Cory Lorenzen - The Land That Time Forgot

In this episode I speak with my friend, Production Designer Cory Lorenzen. Besides being the Designer for "The Goldbergs" and "Schooled" he also is an Art Director in Entertainment Design for Universal, Nickelodeon and others. Starting his career with the indy hit "Napoleon Dynamite" he’s been designing films and tv shows like "Greek", "The Paul Riser Show", "Breaking In", "Web Therapy" the period hits "The Goldbergs" and "Schooled".

"The Goldbergs" - Production Designer Cory Lorenzen

You can see all of Cory's work on his website:

https://corlore.com

Here is the full Transcript of the podcast:

Cory Lorenzen - The Land That Time Forgot

00:00:18 - 00:05:03

Decorating pages is podcast dedicated to taking you behind the scenes. The designs of your favorite TV shows films. Each episode, sharing design stories with some of Hollywood's most famous APPs Interviews from set decorators, production, designers, directors, and actors about creating the TV. About their design inspirations and stories that take us up from page to screen. Hello and welcome the decorating pages I'm your host Kim on up? I think a week twelve. Of Cova D-. And I don't know I wanNA get through this real. Quick 'cause. This interview with coins in production designer is really good, and I want to get to it. I. Just to address what is all happening to us? Throughout this country I live in La I live two blocks away from the intersection of third and Fairfax of the farmers market the Grove. Where there was a protest, and it was turned into a standoff with police. Vehicles were trash burnden and. It was next to my favorite wine bar, which was super scary. That was going to go down the blending lab, but Frightening is not the word that I could say because you know. This is happening two blocks away and I have twins napping in the next room, so. There's just been a lot of emotions going on. This week I think for everyone and I think all emotions are justified in this. I feel. So much sorrow for George Floyd daughter and his mother. And, his family and I don't even know them. And then. Personally? I feel bad for the small business owners who have gone through a lot of my neighborhood. I know a lot of them on Third Street and I just feel bad that all around there is just so much disrespect and anger in this world and. I don't know I. I really try not to get political on this podcast because. We all get enough of that and I. I want this to be an escape, but I I do WanNa comment that none of this behaviors tolerable. And actions have consequences and. That's that's what I'm going to teach my children. I'M GONNA teach them love and kindness and compassion. and. That's what I'm. GonNa Start with because I. Don't know how to solve this. I hope that all of you are safe and healthy and doing well. In this episode I speak with my friend production designer Corey Lorenzen He's pretty busy during this pandemic, because not only is he currently the production designer of the Goldbergs in school? He also is an entertainment designer for companies like universal nickelodeon and others, and what that means is, he creates interactive like theme park Vignettes, like or some like theme stores. In that are in the parks or even floats for the Disney parade for Disneyland, like is such a cool job and somehow juggles at all. I met Corey in two thousand five on the film Fan Boys, which didn't even come out till two re-shoots later in two thousand nine. He hired me for the film and which was shot in Albuquerque. Albuquerque and unfortunately That's the only time that we've ever worked together. We had one small little project, but other than that schedules. Don't mind up, it sucks. Fan Boys was just the weirdest experience of good and awful. Which I know, a lot of people have had in this industry. You'RE GONNA. Hear all about it, but at least I made a good friend out of it. It's just a terrific I. Starting his career with the indie hit and Polian dynamite let me just repeat that. He started his career on Napoleon dynamite. Hello, he's been designing films and TV shows like Greek Paul Reiser show breaking in Web therapy, and of course, the two period hits the Goldbergs and schooled. Recorded this midday pro to keep that in mind He's such a good guy so talented, so I hope you enjoy. Final Soda you're you're one lasted? Shutdowns and they're probably the last name he shows to shut down.

00:05:03 - 00:10:01

We can handle on there another week or so beyond. What most other hosted? At least as far as what we read in Well. So, both of our stories that actually both are stories, Goldberg into schools are the two shows that I designed. And, so both of those were coming into the final episodes, and both of them are the pinnacle to the next. Season setups. And so there was a bit of a shift. Like how do we resolve these storylines? And episode early when we're basically halfway done with the episode. The second to last episode. So, I think I think was A. Real need to hold out longer. Can we squeeze? Can. I think there's a bit of. Realization kind of. The kinda came Sony thing. Everybody else's the last guys come pulled out here so they should have done with that last episode missing from each show. Wrong. And I thought a final cuts on those. And threw comes from creative voice over. It looks like they did in a little bit because our shows are both married, so they get a little leeway in their storytelling. Seems like they were able to kind of resolve some of those. Issues that would exist if we just dropped onto the season finale long. Well, that's I. Mean I gotTa say I mean. I've watched Goldberg since the beginning. I gave up this season. I, just I. I know I know. I love it, but. I gave up. For losing the hometown philly audience funded. What are we? What are you doing this for them? Well, listen I. have voiced my concerns since the very beginning that they don't have philly accents, this is. You can have. John. Who's been honestly though? Watch that though locally? I think people want no. No back there. People Watch it. But I know people who watch it back there. My Parents Limited Gripe. Great. was. I was philly accent shirt. Hey It's just me. I think it's just me. The whole thing is that little kid has like a mid western accent didn't even try to get rid of his dialect at all. That's that's like insulting. Right you. You do so much. Yeah I mean you now every the reason why I watch, every episode is because you guys do such a fantastic job of like cat, not only capturing. The error, but really capturing like minute details from like Philly and I know that's because the Creator writer is Philly and of that time and I'm sure he's. Sure painstakingly, and probably annoyingly giving you notes of like not not the color red on. Wa, but you know it makes for. TV FOR ME. I'm not an pre-state associate. Someone that's local because we tried to hit all those ten important elements that make it feel real good feel like it's actually taking place there. It's it's hard. It's hard to do under style of show of half hour. Episodic show that shot in Los Angeles so. We do things quickly, and we do things for certain price, but. We always do our version whether it's the Wallah or whatever that's. Real always trying to get as much of that reality began in there so hopefully it's enough to. Make people feel it definitely because I it's not all dialogue. There's so many little things in there like in the set dressing and the sets, and like even like the sign it and everything that you guys have done to make that, so Philly I. Love it I'm telling you that's why I watch it. Often more this last year. We failed you so. But yeah. We're things wrong. Well here all right you WANNA. Go Deep I. Just don't get like she went to college. Go to college like. I don't know it just just go away and then only come back for one or two episodes. It was like every episode was like Oh. Mom trying to get me back. I'm coming back and then I. Don't know I was like this is repetitive. I gotta give up I gave up a Muslim family like two years ago. That was a long call gave up at the end. Sure. I probably be speaking of it without knowing the nitty gritty of it I'm sure there are other considerations on a show like this beyond narrative storytelling. I'm sure there's. A contractual obligations there's. I'm sure there's other reasons why things are the way they are. Show running for a long time. To where maybe the initial narratives that may have been I just this going five years say it was going six years and.

