Decorating Pages

Ryan Garton is a Set Designer who has worked on shows TV shows like “Banshee”, “Sleepy Hollow” and “Scorpion”, his work can recently be seen in the film “The Prom” and I’ve been working with him for the past year on “American Crime Story: Impeachment”.  Ryan has a gift for creating gorgeous virtual renderings of the sets he designs. These days with our schedules being so tight and revisions constantly coming at you, a Set Designers job has become more demanding. Ryan and I also have a deep love for the Real Housewives franchises. We talk some gossip and rate the homes and decor of some of the Real Housewives.

On this episode I speak with Director Michael Uppendahl. Michael has an very interesting story of how he got into directing that intertwines passion, talent and good old fashion luck. He is an award winning theater director and has been directing hugely acclaimed TV series like "Walking Dead", "Madmen", "Turn", "Legion", "Castle Rock", "Hunters", "Hollywood", "Ratched", "Fargo" and I am currently working with Michael on "American Crime Story: Impeachment". I was just delighted when I learned he had directed an episode in this past season of "Fargo" that was shot in black and white. It's a beautiful hour of television. With Emmy voting going on till June 30th please consider Michael’s work on "Fargo", "Ratched" and "Hollywood".

On this episode I speak with Production Designer Kalina Ivanov about her design of the 50's noir series "Lovecraft Country". Studying theater at NYU lead Kalina to storyboarding for films such as "Silence of the Lambs", "Quiz Show", "Sleepers" and more. Kalina transitioned to Production Designing films that range from comedies like "The Best Man", "Uptown Girls", and "Long Shot", to the TV musical "Smash", dramas such as "Rabbit Hole", "The Conspirator", the series "Kings",  and Netflix's "Seven Seconds". Kalina's Production Design also won an Emmy award for HBO's "Grey Gardens".

On this episode I am airing an interview I did last month with my alma mater Jefferson University. They have a great online series of webinars of how-to's from some of their alumni in their speciality fields. You can check out other webinars on their website jefferson.edu. In this webinar give tips on staging your home for selling from a set decorators design eye. Very grateful that I was considered for the series and hope that it was helpful. If you would like to watch the slide show for this episode you can find it on the Jefferson University YouTube channel and soon on the Decorating Pages YouTube channel.

The ADG awards are this Saturday, April 10th, which lets me celebrate the nomination of my friend Shaun Page for his work on "Wheel of Fortune". "Wheel of Fortune" is nominated for an ADG Award in the Variety, Reality or Competition category. We speak about the nominated sets and how the show being on for 35 years and being nominated now is such a special accomplishment. Shaun also manages to flips houses on the side, how he does that and work full time on this iconic show I have no idea.

In this part two interview with Production Designer Jim Bissell we throw back to "The Twilight Movie".  His feelings about designing CGI heavy films like "300" and "Jumanji", working six times with director George Clooney including "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind"and "Good Night and Good Luck". His love of  "The Spiderwick Chronicles", designing of a 5 million dollar parking garage for "Mission Impossible: Rouge Nation" and how he basically invented computer PreVis on "The Boy Who Could Fly". He also gives us some great insight into his recent film that he is nominated for an ADG award “The Midnight Sky”

It’s been a goal to speak with Jim Bissell since starting this podcast because on my wish list of designers and decorators I wanted to selfishly interview people who inspire me and inspire the world of cinema and tv. Jim Bissel has so many films that I cherish that of course I’m a total dork in this interview. He has a fascinating origin story that put him in the sights of Stevan Speilberg on one of his first films E.T. We talk about comparing his spaceship design from E.T. to The Midnight Sky. He reveals some Easter eggs from ET and The Rocketeer.  The magic of trashing the house in Harry and the Hendersons. He won an Emmy Award in 1980 for his work on Palmerstown, U.S.A. followed by a BAFTA nomination for production design on Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. He has a Oscar nomination for Good Night and Good Luck. Three ADG nominations, and the ADG Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015, which.. He’s going strong, he might need another one.

