Decorating Pages

In this episode I interview Production Designer Bob Shaw, known for his work on "The Irishman", "The Sopranos", "Boardwalk Empire", "Wolf of Wall Street" and so many more. His thoughts on working in New York City on period projects, thoughts on working in this Covid world an his upcoming work on "The Gilded Age" and the Sopranos prequel "The Many Saints of Newark". 

In this episode I conclude my interview with production designer Eugenio Caballero. He speaks about a very unique design process in designing the film “Roma”. He has had some extraordinary experiences working on film sand he talks about those collaborations like with director Jim Jarmusch, working and traveling in this work with a family, and how releasing films on streaming verse in the theater.

On this episode I speak with Production Designer Eugenio Caballero. We discuss his current show “Cortes” shutting down for the pandemic. His passion about this subject and the personal relation he has to the project. He shares his journey of starting out designing music videos and set decorating then becoming a Production Designer. He also tells of his collaboration with Director Guillermo del Toro on "Pan’s Labyrinth", specifically the use of certain color pallets in the film to distinguish the fantasy scenes

In this episode Production Designer Adam Rowe and I analyze the the Best Production Design brackets that hopefully you have been voting on the last 6 weeks. I took the Best Production Design Oscar winners and nominees since the 60’s and had March madness type brackets to vote on each week.  Adam was very kind to support me thru this and honestly was probably one of the few people I can say voted almost every day. This was fun! We break down every decade and have a lot of opinions on which film beat out the other. It was great to reminisce about these films that inspire us and I’m sure inspired you.

In this episode I talk with Set Dec Buyer Laine Abramson. Laine has been a buyer since the early 2000’s and we talk about how she changed positions from props to find her niche as a buyer. How she chooses challenging shows and different resources she uses to get the set right. She has worked on features like "Oceans 12", "Constantine", "Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift" and "John Carter". Hectic TV shows like "Glee", "The Mindy Project", "Silicon Valley"and "Glow". Her upcoming projects include the feature "Malignant" and the Amazon show "Them: Covenant". We also get into the effects of this pandemic on the buyer position and talk about how we think things will change.

This is part two of my interview with Production Designer David Gropman. We discuss how he selects a crew when working overseas, his work with many amazing Set Decorator, Designing "Life of Pi" and working with director Ang Lee. I also check in with Annie Beauchamp, Caleb Duffy, Ethan Goodwin and Derek Hill on their pandemic experiences and their return to work guesses.

In this episode I am talking about my opinion of how this pandemic will effect production in the entertainment industry and my Set Dressing department. Production Designer David Gropman joins me and we also discuss how he has been effected by the pandemic and how his show was shut down in Italy. We talk about how he started in the business, "Chocolat", "Date Night", "One Fine Day"and the many broadway productions made into films that he has designed. You can currently see his work on the Hulu series on Catch-22.

Part two of my interview with Buyer Ethan Goodwin is all about the projects he has worked on. We talk about the period shows he has been apart of such as "For All Mankind" and "Perry Mason". We also talk about how our vendors somehow come through for us, and how real life timing vs. TV/Film timing is different. If we need it in two days somehow things happen. I also start with how the Coronavirs is effecting our industry and how it all went down in the past week.

In this episode I speak with my friend Ethan Goodwin. Ethan has the position of “Buyer” in the Set Dressing department and I couldn't do my job with out it. In an industry of "Hurry Up and Wait", we in Set Dressing have to make very quick turnarounds and figure out the logistics of getting everything to set. The buyer has become a vital position and Ethan is the best of the best. Coordinating selections, pickups, paperwork and dressing in the charter of sets.

On this episode I resume my conversation with Production Designer James Pearse Connelly. James has his hands full designing hit shows like "The Masked Singer", "The Voice", "Making It", and many more. We talk about his start int he business and how he now runs his own design company.

On this episode I recap the award season and Art Director Guild awards with Production Designer James Pearce Connelly. We talk through each category and about the Oscar winning Production Design of "Once Upon A Time In Hollywood". "Parasite" "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel", "Avengers: Endgame", "Chernobyl", "The Big Bang Theory", "Drunk History", "Russian doll", "Toy Story 4".