00:10:01 - 00:15:08

because. It's been so successful, but that's what happened Briggs. Lead for for for so much more narrative. Be stretched out perhaps. But that's that's what happens with all. The shows like modern family had to add kids. And, then they have grandkids. And working with kids. It's worst. Enough enough. Yeah, and then they grow up and you know you hope I'm sure a producer. You're like Oh my God. Just stay cue. Just please stay cute, and then these poor kids have to go through puberty during shooting like it's A. Sin. Yeah, I think I. Think a very least I. Think Goldberg's You know. The growing up on the goal has been really grateful. Too much awkwardness, and because of the awkwardness was played into. The story. Show. It's dead. Mean it's a pretty good affects their. I and Then I mean I. wanted to ask you time I mean. You basically live in the eighties and then now the nineties with school. I mean you're just like living in your childhood basically in. Constantly reminiscent and things. Like that? Is that! Is Pretty, interesting because you know I think those shows are pretty successful due to the style. This. undefinable feeling some station that we all have because of certain. Situations where their lives and things come back in a number of and. Pretty powerful emotion, both of these shows tapped into until when I started with these shows I mean yeah, and about the same age as Adema whole Bergen, some of those same experiences and In Memory Memories Yeah that that we've done through this whole time, so I think initially, it was pretty overwhelming to try to. Replicate! Essentially the emotion right like trying to replicate a feeling for things because I can look at certain of these objects or The music of the toys or this fashion in how these kinds of styles feels for it, but it doesn't hit you the same way you remember hitting you necessarily, but I think that's what you're trying to design to try and designed to. That emotion. So initially it was. Overwhelming and a bit like really digging into it now. There were so many years later. A bit of nostalgia worn off. You know personally somebody's trying to design. It as more of like heavily. Still, how do we hit those emotional? I think that's a great point out. I think it's super great point because it isn't always exactly how you remembered it. But what were you feeling when you heard that song? Or you know when you were in high school in this situation. Happen to you too, and you're designing for that really. Yeah exactly so sometimes it's. It's not the. Way To describe it. It's not necessarily. If you look at it as a whole like each piece of new ones might not be right, but as a whole. How does this make you feel? Has a you remember? To own for the story that's happening. One of the things that we try to do with design like every designer is not let. What the design is especially something. That's really kind of design centric, not stand in the way of the story. Anything. was something like the eighties nineties? Those are pretty. Intense. You know periods of design. Minute, we had no. I think I actually think doing nineties is hard because. He's been harder than. The. Eighties eighties for the real. Interesting with actually. Yeah. Let's definitely Goldberg is actually from the Seventies. That's how. People don't live in the now. People live in the past ten years kind of constantly so. We're able to do now to Kinda tuned down. The Goldberg stuffed in early house like that finish. Eighties, contemporary design, these Moore's an accident. It's even the nineties especially late nineties like that like in my mind is still so current even our over twenty years ago. It was kind of weird. In the night, yeah, but the nineties is worth things. It's still recent story. Look back on it and say that wasn't good. We haven't gone through enough of A. Time pass to really appreciate what it was especially graphically. which what we do that areas with the graphics and it's just really. It's easy to bad versions of what the nineties is right now I think so. It's a bit harder for us to. Really? Do the good authentic looking design kind of across the board which I think, he's doing very well. It's a bit harder takes more effort to do. The Yankee were falling into what cliches are of that era? Yeah, I, mean the the would the pine the overdone florals the eight like Laura Ashley you could get into so many little.

00:15:09 - 00:20:00

Little. Pockets of what the nineties was, but then there was those bright colors, and then there was like the minimalist of black and white like. It was so all over the place that I think the nineties is really hard to pin down. It is I mean it's absurd. I research was was looking into what was successful about the nineties and television sets like frazier. Which is incredibly understated in also very elegant. Color combinations pallets. You know types of wild grains that are popular in certain areas as big difference between the type of wood. We appreciate living with in the eighties versus the nineties, and it's a pretty big difference between them. Those those ten those trends most styles. Fluctuate. Those looking contrast between the goalposts, world and the schools world. We need to make them look like they're both in different eras. But also interesting things about. Designing period is at design trends. Don't follow ten year increments. It's really hard to say. Something was eighties when it was popular between a seven and ninety seven. Or something is. Popular between seventy, two and eighty four. So just because it's easy. For instance he wins to kind of. compartmentalize things these tenured they no means that we live in tenure, I mean to say open nineteen ninety time to. Tend to change is. So things are much more fluid than I think. compartmentalize. Some has as far as designers that go. Well I think I mean those shows I think you've nailed it I mean, and I think it working so much probably with wardrobe and the overlap of that because you're period. I mean. Other nailed it on the shows. Oh Great. Yeah, that's awesome when we're able to work a lot with our. Our costume designers amazing with the shows. You know sending up graphics and designs for almost every. You know uniform, graphic and of. Element he's be cross between two always really kind of. Aware of what each other's doing, because the wardrobe with a shows can be. Very out there. and we WANNA make sure that there's a kind of cohesion between what the actors are wearing and where they are environmentally so. Make sure those those works that could be an opportunity for a lot of clashing. Unpleasant way a lot of coordination. There's worship. We've got a good relationship to. Make working together on that. Has To be funny. I mean I. think that was one of the things when I started parks of like being super scared that on my God is dressing funny. Chair funny because this is is the dressing part of the joke, which a lot in parks! volved a lot of that into like the the set was part of the joke or something, so so there is that thing in comedy where you have a little bit of leeway, but you don't want to cross a line to be like over over the line. To be like A. Tick away from. It's kind of what is learned in working in comedies for the past. Ten years or so? Is How'd you put it? I've got to watch the amount of funny that I think I need to put into something. Parts like. I am. Not, in charge of what is funny on a show, that's comes from are show renters who oftentimes fielder the. treaters funny, right? So, I think to make sure that the type of funny that we put in is in service to what it is. They're creating what it is that they're writing for for each show. which is like you said? It's kind of a fine line to walk. I put in all sorts of things I. Think are funny, but. It's it's in keeping with the tone of what. You know the rest of that show supposed to be one detail into ASCII, `bout in Adams. Room is the wallpaper. Did you. Did you make that wallpaper? Is that real? In. So I, don't. Pronounce Bedroom that is Star Wars wallpaper. It. It was only seen season one. Because it was a to remember. It's like a kind of an off white paper with a bunch of scenes of things. Return the jet. That's other to go back like. So I bought a remnant of it for like a foot long. And that the skin it's in peace altogether paints in missing pieces, and then have it printed like. Four because I couldn't find. It didn't quantity. So it's a little piece of it. People are painted and multiply dues whole room, and then the network said. Azru as much little faces staring back at the characters around there. And I was like well. Yeah, but it's cool, you know. Know Network stuff is. To willing to heartbreaking things I had to do because I figured things I was really proud of I found found his paper able to.