In this part two of my interview with Set Decorator Jan Pascale we discuss her beginnings in Pittsburgh as a set painter on "Mr. Rogers"! Then the obvious shift to Roger Corman films. Her early work propping then moving to set decorating on films  like "Forever Young", "Dracula Dead and Loving It", TV shows like "Gidion’s Crossing" and "Boston Public", then decorating "Training Day". Her string of heavy dramas intermixed with hilarious comedies like "Good night and Good Luck", "Anchman", "Spiderwick Chronicles", "Kicking and Screaming", "Leatherheads", "Horrible Bosses", "Argo", "Suburbacon", "VEEP", "All the Way", "Vice" and the upcoming "Maverick", the sequel to "Top Gun" and she is currently working on the Obi-Wan series for Disney. Jan’s beginnings to now is an extraordinary carer of decorating the screen.

In this episode I speak with the "Queen of White House Set Decorating" Jan Pascale. Her career includes so many great looking film I had to give you two episodes of her amazing decorating stories. With the highly acclaimed film "Mank" already sweeping up the nominations, I'm sure Jan will not be overlooked for her decorating in this black and white film. Her resume includes gems like "Good Night and Good Luck", "Sicario", "Argo", "Anchorman", "The Spiderwick Chronicles", "VICE", "Training Day" and the soon to be released "Maverick" the long awaited sequel to "Top Gun". A plethora of great stories decorating these films, so many this is part one of two... your welcome.

On this episode I explain the day to day of how Covid is effecting the way the set gets decorated. From meetings to last touches on set, the way we all work in this industry has changed, and I hope not for long.

On this episode I speak with Dean Holland, an Emmy winning editor for his work on The Office” He seven nominations fro his work on The Office and Parks and Recreation and the 76th annual Academy awards. He also has three Online Film and Television award nominations in directing for “Parks and Recreation” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”. I met Dean on “Parks and Rec” and was lucky enough to start up the Netflix series “LOVE” with him after Parks ended and then again work with him on “The Good Place”. Starting out in a post production house he quickly found his way to editing and working on shows like “Behind the Music” then comedies like Dave Attell ‘s ”Up All Night” and Comedy Central’s Celebrity Roasts. Working for nine years between “The Office” and then “Parks ad Rec”, Dean was able to move from Editing to Producing and then Directing. He has been directing recent shows like “Splitting Up Together”, “Bless This Mess” and “The Unicorn”.

As a holiday present to my loyal listeners I’m giving away my top 5 tips for getting into the business. I’m sharing the story of how I got into production and eventually a job in the art department. It is hands down the most asked question I get over the years. I’ve spent hours emailing people back the same story and the same tips. So this is my holiday gift to anyone looking to get into his crazy business. Happy Holidays!

In this episode I describe the structure of the Art, Set Decoration and Prop department. I’ve been in this business since 1999, and I know in describing all this to you I’m still not right. Every show it seems some positions do more or less then what you thought they did. Some people bring out the union handbook to prove they do or do not have to do something or that it is or isn’t coming out of their departments budget. Some people like the control of doing more then their position. I am going to be reading from the the local 44 union book and the Art Directors Guild of what their definitions of positions are and then trying to explain it in everyday use. My hope is to be as instructive as I can in helping you understand all the different positions it takes to make these amazing cinematic worlds come to life.

On this episode I speak with Production Designer Rose Lagace. She is also the creator of the successful Hollywood art department insider website Art Departmental.  We spoke in mid august and we both were starting back to work at the time. We talk about her show “The Baroness Von Sketch Show”, which if you haven't checked it out, it’s pretty funny and a little dark.  We discuss the ebb and flow of the work in Canada in the past decade, some of our tricks we used for getting into the business and her work designing many short films like Patient, Close your Eyes, Suffer, Plus One and so many more. She also describes how she came up with the successful website Art Departmental. Incredible how she is able to juggle working, keeping up with this site, interviewing Designers and Decorators.

