DON'T SAY A WORD marks NELSON COATES' (Production Designer) fourth feature collaboration with director Gary Fleder, having previously designed "Things to do in Denver when You're Dead," "Kiss the Girls" and "Imposter." In addition, DON'T SAY A WORD is Coates' second film for producers Anne and Arnold Kopelson, having previously designed "Murder at 1600."
His credits also include writer/director
David Koepp's "A Stir of Echoes," as well as writer/director
Richard LaGravanese's "Living Out Loud." Coates designed
features helmed by three noted actors: Kevin Spacey's "Albino
Alligator," Angelica Huston's "Bastard Out of Carolina"
and Bill Paxton's "Frailty." Other film designs include
projects such as "Disturbing Behavior," "CB4,"
"Three of Hearts" and "Blank Check."
Coates' designs for "Living Out Loud" were featured
as one of five films in a special exhibition on film design during
the 1998 Bienalé de Firenzé in Milan. He received
an Emmy Award nomination for his design work on "Stephen
King's The Stand."
Coates also has worked as an actor, singer and dancer, making his professional performing debut at age six. His design career began in theatre, while he attended college, and as his acting career took him into commercials, television and finally film, so did his designs. He has appeared in three shows off-Broadway, performed for four U.S. Presidents, sung for the Gorbachevs, and soloed with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, as well as with numerous orchestras throughout the U.S. and Canada.