00:20:01 - 00:25:02

Recreate it. We got clear on some everybody. That's on clean, kissed to use it and get rid of it after that season. Halfway through that for season. was really kind of. Funny that you actually have everything. That you have the story about it because. I looked on your website it at your set photos. And I saw that and I thought. Oh yeah, that wallpaper I remember that like that's cool and then. Sometimes as a viewer you're you just accept like Oh yeah, that's what it looks like, and you don't remember because it was you know what I mean like that's that's their living room, and you sort of peace. It's you don't remember every single thing, but to me I'm like that's Adams. That's that's what it is, and the fact that it's not there anymore. I was like Oh. 'cause when I just saw it on the picture of your on your website. I was like man. That's cool. I wonder if that's real or if you make that, that's awesome. Yeah on the wealthy for did to that space. And what does all the spaces and they go versus at ads like visual texture. It's almost every said. We'd never have a blink. Section of any tier we do, and also because I think it's kind of emblematic of air was excessive design. So. Far, I mean the whole house is just so much pattern wallpaper. Court like coordinate so many different patterns together to try to work together, but also feel slightly off. Said there was so much of this during air. That felt right to do it this way, but it makes it very type cohesive visual texture behind your back are actors. UNIFIED! UNIFIED SCATTER OF. You still gonNA really extra everybody. The taking. Taking that out of atoms room like really heartbreaking, that was now deeply room without wallpaper and I think it was really one of the. Species I. It works well and honestly because it showed. wallpaper that was like uniquely. Yeah, and you know I mean. We know we know how hard it is to. I mean you get clearance on so much on that show and? It goes. Of the show. It's insane that you had like you. Get that for network. And we started out with very little clearance like so we've got a couple of star. Wars Clearance Gi Joe's and Hasbro stuff cleared right off the bat because we renew show having clouds in you know Kinda pop culture world get as far as the stuff goes. As, we go and see interesting to seize. It became more popular show at more and more. ID's and product wanted to start coming up part of the show so to place. You know kind of fake cheated things with real things and yeah. So then. We're having the point now where. Clearance hasn't become much of an issue or used to be to where we would almost not give shoot things. We didn't hear back on clearance, but now now we're able to get yes so much. Cleared a so much more quickly. On the show it helps I mean it just helps the environment and the viewer to be all in capsule into into the show. But. The. I mean I looked up Evan Goldberg. Who is the writer? Creator I didn't realize how many documentaries disguise into of of like nostalgic. GIC Like our generation. which we are Zenya lls on if you know that but. We're like that mix of. The, we're like the best of both worlds of like a millennial and generations e, there's a there's like four or four year three year pocket in the late eighties in one, thousand, nine, hundred, where we have the best of both worlds like we know a phone and a cell phone, and we had great TV, and we have screaming like we have like the best of everything kind of deal. Kids because my kids still call me boomer. boomer. Tony. Evan Goldberg. You. Did you meet him on families. Yeah so so we on. was that it's actually was I I should meet him till after boys so. But he wrote. You? He Yeah so he Hanson Ernie quite the. Original draft again, Adam. Kinda came to the production draft or Nicer Senator, which weight and The two of them were were. We're like integral to it, and so I had become good friends with Kyle Newman attracted fan boys and I hadn't actually didn't meet Adam until after we shot fan boys. So I met in in Los Angeles bag at home afterwards and he was a great guy has great vision and. I was able to work with him. On breaking in which was for Fox News for Sony, and then that led to the goal.

00:25:03 - 00:30:01

School with him. Yeah, I have. I have a whole page of just memories and things to talk about on fan boys, but you crew with that. Because, seriously you can, we could. We could write a screenplay about the making of that film, and it would probably on air then that film. That was A. That was insane. Really got before we before we get to that I should. I jumped in? I should ask you start it like how how you got into this and studying for it and and all that. Yeah. It's interesting interesting to hear how people became productions answer. People started working in the art departments. You know like the Greater Art Department if you will be the such a niche thing, right? Who Even knows that there is such a thing as not permanent. There is somebody that has to design all this. I usually introduce myself to people that need I. Don't say production our director. I say I designed movie sets. The Knicks to look and say like Oh you dummy down for everyone. Yeah. Yeah I got you. So. That's always interesting to hear like how people get into this career that so. Few. People know even exists as a career. But I started I in Los Angeles and when I was a young child. My parents actually got into acting. So during the early eighties, I was on TV and commercials for like toys and for. Northern, soft prints, toilet paper and I was in. Honors! I was in with the frigid waters inside moves feature film. And he actually like a week ago, so every ten years stagg check for like twenty bucks move. Plays on it. It's so great. So yeah, so it's really funny that yeah, that little part I have like a little boy, I untie shoes hallway, bugging the. Guy In the senior. Bowl cut had. And that's still. You know. It's like twenty bucks every ten years. But then expose me to the fact that this is a thing. People create a very young age. I'm think that most people can I realize. Kids realize that there's industry that creates things that they enjoy. A pretty young age they'll. They'll be exposed to this. You know as a career. I did want to continue acting at a pretty young age I. Think by the time I was ten or so I was like well. That's not really for me. But I always knew that being involved in that. Industry is what I wanted to deal with I couldn't really ten point whether they wanted to do and it. Also going up next to you know in Los Angeles. There were so many. Friends that have parents in the industry and things like that that you're gonNA exposed to a pretty young age so. It wasn't until high school that I was. kind of weird discovery channel used to be cool used to have a show about making of Hollywood films. And it was called something like the or something, and it was like behind the scenes of. Special effects in production design. Not Paintings, pyrotechnics, and and stunts in watching that show kind of my formative years or something. That's Kinda World Wannabe and I'm not sure what it is, but that's. You know it's of really cool. Showing exposed me to a lot of. That behind the scenes kind of work. When to to to film school to study filmmaking and realize that area I liked was called production design. And I studied. Ask Which nineteen is not really great treating out there, even still no elections liners those who wanna go into design like that. So a lot of it had to be. Taking classes that I think could tell me even though it wasn't necessarily part of the film curriculum. If you. If you were to design a class for production design, you'd be like you'd have to be real like jerk and you'll be all right crazy This shoots Friday. I WANNA budget tomorrow. You know what I mean like. You'd have to be a real jerk about it because that's the reality of it. Yeah and I could tell you jokes so I got into jerk mode when I went to Grad School. Feel like training. In my t I studied in Grad School I. was in the NFL program at UC. Irvine for theatrical. Scenic design. And you would spin and these teachers like by loved them Douglas got go. He was an amazing designer, but he was purposely a horrible to you and your word, so you get why what you did was wrong. To doing you do some two weeks doing a drawing. Now I go to like an an hour. You know we've been doing drawing in my mind is beautiful.