On this episode I speak with Director, Producer, Writer, AD Jeff Rosenberg. I’ve worked with Jeff for a couple of years on different shows as our first AD and second AD and he’s great in both positions. In this past year Jeff finished the film “We Broke Up” which he wrote, produced and directed. I wanted to have him on the podcast because it’s so interesting to me to hear how someone can wear all the hats and have the passion to get a project completed. It took him years to get this together and while working long hours on productions like “The League” “VEEP”,  “The Good Place” and films like “Wine Country”.  He has an ADG award for “VEEP”, and wins and nominations for writing, production and directing his film Orenthal:The Musical which is now showing on Amazon Prime. And he won the Audience Award at the Friars Club Comedy Film Festival for it. We talk about how we both started in Hallmark movies… he excelled a lot quicker then I did, his story of getting into this business is unbelievable.

On this episode I am joined by Production Designer James Pearse Connelly and we discuss the nominated designs and the winners of the 2020 Emmys for Production Design. If you have listened to James and I recap before you know we don't’ hold back, and we drink! I’m super glad that he’s up for this and is able to go head to head discussing all of these celebrated TV shows. We talk about who we thought would win, not necessarily who we voted for. And.. we were mostly wrong.  Which goes to show, you never know… even as insiders, he’s even on the Emmy committee, ya just never know. James also just won a Daytime Emmy in June for his design of the Kelly Clarkson show, so cheers to that! He currently is the designer for show that are filming during covid like “The Masked Singer”. We talk about how designing for covid has changed his designing style.

On this episode I am joined by storyboard artist Gabriel Hardman. I spoke to him in early July after seeing him in the documentary “Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Story”. A documentary about storyboard artist Harold Michelson and his wife Lillian Michelson, a film researcher. In the documentary they interview a current storyboard artist, Gabriel Hardamn. The documentary inspired me to track him down for this podcast. A storyboard artist is a position in the art department but as Gabriel explains they work more closely with the Director then the Production Designer. Gabriel’s resume is quite impressive. Huge films like Ford vs. Ferrari, Pirates of the Caribbean, Logan, Interstellar, The Dark Knight Rising, Inception, Angels and Demons, Tropic Thunder, The Siderman movies, The Austin Power movies. I definitely learned from this interview about specifics of the position and the imagination and talent it takes to be a storyboard artist.

On this episode I speak with Production Designer Jamie McCall. From her days of graphic designing on "House" to designing non stop for the past two years on "American Crime Story: Versace", "Pose", "The Politician" and the upcoming Netflix film "The Prom". We talk about her moving around the country to work in this industry, how other Production Designers have helped and influenced her, her work on "Banshee" and designing the Ryan Murphy world.

On this episode I speak with Set Decorator / Production Designer Matthew Flood Ferguson. Matthew is currently nominated for an Emmy for his work on the Netflix series “Hollywood” for Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Period or Fantasy Program. His career as a Set Decorator focused on films like "Running with Scissors", "Beautiful Creatures", "The Gift", "Battle of the Sexes" and more… but recently turning to a string of high end TV Dramas like "American Crime Story: Versace", and the upcoming "Ratched", he then moved to Production Designer for “Hollywood”. We talk about how we met on Versace, how he started his career in commercials, the ridiculous pace it takes to get a series like "Versace" and "Hollywood" made and if he’ll be sticking to Production Design. I also gush about my love for the film "Running with Scissors" and make him talk about all the good stuff.

On this episode I speak with Production Designer Monica Sotto. Monica is celebrating her nomination for Outstanding Production Design for Variety, Nonfiction, Reality or Reality-Competition Programming for “Drunk History”. She was also nominated in 2017 when she was the Art Director on "Drunk History". This past January, when we were still allow to party, Monica and her team also picked up an Art Director Guild award for "Drunk History". I met Monica on “Bones”, she was the art department coordinator. It was great to catch up with her and see what she's been up to since I last worked with her. A USC film school grad, Monica started as being an agents' assistant and then moved into the art department. She’s worked on some great shows like “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”, “Rizzoli & Isles”, the last season of “American Horror Story” and more.