Ron Haake
PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT
I work at the intersection of design, fabrication, and execution, leading the production of scenic builds and custom-fabricated elements from idea through install. My focus is on making complex concepts buildable by selecting appropriate materials, coordinating fabrication and partners, and solving practical challenges. The result is work that meets exacting visual standards and performs reliably under pressure, when there's no margin for error.
SCOPE OF WORK
Each project below began with sources ranging from rough sketches and reference images to fully developed drawings. From that point forward, I was responsible for translating creative intent into finished, production-ready results. I collaborated closely with agency art directors, architects, commercial directors, and photographers as creative peers and supervisors. All fabrication planning, materials decisions, vendor coordination, and execution were carried out under my direction, with full responsibility for outcomes.
Some live, event-locked projects are not represented visually here due to access, documentation, or client restrictions.
This work has included supervision of union installation crews for large-scale athletic events, providing custom staging and scenic support within public venues and immovable schedules.
SCENIC BUILDS & FABRICATED ENVIRONMENTS
Custom Immersive Environments: Urban Decay to Polished Perfection
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Harley-Davidson | Factory loading dock | Dealership brochure series | Wood, EPS foam, fiberglass | One of a series of gritty urban environments built entirely in studio to enable controlled light painting.
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Macy’s / Marshall Field’s | Television commercial set, studio | Wood, foam, canvas, fiberglass, synthetic hair | From a series of artworks that come to life, inspired by the Lady Godiva myth.
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Thermador | Magazine ad set | Wood, dance floor, ripstop nylon | Agency art director: “Let’s make it red. Really red. And lots of it.”
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Cooking at the Academy | PBS cooking show set | Wood, turned EPS columns, plaster, cast concrete, brushed aluminum | A set built to answer the question: What does cooking at a museum look like?
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Grey Poupon | Upscale bus shelter, location shoot | Wood, steel, fabric, polyurethane molding | We knew it worked when the city received complaints about wasting taxpayer dollars on luxury bus shelters.
ADDITIONAL SCENIC ENVIRONMENTS
Advertising, Marketing and Event Scenery: Build, Install & Strike
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Nash Metropolitan Factory | Retro industrial set for fine art car collector posters | Automobile, wood, fiberboard tubing, metal
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Youthful Essence | Cosmetic television commercial set shot on location in hotel lobby | The large column, as well as dimensional and backlit signage, furniture and display elements, all custom fabricated.
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Raider's Return | Custom set with rotatiing panels and cave behind the wall with the idol | Wood, EPS and polyurethane foam, stucco, mechanical components, | This promoted Raiders of the Lost Ark tie ins at McDonald's.
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Amana Kitchen | Set for magazine ad for concealed appliances | Dyed birdseye maple veneer, ash veneer, venetian plaster, light fixtures and illuminatated soffit | Contemporary upscale finishes for a luxury product.
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Oracle Geometric Office | Magazine advertisement set | Minimal color meets maximum precision | Everything except desktop props was custom fabricated.
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Age of Empires | Video game advertisement | Wood, silk | Custom monoliths with hand-embroidered applique character illustrations.
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Biba’s Italian Kitchen | PBS cooking show set | Old-world country estate set, shot in the studio.
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Short Stories & Tall Tales | KQED children’s storytelling and variety show | Old-fashioned roll-up backdrops enabled rapid scene changes on camera.
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Tandem Visions | Conference set | Speaker series featuring retired world leaders.
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Intel | Set fabrication of New York loft for television commercial shot in plain white studio.
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MSN | Old world still photo set shot on locaion for natural light | Wood, plaster | Prefabed facades for 3 hour installation window on a city street.
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Itau Monitor Tunnel } A tunnel of wall to wall simulated TV monitors for an South American advertisement | Wood, vacuum formed PETG bezels, transparency graphics | Not CG...OG
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Max’s Coffee | Temporary coffee shop identity for television commercial | Built to transform vacant storefronts into a believable neighborhood cafe.
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Fox Sports | Offsite fabrication and union crew build/strike supervision for MLB All-Star Game pre-game show and media deck.
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White Shoes | PBS Dance in America | Custom faux marble MDF dance floor, surrealist wall art and panelled walls for TV dance special.
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Amana | Wood, wood, and a bit more wood (plus faux concrete) for a magazine advertisement set.
CUSTOM FABRICATION, PROPS & MODELS
Conceptual Challenges Rendered Real: On Time & On Budget
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Nature's Recipe Chihuahua | Cast and nickel plated custom sculpted hood ornament for magazine ad | Epoxy sculpt, cast in pewter and plated in nickel
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Sprint Phone Model | Pay phone for magazine advertisement | An intentionally inaccessible Cold War-era Soviet payphone.