00:30:02 - 00:35:04

Awesome bringing into class. He couldn't up on the board. And he just started drawing. Right on top of. This is wrong. This is right. This is wrong. This is wrong. Is this person so big I? It's a small wise light coming from two directions. In just like sit there like your heartbroken. While you looked at this thing in your mind, you worked on for weeks and just scribble over it. In point every little did that was wrong with what you're doing. which was incredibly effective because of that she. Really motivated you to. Do that second fear. Shane yet that's. A shame. That's what I work for now the fear of Shampoo. That's the that is it the going home at night after watching your your work on TV and just like getting the whip out and giving yourself some slashes of like. Why did I pick them till? Oh. Yeah! I mean I like that guy. Then I don't know it's like yeah. To me was affected. Yeah, isn't that. Set US up for the precious. We deal with the kind of regular basis here. but that that's a but getting back to the industry I. Studied film design couldn't college. After college be in films. Go you need a lot of good friends like people that you've had collaborated with over the years in school. A couple of them were making the poll turned into Beena Polian dynamite, which was ended up being a very popular film, but That was made just with a bunch of college friends. Right after we finished school together, we made that film. For a very small amount, it's just took a couple months to do. And, then once I was finished. We kind of said like okay. We need to kind of evolved their lives. What are we going to do now that? It's. Like a PA. Like some struggling art or like art director set designer. You did like two things and then bill. You were Napoleon diamond. So so there is a cool side of the had a really hard site that yes, I mean the pulling dynamite like yeah, because twenty. Three twenty four. I went to Grad School, and then like a year later, that was edited into Sundance. It was sold to Fox it was like a huge thing. All of a sudden. I you know I got agent and I started getting. On big big directors actors and started designing like little films in Hollywood. And I had no idea what I was doing. You know I. I felt. I kind of knew how to design a bit. Art Department coordinator was I didn't know to set decorator, was I? Came to a couple of these projects like literally not knowing how to do the job who you? Yearly didn't know what you were doing when you hired me. either. I really yeah. I mean I could see I could see that. I mean there's so much of this business is like fake it till you make it I mean there's so many times someone will say to me like even just a you know like when they come in this room, and they go over and play with the Blah Blah Blah. Blah, Blah and I'm like Oh. Yeah, yeah, I know cool, and then I turned around and look on my phone like what the fuck was that. What's page that? What are they talking about I don't know what that. Hurt me I do now, so you get a fake it, you know. I had like one good friend in Los Angeles who's now production designer Nathan Ogilby and sorry about I. Wonder Friend who was like work in the art department and he's now. He's a productions. I never the time. You're like my Go-to for a lot of information I needed. An art director at the time and my plan I took the fan boys film knowing okay like bring Nathan with. Richard. He knows what's going on. Between the guy, we could kind of make something happen, right. So Albuquerque and they're like. NOPE, you're not bring anybody all you've got to use. What's here and you'll not. and that's where I talked him into. We certainly don't have an art director budgeted as a position. We have a set decorator and this film was seen at this point and I think that's why things were a little little. So that's what I was able to through several recommendations. Find you and I can't job out albuquerque with. Khania I I was trying to think who recommended me. I'm thankful because I've met you and had that experience, but I don't know who I can't remember who that was end I. Have said this many times I only talked to you over the phone twice and then I hopped in my car and I drove to Albuquerque and halfway there. I was like hey. Can I talk to someone else. Your parents still nephew the halfway there verified.

00:35:06 - 00:40:01

Like. This could be a serial killer just like. Trying to kill me and I should probably verify that this is a real thing and the coordinator you hired got on the phone and started talking to me and said how nice you wear and everything, and then I was like she's in on it. Great Great. He's gotTA brainwashed or like they're together. They're going to kill me when I get there, but. The best part about that was our coordinator ideas I didn't own department coordinator was which is like. I think like the staple kind of one of the inkers yard department. Is this position? And I go into Albuquerque and they're like okay. We have a couple of according to town. You know you can hire them and I'm like what is that? I got my call me, but he eighth and I'm like what's IT coordinator do? So I didn't know what these positions were little known had utilized. The importance of them were so yeah. If envoys is one of those ones where. I like really got thrown into a couple of smaller films town our. Significantly smaller than that in La. We're Kinda fumbled my way through them, but. Those were the big one where like I really had to? We were building sets. We have the sound stage. We're doing stunts. Doing that wasn't really. It was a warehouse. That of real to shoot in. Albuquerque goes at that time. I think it was pretty good. Yeah, well, yeah! I mean I I hope I never have to go back to that city. I don't think I. Don't think I need to go back to that city. Let's just say feel like I've seen it. We don't need to. All right that. I agree I. Think it's I think I'm. On that one. I liked that I. Think one of the first things someone told me when I got there was. Oh, they shoot the show cops here. I grew up in La, which is pretty big city, right? I never seen a SWAT team in La my life. We saw the SWAT teams every other day in Albuquerque like blown past us on the freeway or Top Yeah. Yeah. It's a pretty active As far as that goes one nights, you and I were in the office and a homeless person broken. Remember that. I determined that we'd like to talk about right. Yeah, you clue. I grabbed my exacto knife. I was ready to like. Take an eyeball out building I think we're building a model at night and we were building a. Model for the time like the trash compactor something for that. Yeah, 'cause we were there late in downtown, Albuquerque in the door was left open, and he walked right in. Like. Hey, man, mom, we'd go talk outside Nova's. I was like Oh blocking the door behind. Him, out he Leeann. Scary. There's there were so many scary things in that Swat that huge swap meet. That was like all socks and guns. You could buy or something like super powered. There was like one good restaurant. They did have good neon. I, am I. Remember having. There's the route sixty six venture. There's enjoy a bit of what the place used to be. As far as aesthetics. Go is pretty amazing. You, the rest of the state is gorgeous Santa Fe's gorgeous. To. Talk Down Albuquerque, but it's the low point in that stage was The time we were there, it was going through something. I. Put on the side. Remember I called the great people that. The final I. You know Blade Seller all those guys. That really help our this. Yeah? There's also huge community of people that were like just amazing people that. You? Shoot possible for us because we didn't have a ton of money to do. You have a ton of time to do it, but. Because of what it was. We were able to tap into this huge community there that was. You know the real janelle place. It was a lot of the Star Wars community that helped us out and gave us like costumes and props and set dressing in like toys to us, and I mean they they. They would have parties. And we would like. We heard we heard you know somebody who has a thermal detonator. Know huge chain of. Trying to track down dressing and props and. And everything there it was really really I. It was it was actually the film that turned union, and that's how I got in at that point I. Don't know if you were in by that or not. But I was I had gotten in on A. Super Small film before that, but yet this was like fancy. But yes, you, you also introduced a whole crew to solve guns. I must say and US as a crew.

