Barbara Ling, Production Designer of ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,’ ‘Michael,’ Dies at 73
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- Barbara Ling died July 9 at age 73 after a four-decade career as a production designer spanning film, theater, and opera
- Ling won the Academy Award for production design on Tarantino's 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,' completing the work under a tight 12-week prep period
- Her credits span Joel Schumacher's 'Batman Forever' and 'Batman and Robin,' Oliver Stone's 'The Doors,' and Antoine Fuqua's Michael Jackson biopic 'Michael'
- For OUATIH, Ling's crew shot one side of Hollywood Boulevard at a time to avoid disrupting tourism; producer Rita Wilson noted the 1969 recreation used no CGI or special effects
- Ling sourced original blacklight posters on eBay and arranged royalty payments to surviving poster artists whose work appeared in the film
- She also designed 'A Man Called Otto' starring Tom Hanks and began her career with lighting design on 'The Pee-Wee Herman Show' special in 1981
Why it matters: Her death removes a production designer known for practical, no-CGI historical recreations in an industry that has largely moved to digital effects. Tarantino's 1969 Hollywood came together in just 12 weeks of prep with handmade facades, vintage signage, and real Hollywood Boulevard shooting — and Ling personally tracked down original poster artists on eBay to pay them royalties for reused artwork.
