Contact: Maridith Geuder
Under the glare of stage lights, the carnations, potted mums and tropical flowers on the set of a television sitcom are not immediately noticed.
But two Mississippi State retail floristry majors know that days beginning at 3 a.m., careful attention to design and rigid deadlines are essential elements behind the deceptive simplicity of a floral arrangement that is televised to millions.
With the help of university assistant professor Jim DelPrince, December graduate Jennifer N. Edwards of Dyersburg, Tenn., recently completed a three-month internship with Sandy Rose Floral Design for Television and Film. The North Hollywood, Calif., company provides floral designs for several current television series.
While Edwards was completing the internship, a fellow floristry major, senior Brandon Branch of Tylertown, joined his friend for a week-long visit at her work. Their collaborative efforts can be seen on episodes of "Everybody Loves Raymond" and soap operas "Days of Our Lives" and "Passions."
Edwards said she is the first student intern ever hired by the company devoting itself exclusively to the entertainment industry.
"Sandy Rose is a fairly small company and all of its designers are freelancers," she said. "I also functioned as a freelancer, which allowed me to learn a wide variety of skills."
Both students confirmed the Hollywood adage: Life behind the cameras isn't usually glamorous.
"It looks so different on television than it does in reality," Branch said. "I quickly was disillusioned about the 'glamour' of it all." Instead, he and Edwards learned that 12-hour days are the norm, occasionally starting in the wee hours of the morning.
"The designers work with set decorators to plan flowers that accurately reflect the lifestyle and personalities of characters," Edwards explained. "Designers also deliver the arrangements and make themselves available to fine tune the designs, as needed."
In an "Everybody Loves Raymond" episode, the title character's brother is hospitalized. The MSU team's touch can be seen in floral arrangements for that scene, among them carnations and some potted chrysanthemums.
"They were flowers appropriate to a working policeman," Branch said, adding that more elegant arrangements were called for in a "Days of Our Lives" wedding scene.
Edwards, who said the soap opera episode was her last big project on the set, credits "excellent training" at MSU for helping her adjust to the endless demands of Hollywood.
"I worked at the University Florist on campus and learned to interact with other professionals," she said. "Also, as a member of the Student American Institute of Floral Designers, I and other students had many opportunities to test our skills."
Still associated as a freelancer with the Sandy Rose company, she returns to L.A. next month to assist with floral designs for the Oscars. Meanwhile, both she and Branch agree their brushes with Hollywood have provided new career goals.
Edwards, newly interested in floral styling, has applied for a position with Home and Garden Television, while Branch is focusing his future in the field of set design. Now attuned to the hectic Hollywood pace, both are seeking careers that provide a variety of experiences.
Edwards said, and Branch agreed, that "It's nice to go to work and never know what you're going to do."