00:40:01 - 00:45:04

It was like by the time the film has. Pleaded everyone had an air soft gun and we had a huge battle on like the. Hotel. Don't tell us probably half our crew, a hundred and fifty people staying in hotels world on the crew. Yeah, we. Do. Battle? Down the hallway we had like tune was pretty. Pretty stupid well, I mean. What astles we were like there were hours. Aerosol pellets, thousands thousands of air soft pellets all over the ground in everybody's Room When they were back? You need the next like the sound like a color getting back you. Constantly backing up little. Tell it's going to vacuum, so yeah those. Great that was that was that was a high point. That was fun. I mean I. I worked with a crew who was like the Color Green. I mean taking their price tags off of their tools and I mean. We got it done, but. It wasn't. It wasn't what I was even used to. Only because I had come from bones, so I had an idea of how to crew actually was and I. Remember you and I doing so much work and I said to you I'm really embarrassed because you're the production designer and you shouldn't be doing this and you're like. What do you mean? We were in the van. In the making and We were cutting on the guy was using drummer account, holder dashboard, and all the switches and buttons and lights, and all the little GAC. That's on there. But I. Think I think the thing that that. Like you like a passion for what this project was supposed to be in. That passion drove us to making it as good as we can make it into working twenty hours a day interesting late at night. Yeah doing all these things are self whereas most of the other. You know members. We had on our crew construction to to set as a swing him across the board. We're just you know nine to fivers our local so. They're like what we're done today. Down Gone. Man. I know that we you and I had stayed up like thirty hours or something, and we take naps in the set because it was like the last day on stage. and. Day Like Kevin Spacey came to set, and I was like I. Don't even remember meeting him. That was like supposed to be the highlight of the whole film. We were. Walking we're. Fun came up. It was called. Coming to shoot, it must have been the archives, room. The last time that we did because we were we push that to the. Company to build. Address. By the time we left like the sun was coming up. yeah, that's. Not Kevin Spacey there in the Parking Lot. which was Yeah, you're like YEP everybody. I. Don't know what my name is I gotta go to bed. So tired and I would say probably one of my bigger set fails as et. CETERA as a set decorator. was that one bedroom of I think it was was his name Linus? It was like the main characters bedroom and it was like a super like. Quick shot and I didn't have any dressing left like I had used everything and all I had left within. Those all those action figures inside. But I, remember you walking in and you were like. Like, maybe I could get some posters. Like I'm sorry I don't know dressing left because I brought a truckload of dressing with me from La for all of these sets because there wasn't any houses there. Yeah and I think I think that's people have to like the layups and the side table and things like that they the same as what we use like Hutches, room or something that was like the big. We used to use all that kind of CETERA thing, but fortunately on something like that like what you succeeded in. Didn't matter. That was backgrounds. Filler that held up kind of unique stuff that you did have like the idea to put all those toys up on the wall. They created like this nice pattern and. Really interesting show that they're the big difference. Between the way he displayed something versus the way Hutch displayed. Something's in place. Much more chaotic and hockey do is was awesome. That was a fun set there was this every everything star wars. I think we could find with ruin there. Was a great. Was Cool. It was used played with and you know. All of this stuff was was was used by someone. Who appreciated for you know you got a line was more. Particular on display and. and not necessarily as broken into it was like a really nice contrast, and each of those guys were. Using the same type, but displaying you the much different way.

00:45:05 - 00:50:01

To trick I I also remember like department heads, or whatever there was few people that we get together and go to dinner and I remember going to dinner the one night and this. Actor had just come on, and he had the worst laugh, and he was like I was like who. Is this guy. You're like Oh. This guy named Seth. Rogan another. They're all hot about him and I was like. Yeah, well, that gotta go. It's like this guy do. So. This was probably like right before since Rogan became seth Sarokin. Consistent through his whole life, but yeah. At the time, it wasn't like a throwback to laugh. It was just weird laugh. Here's the thing I'm at Sony Sony seven years. His office has been downstairs for mine. Focus with a guess. What I hear is going up to the Hallway Area A couple of hours. That's real demand going up through. Really tell them one upset. You'll never make it. Here doubters twelve years ago. Yeah, I guess I was one of them. Cut To. Yeah I would kill to work for him, so that's great. I think I have a list of like twenty other things from that movie that we probably shouldn't talk about because. It's either just talking to you WANNA. Because, we we could. There's a weird group. It was a new group new director new designer. Do I mean even even our D. was fairly new at the time to. A part of it stems from us all the new to what we're doing. It also stems from real moving albuquerque, so what? CLASS OF CREW! Are we going to get out there? Right? No one was. A little bit. No one was watching us. Just eightieth focus for the desert. Yeah I mean, we sh not. We shoveled snow with our hands. I mean that was. We stayed because it was. A freak snowstorm night before on a Dandan road. That wasn't supposed to be snowing. Out there like kicking? And like using our hands to get rid of snow, and you are just looking at it like this is ridiculous. What are we doing like? We had to go? Tim I think we went and bought a shovel or something in China like shovel it away and yeah. It was just an insane amount of work that we actually accomplished. Mostly you and I. Let's be honest. I'm I'm glad I came into the. Not Knowing the way that I did, I remember like you told me. That you had to drive. Drive your CETERA truck for you and I didn't. I didn't understand that at the time because everything is. So small. I would drive the truck full of my stuff. Enjoy not, GONNA drive dress probably drops off right needed and like what? The real world. That's a position. You guys drive things for you do this. And I was like Oh that sounds kind of what kind of magical world you talked about the seven. That's awesome. To me like. People that had been more successful than being kind of getting the inside scoop some of the stuff. I was like deviation to know okay, this is this. It's easier better and bigger in the long run here so. Those of cold, catching glimpses like that of what the what the Real Hollywood was besides what we were trying to do at the time. Perception of the list we did I think two days or three days shooting in Las Vegas New Mexico and we stayed in that hotel. Of a no country for old men that was creepy. Ish, it yeah. That was having hope at Taurean. Super Creepy. All creaky, creaking floors and stuff and We came out of it, and it's a great down into the little town square we were shooting in. Yeah it was I mean. There's highlights there of like Carrie. Fisher, being Betcha, crazy eating gummy bears off the floor and talking to herself. Kind of rocking back. Is Interesting because. We met so many cool people. Pretty when we met occurred. Yeah. It's really cool amazing. To be like that. Yummy new to this and be able to. Access to to kind of. Procedures being so so amazing ingredients beyond with you, legends and I, and I think to you I know you you and I are like huge star wars fans. It was like I cannot believe princess lay is like sitting over there or I can't believe like you know billy. Dis like this is crazy. Landau Hello Lake. I know sure that went out to dinner with Billy Dee, and he talked about how he's a painter now and you could see his paintings, and you know hotel lobbies and he sells them to.

