
that want to go into the world of television production and design, what would
that be?

I don't really know how to get into television, since I sort of fell into
it, but I can say what I look for in PA's coming into the art department: a
willingness to roll up their sleeves and dive right into whatever project is
at hand. For example, on DD2K using a fire hose to wash off props, cutting
exactly the right sized confetti by hand, and getting slimed over and over
again testing a stunt for the first time.
[Also,] if you have special skills that obviously can help. Drafting and model
making and graphic design is always needed in the studio, and craft skills
like carpentry, welding, sculpting, painting, upholstery, sewing etc. are
always needed in the shops.
Having passion or finding the joy in the doing of the "work" can go a long
way in making up for any lack of experience.