Jamie Ruth Conner
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Jamie Ruth Conner (born August 1952) is best known as the designer of Barney as well as serving as the art director for the first three videos in the Barney and the Backyard Gang video series.
| Jamie Ruth Conner | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 26 1952 |
| 🏫 Education | MFA in Communications, Southwestern University |
| 💼 Occupation | |
| Known for | Designer of Barney the Dinosaur |
| 👩 Spouse(s) | James Patrick Conner (m. 1984) |
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Education
Jamie Ruth Conner attended University of North Texas where she graduated cum laude in Design with a concentration in 3D design. She graduated from Southwestern University[1] where she earned a MFA in communications in 1974. For her thesis she directed The Coco and Ginger Show, a Caribbean Baptist Puppet Show that was broadcast in 17+ Latin countries.
Career
Jamie Ruth Conner began her career in 1973 as a fashion designer working for several clothing manufacturers in Dallas until 1983. She designed clothing for several celebrity labels including Willie Nelson.
J. Conner Designs
In 1984 Jamie opened her own design studio called J. Conner Designs. Specializing in television production, Jamie built sets, costumes, props, and puppets out of her own workshop. In 1984 she became the art director for Sunshine Factory[2] starring Michael Meece where she designed sets as well as built puppets. In 1988 she served as the production and costume designer for Going Forward[3], a Southern Baptist docudrama surrounding the life of Annie Armstrong[4]. In 1992 Jamie was hired to be the art director and set designer of children's television series, Nanna Puddin'. Along with television production, J. Conner Designs also designed and built hundreds of sets for stage shows, theme parks, trade shows, and churches across the nation.
Starcatcher Productions, Inc.
In 1995 Jamie started Starcatcher Productions with the goal of producing musical stage shows. She wrote the rock opera, "The Man - Son of God, Son of Man," funding for the production fell through in 1996 and was never produced.
Barney the Dinosaur
Six weeks before filming was to begin, Jamie Ruth Conner was hired to be the art director for Barney and the Backyard Gang in May of 1988.[5] After Irene Corey failed to deliver a plush dinosaur costume for the production to use, Jamie was given the assignment to redesign the character. When director and producer, John Grable saw how Jamie had drawn Barney in her storyboards he told her that that's what he wanted the character to look like.
After Jamie's design for Barney was finalized and approved by creators Sheryl Leach and Kathy Parker, she selected the purple, green, yellow color palette simply because that shade of purple was a trendy color in the late 1980s. The original Barney costume was then built by Suzanne Lockridge of Irene Corey Design Associates.
Jamie Ruth Conner also was responsible for designing the Moonkin character used in the Three Wishes home video, which was then contracted to a California costume firm to build.
She also designed and built the first Barney doll prop used in the 1988 production of Barney and the Backyard Gang.
Jamie was given a $300k budget to work with for the production of the first three videos in the Barney and the Backyard Gang series. Her budget was used to salary the six member art department, construction on the fantasy sets, the props, and costumes.
Personal Life
Jamie married James Patrick Conner in May of 1984. The two adopted three sibling children in December of 1995: James Patrick Conner Jr., Jennifer Ruth Conner, and Benjamin Dillon Conner. Jamie became a Christian in 1981.
References
- ↑ Conner, Jamie Ruth 16, December 1984. "Conner Receives Masters From SWBTS" https://www.newspapers.com/clip/103905212/jamie-bio/ Fort Worth Star-Telegram
- ↑ Stevens, Susan. 25 November, 1987. "'Seven Brides' to Play in Texarcana" https://www.newspapers.com/image/209943989/?terms=%22Jamie%20Conner%22&match=1 Longview News-Journal
- ↑ Beil, Gail. 29 April, 1988. Lights, camera, action! https://www.newspapers.com/image/212137770/?terms=%22Jamie%20Conner%22&match=1, Longview News Journal.
- ↑ https://www.anniearmstrong.com/
- ↑ Hatched Purple: The Designer of Barney
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