00:50:02 - 00:55:04

The landscape hotels and stuff with US really cool. They get these moments with some of these people that you've. Never in your adolescents are growing up. Reading the begins your things. It was it was you know the best and the worst kind of experience and the weird thing was to? We did that in like two, thousand, four or two, thousand and five I think we shot for like a months. We have maybe a month prep and a month. Shoot maybe and then it didn't come out for five years. And in that. And that time they did re-shoots. which I don't I wasn't a part of one of them. I was a part of the second batch of re-shoots. I wasn't a part of the first one, either and then you and I both did that second batch. He did the big prince concentrate in Pasadena. Against this film was like really. Like not knowing not knowing any of the backstory to the upper echelon, this'll making, but I'm just is really destroyed by that process for reason that process. happened. Was Destroyed. That's a better way to put it is. It's still a pretty fun and really great film to watch, but you know a lot of that. Heart was initially what we shot in. The original script was was watered down quite a bit for whatever reason. Took years and years. And and they sort of missed the opportunity to release it the year of like the Star Wars anniversary and. Just fine was dumb that they didn't release it, but and then they finally did which was so would like okay. Now it's coming out. You're like Oh. Okay cool like that was still. Appeared one day. It was super weird. It was super weird, but I am super thankful but I met you and one of the weird things in this world. Is that we we? We haven't worked together since right, did we? We did one commercial together. You hired me for like a commercial. That'd be. I've tried always you know I. Turn You. Know it's tight. It's a weird thing. It's like timing doesn't work out and then you're like I'm free and you're not. Are you hired? Someone or I'm available or not available. It's it sucks because there are plenty of people in this business you WanNa work with and the timing and the project. Just don't line up. Everything is so such a weird fluid industry, such a weird way of working to compared to conventional jobs that. To the food it, you think you're going to stick with people forever. People that you like thoroughly enjoy that you appreciate the work and then you. Enjoy, them there who they are. And, yeah, wonderful, thank you. Throw all that out of. Out of sync, you know and what you know with. What's good for one person might not be good for the other person as far as timing goes and. Scheduling and you know so it's it's hard to kind of keep think as much as you want to. The people that you enjoy the most in the industry and even in that. I've. Not, even seen you. In years, which is odd to and but we text all the time, and we always keep in touch, but it is a weird. It's a weird thing like that of. Even being on the same lot, sometimes, you're shows. Just don't line up. It's weird. It's so weird. Other friends that were other shows my lot and they're like. Hey, today's to come look at. One. Let's say what's shooting on. Sunday right now, That apple one about space. From for from yes, I wanted to a lot of sense so bad in the swinging and they you know. Finally set at the time I. Come Look I was out scouting day. You. Don't think as simple as that. The next stage over it's. It's hard certainly. I wanted to ask you about There was a pilot you did. Come brave new world which I did get to see your sex for Chris some weird. For. Some reason I was shooting at the. It's the Disney. Long. Branch! Including right? Yeah! I was shooting parks I think in you shooting this pilot which I thought was the best like. Plot it was basically a Williamstown Virginia. Colonial! You, like A. Like a pilgrim marina village. This like the office. It was about the people that worked at a pilgrim acton village, which was really cool, so it was a pure tone, created it, and created a recipe like really really great pedigree as far as creating show. it was for Sony produced it for and BC and We built a set that was probably a million dollars said.

00:55:05 - 01:00:06

you build. You a hold little where you build that whole like colonial Williamsburg type. It was. Yeah it was. It was really really intense and really big and really expensive and really kinda grand at vaguely was in the and Yeah and then you. Got The scope of it was huge. We we took a huge portion of the the ranch to that and it was like another one of those things where you put so much into it because you think it's such a great product and such a great idea. And NBC passed on it, which was pretty heartbreaking at the time. That's so heartbreaking when you do a pilot, and then it doesn't up. It's gone like I know that we're only part of the design team and the writer who probably worked five years, or whatever on it. It's gone like you make pilot. They don't like it done. And it's so much money. It's so much time and effort and stress a hate doing pilot. That's still the yeah. That's still the biggest single set I've ever been still the most amount of money. I've ever spent on a singular. You Know Weiner the shooting and just just gone like. Resources men of research you the time that we put into it. It was a we had live animals over the said we had working furnaces. Get working on your ovens or blacksmith shops, and Indian villages and Then on top of that we like to shop and the parking for the guest visit and all this linage and. The employee break rooms that were behind the. That! That's a good idea I feel like people would watch died. Also, wish that failed, pilots would have an opportunity to exist somewhere. Someone had someone said that to me years ago like there should just be a network of pilots. I think actually I think it's actually you Sarah. Silverman said it on Howard Stern once, and she wanted to create a network of a pilots that she had done that didn't get picked up and then. Whole, you can feel the holy streaming service with violence. There's so much so much content you know. How many are produced year and such a small percentage making it anything but. Some are amazing. I've seen pilots that I've lost was like this is amazing. How could this not? So much time and effort and money just and I don't know I, maybe you know in this new era that we're in in the next year or so. I don't know if they're going to spend the time and money and the. Effort to make such like like frivolous pilot. I don't know I wonder if that will cause less pilots. Pilot models changing a lot lately interesting. If this you know affects how it's done. Even more. Before I. Ask you about your thoughts. On pandemic We glossed over Napoleon dynamite. Little Bit. So I re watched some of it the other day because it's Hilarious, it's hard not to want to watch the whole thing, but these two little. Dream boats over here, keep me a little busy, but I wanted to ask about the locations of the houses. So. When you scattered these houses. These people living this like what happened like what was going on there. So we is so we shot it in the town where the director grew up. And, so he wrote the script and very very very rural Idaho. He wrote the script with certain of these locations in mind. And so not enough to house. Exteriors are the same as the house interiors typically for. For, what we? You know come to the practice for we do. So, so he had a lot of these places. The mind was still scouted them and put options to make sure. That the aesthetics for riot, Medicare told the right story. Not The word better. Options, for it. But. A lot of interior designs by what you're talking about something. The Police House, which is pretty pretty funky. Everything that I used on. That show is stuff. I purchased in that area. The area I rented in that area. So there was the Napoleon houses pretty empty doesn't empty house interior either build like a little wallet now one of the walls and the kitchen I build wood-paneled and. There's a couple pieces of furniture that were left in that place, but I scoured like tank kind of the the. The idea from that ascetic with kind of the land that time forgot. Mid Western aesthetic still don't know what the time is there because your soundtrack is like eighties, and then you, but then you got Jamiroquai in there, so like the time of of that is unknown I think the intent.

