Decorating Pages

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 (https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=chernobyl&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8)", "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 (https://britishfilmdesigners.com/) 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!

In this episode I speak with On-Set Dresser Jordan Steinberg. Jordan has worked on films such as Flightplan, Evan Almightly, A Single Man, and Transformers. His television work includes shows such as Mad Men, Parks and Rec, LOVE, VEEP, The Good Place and upcoming Sunnyside.

On this epiosde I’m joined by Set Decorator Lydia Marks. Being from New York City she certainly has made a mark on some recent films that burst with #NYC (https://www.wix.com/dashboard/f57a3731-9497-42e0-96a4-e3ae9ae5a7c2/blog/search/.hash.nyc?referralInfo=sidebar) design. WIth a background in photography and art history you can see in her sets how she works in he details to the frame. I talk to her about #FosseVerdon (https://www.wix.com/dashboard/f57a3731-9497-42e0-96a4-e3ae9ae5a7c2/blog/search/.hash.fosseverdon?referralInfo=sidebar) and the detailss and research it took to bring their lives to the screen. I asked about the influence New York City has on her films and about working woth femail directors. Lydia’s fims include You can Count on Me, Broken Flowers, The Namesake, #TheDevilWearsPrada (https://www.wix.com/dashboard/f57a3731-9497-42e0-96a4-e3ae9ae5a7c2/blog/search/.hash.thedevilwearsprada?referralInfo=sidebar), #SexandtheCity (https://www.wix.com/dashboard/f57a3731-9497-42e0-96a4-e3ae9ae5a7c2/blog/

I am joined on this bonus episode by show runner, writer, director, editor, #StarWars super fan, Dave Mandel. A career that starts with the Harvard Lampoon and drifts to #SNL, #Seinfeld, #CurbYourEnthusiasm, #VEEP and films including #Eurotrip and #TheDictator. He's talking about it all in this 2 part bonus episode!

This epeisode is all about the final season of #VEEP. Production Designer Jim Gloster talks about his run on #VEEP, how he took over the show, moving VEEP from Maryland to Los Angeles, the finale of the show, and obviously how much he loves working with me. I think one thing that's interesting is we describe what happens when a set goes wrong. What went wrong and how we fixed it in top speed!

Joining me on this episode is Prop Master Gay Perillo. Her range of talents span from creating Leslie Knope's massive amount of detailed scrapbooks on Parks and Recreation to filling Gary’s Leviatian on VEEP. She has a career of being a Prop Master with long running shows like Crossing Jordan, Mad Men, Parks and Rec, VEEP and The Good Place. Gay's feature films include A Single Man, Sex and the City, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, Gloria Bell and just released on Netflix, Wine Country.

Joining me on this episode is Prop Master Gay Perillo. Her range of talents span from creating Leslie Knope's massive amount of detailed scrapbooks on Parks and Recreation to filling Gary’s Leviatian on VEEP. She has a career of being a Prop Master with long running shows like Crossing Jordan, Mad Men, Parks and Rec, VEEP and The Good Place. Gay's feature films include A Single Man, Sex and the City, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, Gloria Bell and just released on Netflix, Wine Country.

In part two of this interview with Location Manger Caleb Duffy he talks about hiking a mountain with Sean Peen, the locations of Behind the Candelabra and the Netflix movie Wine Country and much more.

In this episode I talk with Location Manager, Caleb Duffy.I have been working with Caleb Duffy for the past 3 years on the show VEEP and The Good Place, He’s a super chill guy that no matter how rearranged the schedule gets and flying minute by minute he always keeps his cool. And believe me on VEEP things changed every thirty seconds sometimes. I know how hard he worked on VEEP to get the locations every episode… some episodes as many as 20 or more.In preparing for this interview I looked him up on IMDB, which I don’t think I had before, and I had no idea the resume this guys has! And actually how many people we know in common. Caleb started in the early 2000’s and as assistant location manager on projects like Erin Brokovish, Traffic, Oceans’11, Terminator 3, And location manager on Superman Returns, Into the WIld, The Artist, Behind the Candelabra, Thor, and Wine Country.. He’s ;location managed TV shows including Greek, True Detective, The Good Place and VEEP.

On this episode I will be talking with Director Beth McCarthy Miller. Beth is one of the most versatile directors working in TV today. She bounces from single camera shows to Live TV performances and Stand Up Comedy specials. Beth started out directing live MTV shows and then worked her way to an eleven year gig directing Saturday Night Live. Beth directs mostly half hour TV comedies such as 30Rock, Modern Family, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmitt, Divorce, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, VEEP and many more. She’s directed the stand-up comedy shows of Bill Maher, Dave Attell, Jim Norton, D L Huley, Bob Sagat and more. Live events such as the NFL Superbowl halftime shows with Britney Spears and Aerosmith, and the Janet Jackson, Justin TImberlake halftime show. She has 31 nominations including 11 Emmy noms, and 11 wins including multiple DGA and Cable ACE awards, Golden Derby, Gracie Allen, and Online film and television awards.