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Twisted Metal | Promotional packaging and custom RC truck graphics for a video game advertisement | Vacuum-formed truck body and sculpted epoxy clown antenna ball
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Hybrid Vehicle | Miniature shot on location for magazine advertisement | Client: Make a plane, car, and motorcycle hybrid model to shoot on location.
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C & H Sugar | Simulated custom ceramic cookie jar | HDPU foam with epoxy coating
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Lead Shoe Exhibit | World's slowest shoe created for a magazine ad | Metalized Instacast
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Lightning Switch | Fictitious switch model for museum exhibit promotion.
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Icarus' Shoe | Custom prop for magazine ad | Cast and melted pigmented hot glue
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Manhole Cover | Custom design with headline for marketing use | Laser-cut MDF
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Rolladex of Doors | Oversized vintage Rolladex with miniature faux wood doors for manufacturer marketing | Instacast and tubing
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Sumo Foosball Table | Difficult to play custom game for Kirin Beer magazine ad.
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King Tut Rookie Card | Archeological dig for bas-relief stone trading card.
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Neon Sign | Temporary sign created for Mercedes television commercial | Like the sign says: Open.
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Vitex Viking | Custom aluminum engraved plaque for magazine advertisement.
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Outdoor Totem | First Nations inspired totem for an amusement park | Stucco over EPS foam
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Drakan Logo | Distressed metal logo to promote video game | Wood and milled/carved brass
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Bell Logo| Hero logo for photo shoot and marketing | Instacast. custom rubdown transfers, automotive lacquer
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San Francisco Zoo | Scuppted and cast oversized ant farms with custom oversized ants used as bus shelter advertising (1 of 20, built and installed).
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Pioneer Audio | A double-wide coffin for the man who loves audiophile sound enough to buried with a remote in hand.
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Frog Hands | Poseable frogs used for multiple shots in multiple poses to advertise museum | Clay sculpt cast in foam latex with armature wire core
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Hero Packaging Bars | Non-melting complete ice cream bars and bar inserts (with scoop for inserting real ice cream in bite), plus simulated chocolate surface.
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Rusted Metal Couch | Magazine ad for leather company | Tissue paper and sawdust (whatever works) over hardware cloth armature
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Age of Empires Globe | Bas-relief globe with Native American chief faces for magazine advertisement | Clay sculpt over spherical turned foam substrate, cast in Hydrocal and painted
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Chrissy Field Visitor Center | Interactive display with user actuated LED lighting and two axis track mounted magnifying lens.
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Hanes | Teacup and Saucer | One of a series of household objects shaped to match the Hanes logo | HDPU, lacquer and surface coating epoxy
PRODUCTION TOOLKIT
Tools and methods I use to move work from concept through fabrication and execution.
Design Build Support
- Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign)
- Production-ready artwork and shop drawings
- Dimensional layouts, scale studies, and material callouts
- File setup & prepress review for large format printing, CNC, laser, and specialty fabrication
Fabrication & Materials
- Wood, metal, foam (EPS and HDPU), fiberglass and resins
- Dimensional lettering, scenic finishes, and surface treatments
- CAD-based layout (2D and basic 3D)
- Vacuum forming, moldmaking, and casting
- Precision spray finishes and surface coating systems
- Mechanical assemblies and lighting integration
- Practical and mechanically actuated scenic and prop effects
Working Style
I work hands-on and collaboratively, translating creative intent into buildable, production-ready solutions. Much of my experience comes from fast-moving advertising, broadcast, and live-installation environments where work must perform perfectly on schedule, often under public or camera-facing conditions. I’m comfortable coordinating with multiple vendors, making decisions on the shop floor, and solving problems in real time when constraints shift and there is no margin for error.
Production & Project Management
- On-site execution and real-time troubleshooting in live public environments
- Workback schedules and milestone tracking
- Vendor sourcing, bid review, and coordination
- Site surveys, field measurements, and installation planning
- Microsoft Office / Google Workspace / Productivity Software
- Project management software (e.g., Asana)
ABOUT ME
I specialize in turning ambitious creative ideas into buildable, production-ready realities, coordinating materials, vendors, fabrication, and execution so work performs flawlessly when it matters most. My experience is rooted in fast-paced advertising and broadcast environments where precision, reliability, and accountability are non-negotiable.
Based in Beaverton, Oregon, with local availability for in-person collaboration, fabrication oversight, and on-site execution.
808.769.1550