01:00:06 - 01:05:01

The intent was that it was always like a contemporary film. It's just in a place where contemporary aesthetics Dan's life didn't really matter It didn't matter the things we're new. Things were of two now all the matters that things function the way they need to function for us. said it came from what is still kind of lying around in this world that people still. Use and still function well still. Tell the story of who the characters are so. You know I think a lot in the point furniture I bought from a a storage. That was up there just outside that town in Idaho there. So I, got a couple of those sweetser furniture, patching lamps, and things like that. Kind of game together, but that aesthetic. There is twenty thirty years old at the time, so honestly, it was much easier to dress. Design film, there would have been alley. Would've gotten pieces that. are statement pieces and not like every regular everyday sort of life pieces. Exactly and also we get stuff from our rental houses here in some special little beat out of taking care of should be then moves twenty times a year, not accepting. But because I bought a lot of the stuff from people that were still up until recently using it. was still pretty great condition still stuff that people took care of in cleaning tained had play in their homes so. He had to kind of lucky in that. We found this really great stuff for the show that was. Pretty immaculately preserved condition because there was something that had. You know kind of been care caring Lee used for the past thirty forty years. Has You come up with the locker colors. We looked at the school was actually those colors? I know now I feel bad, even saying. School. Just dig icon part of the whole marketing the film. Locker is the trailer had locker than it was. In that was the actual school that the director of the film went to Oh. I guess he was like very intimately you know had. Exactly mind what he wanted for the shots and I wanted to look now. Cool they're like the color combination was per se. Like just funky enough to to work so. I know the answer to this question, but. How did you come up with the vote Pedro T-shirt? Full Passover for pizza. Treacherous wife bought The Peel and stick stickers like Democrat store and just made the shirt you know in the driveway. Facing. The stuff was like. How would these people make with with? You know what they what they show the US, so the flyers they have domon computer all kinds of a hand, so vote for Pedro Fires Alejandro and even the text, and that's all you're. The Unicorn and all that. The older techs I had so John Heater who plays Napoleon true, the actual lighter and stuff be like in his style. And then I put it together by join all the the rest of the fires around it. Awesome? And then you can ended you. Did the I love the photos in their living room like the? Yeah, so they they want kind of. You know trying to study for what films should be, it's it's a weird aesthetic, but I bought a bunch of You know like old sears, catalogs and furniture catalogs from the seventies and. Department store fashion catalogs from the seventies eighties, trying to figure out what the look is in photography style was obviously so popular that what my? First ideas because we have the so sitting on the couch against the wall, which is like the dusk nail of of. You Know Cinematography that right so. It was. How do you like it? Live in that poll tableau? Had We make that feel like it's something that's interesting in. This is kind of serving what the deal should be, so it was that type of photography that was. Still got those their in the House here somewhere. There's there's. College Fund. From day one, it was like I took the photos of both in you know keeping appoint and the driveway, and then I went back to the little house thing and Assoc them all together and print the mountain. But those frames the little craft store in town. Yeah I that that movie holds up. I'll tell you that much acting in. Either watch it and see if. Embarrassed or what I've done. Providence. I should be I mean it's it. It's really good.

01:05:01 - 01:10:03

It's really funny, and it's just. It's I think aesthetically. It's fun to watch because it's a weird. Nailed this weirdness, this vernacular weirdness of people in Idaho. That's kind of fascinating. Things similar like how fan boys is really fueled by like our passion for the projects like the Polian more so probably than almost any other project I've done. was fueled spindle passionate. Do we didn't really know what we were doing? We didn't have any money to do it, we. Certainly didn't have any inkling of success if it would be. Really had his passion for what it would be. So you know when things we really took? The time to route is like what is this language of designed in this film? To everything from you know the cinematography that how those freedoms was set up. Which is you know? He's like a little tableau is a little moment kind of locked off frame that'd be. because. That's the way it was shot. I was able to cater the design to each of those little locked off rains. We kind of dress to what that. Image. Felt was the right thing to do for it so. It Kinda Kinda. GET COMMERCIAL! Hey, arch, wreck! Each can cameras set up. You know very. Purposefully and very directly in the same thing. We did for this film because he's a rock off. Shot. It's almost kind of feel like art work in and of itself. They're they're great. Little vignettes in in the film and. That Alpaca I mean. It's all the the teeter bought like it's all. They're all really beautiful shots to 'cause. You just have that big wide open space when he's out with the PACA. Even like the. The van of the I don't WanNa. See Van, but the The place. where the dude lives out like just the scenery is so beautiful, and then you have this weird piece of set dressing in there. It's just such a story in in just the look of it. One of the things we had on that like we didn't have any money, but because we were on college together in the director had been coming up the story for years. So, we have like a lot of time to think about this and figure it out while you're in school and you know we were in quote pre-production for. Those. We benefited from the amount of time we had whereas we didn't have the money to do. Only been expected to be at the time to really kind of figure out and. You time and money. Time! Could you always. Speaking of time and money I don't know how you have enough time, but you actually hold a completely other job while you do this in entertainment design. and. You've been doing it for years and you just so you design outside projects for Disney or Universal Dreamworks I. Mean You've had so many projects over the years? Can you talk a little bit about that and how you do too at the same time? Two pretty distinct careers going on obviously production design for Film and Television I'm also an art director in what's called location based entertainment or entertainment design, and I've been doing that actually longer than I've been designing. You know longer than production designer. So what that means is it boils down to. Essentially designed to theme parks and museums and places like that have immersive environmental design. And you haven't done that since I was. When I was in high school I actually. Trying to figure out how I could learn. You know practical art designing a better. Job As an assistant for company, a pretty big company that designed theme parks. They were so contractors to universal and Disney, Disney land, and places like that, and so is swept for clean. You know the milling machines after school and was eventually able to work my way up into working in the art department eventually was. Training to become a model maker. For a long time there. And that's the way i. kind of got my foot in the door into this kind of environmental entertainment design. And so once I went to Grad school I working for for. Disney for Disneyland where designed parades and designs A. Lot of the kind of holiday overlays at Disneyland Park, and you know from there is started working more and more with a lot of the different companies that have parks and started designing A. Theme Parks. And Museum work, WH, what is the duration of a of a project? Years and years depending on what it is. it's it's a industry that works becoming slower than were used to in television. Because what we're designing in this industry is real life aides to exist out there in the real world.