In this episode I am talking with Australian Production Designer Annie Beauchamp. Her work includes Black Mirror, The Lego Movie, On Becoming a God in Central Florida, Top of the Lake: Season Two, Sleeping Beauty and Art Directing on on films like The Quiet American and Moulin Rouge! to name a few. Living and working in Australia, she also traveled to many locations includingSouth Africa, Brazil, Vietnam and the US in New Orleans and Los Angeles. She is currently nominated for an ADG award for her episode “Striking Vipers” in the Black Mirror series.

Currently nominated for an ADG award and a British Film Designers Guild award for his Production Design of Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Patrick Tatopoulos is a force in the production design world. His talents have allowed him to work so many positions from illustrator, creature supervisor over to costume designer, producer, director and more. He seems almost too nice of a guy to be in this industry but you can hear his passion and his love to create come through in his amazing stories of films like Independence Day, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Stargate, Batman vs. Superman, Justice League and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.

On this episode, My interview is with Production Designer John Schaffner who’s work has been consistently on TV for the last 25 years. Have you ever seen Friends? Two and a Half Men?, The Big Bang Theory?? Mom?? You gonna watch The #SAG awards this weekend?… he’s done it. He has such a plethora of long running hit multi camera shows on his resume, I don’t think he has had a break in at least 25 years!

The Good Place is nominated for an ADG award for our work for this last season. I thought it would be fun to get together with Production Designer: Ian Phillips, Art Director: Adam Rowe and Graphic Designer: Graham Radcliff. We have an in depth conversation about the sets and graphics of the show. We talk about the Bad Place and Demon-Con, Janet’s jail, set extensions, how we finally built Mindy’s house on stage and all those funny easter egg graphics that you gotta pause real quick to catch.

Here is part two of my interview with Set Decorator David Smith, and to be honest, the man has so much to say, and it’s all gems! He has such a wonderful career decorating sets for tv and film. We get into some of his specific projects like his first film Shop Girl, working with Nancy Meyers on The Holiday. Working with the same Production Designer for 12 projects, filming on locations for some of his films like Last Holiday and The Vampire’s Apprentice. Being an additional Set Decorator on projects like Argo, Gone Girl, Vice and Unbelievable. We also talk about budgeting and working deals with prop houses and talking over the budget with producers.

In the episode I talk with Set Decorator David Smith. David has a 30 plus year carere which includes films like Crazy Stupid Love, Little Fockers, Imagine That, The Holiday, Shopgirl to name a few. He talks a lot about getting into the New York union and the transition to Los Angeles. His Set Decorating includes TV shows like the recent Unbelievable on Netflix, Parenthood, Army Wives, The Guardian, NYPD Blue, LA Law, Guiding Light and As the World Turns. He has been nominated for three Emmys and 4 Daytime Emmys. He’s a sweet and generous man who has great taste in paisley shirts!

In this part two of my interview with Jeannine Oppewall we talk about her ADG lifetime achievement award, how she picks her projects, how she dreams of wallpaper, working with producers and budgets, and her interaction with writers on projects.

In this episode I speak with the Production Design Queen of Period Film: Jeannine Oppewall. Her films include Catch Me If You Can, Seabiscuit, LA Confidential, Pleasantville, The Good Shepherd, The Bridges of Madison County. In this first of two episodes she talks about her beginnings of working beside Charles Eames and how she started in films.

This is part two of my interview with Dave Mandel. We talk about how the dialogue of Curb Your Enthusiasm morphs itself from an outline to the hilarious show that you see. What his favorite episode of Seinfeld is, BONUS! He has two! How they got the Curb/Seinfeld reunion together, his time at SNL and how it schooled him in show running. His feature Eurotrip, the VEEP finale, and how sad I really thought it was, writing for the whimsical The Cat in the Hat, an amazing story about Yoda, his co authoring of the book the design of Star Wars… I mean, I geek out with this man!