01:10:04 - 01:15:02

There's a lot more consideration thought put into house built and. And what the narrative story is avoided is designing so it's it's kind of Nice break to do that and everybody Kansas I feel like it's time you catch my breath and still design. Or being on a significantly different timetable than what we're used to in filming television industry well, yeah, and you have more than actors. And crew being a part of it, I mean it's as you said it's a real architecture and and real spaces that people. Experience and how? Are Some of them permanent or are. Are they. Like just installations that are pop-ups like. It's A. It's a bit. I've got a lot of permit stuff. Last year I designed the dreamworks. Theater at Universal City Hollywood which is a permanent building up there. Let's try design. The exterior of the pets place land. That's going into universal always also that's. Supposed to open up this year, but who knows now with what's going on? so yeah. Live is real permanent dig infrastructure. You know type of type spaces and a lot of to, or at least when I was working for Disneyland, a lot of it was the real temporary parades and holidays and things like that so if you go to New Orleans Square and there's A. Nightmare for Christmas you know thieving in decoration. All that I designed a lot of that at the park so. Quite a! Also, sending museums, I just find a lot of. Explain displays and exhibitry and things like that for. Design for like National Geographic Sonian and somebody. They places little. See. What's the Obama Obama tight? I concept designs for The Obama Presidential Library. Leave the firm I was doing it for actually wasn't selected for the contract, but yeah, it's Kinda. Cool working on things like that. Have, the opportunity to you know scientists white variety of spaces. Interesting to the design of big. Obviously, the design skills between the two careers is pretty. Pretty similar. Now you're inviting. You're designing. Themes spaces. But in film and television or really able to control that, Pov. Nine exactly what we're going to see and true you know. Cinematography. Those views are so controlled that you only see what it is that we want you to see us filmmakers. In entertainment design, You're really designing a completely immersive experience so that these narratives are able to be explored by in his individual guests. Come into each space. Light on I think lighting probably is a big thing. To do. Yeah this whole! Yeah, just like the yard drector for. Lighting designers leading technicians that really had to take into consideration how each of these things lit and viewed and. If you want to near the to be explored by guess, not necessarily have the narrative told to you so because you have to design these environments that are. Conducive to narrative storytelling us being explored by the guess. Just go through these spaces. Yeah, they're beautiful I'm definitely Lincoln ear. That page to this beautiful designs I mean and. Just. Awesome sort of like you have this like integration of your sets, and then like these these projects and you're like man, the the. Scope of these other projects is sometimes a massive amount of work I could see how it would take years. Yes I took a I. I was your twitter on the Harry Potter experience of the UK which was. I took the design phases took that through schematic design, but that was the multiyear project that was built open the UK. there's other projects. I've done that have taken. Yeah, I've stuck with them for years and years of interesting some sometimes he's projects move between separate companies, so universal studios universal creative is what they're called. WILL SUBCONTRACT, OUT PROJECTS OTHER DESIGN COMPANIES AND Sometimes they change. Those companies want to change the direction of something and I've done like the same projects for multiple different design companies. Been US apart from each other. so yeah, it's interesting to see how things have kind of evolved and. In change, there's so much interesting things are so much like film property that is. Attractive to location based destination so. It's been a couple of years working with lionsgate developing. locations four hundred games, parks and Madden and you know bars, environments, and things like that so. The crossover.

01:15:04 - 01:20:14

Yeah when you do things like you were saying like Harry, Potter and on Hunger. Games do you ever? Talk to the designers of the fillmore the show. I mean I wouldn't think have to. You're going off of what's on screen I. Don't think you'd have to, but. Yeah in my mind I'm always thinking like why. Why did you? Did you not hire the guy that defendants originally? Yeah that's. What I wanted to ask. Yeah and and the reality, the fact is that there is really especially skillset when designing something for. A, larger public come into as opposed designing something strictly for like film and Television Narrative. So. We take any consideration capacities back in house requirements, and and there's so much kind of technical practicality that has to go into these spaces that almost somebody's specialized in that world needs to focus on how to make those work. so I personally have never taught. It's an interesting. I was still kind of weird about it. I feel like steel phony stuff, but yeah, even the time. I was doing stuff for for Harry Potter. And then onto the madman, lines and gates the sorry a hundred game stuff. It's like I just became like best friends with those projects I watched other films. I take all the screen shots. I do every kind of behind the scenes. Research I could do to figure out what these places are supposed to be I, think it's an oath to. It's kind of like a like a celebration sort of like your work was so good that they want to make it into a real space. I would take it I'm part. Yeah Hopefully the you know these other designers of had to work on emulated by people like me. Hopefully can appreciate the care that you put into it. Because everything I'm doing I'm trying to do with the same kind of. You know hard in a setting and in. You. Have language that they put into the film's. Tail is. With extrapolate on what we see on screen, because what we see onscreen isn't necessarily going to make the best real world environments for us, but. The intent always to Kinda. Capture that same. Purpose in the same emotional feel that they had in the in their films so. I'm something like. Hundred Games right making up. Seven environment that didn't necessarily exist in films. Turning things that could feel like they were part of those films I could feel like they were part of what those designers with its had if they had them in their films. The I'm trying. I'm trying to be as respectful considerate of those types of designs that can be because know that there's. A very, Strong purpose to why those designs done the way they were. Don't you think it's a sin that? PRODUCTION DESIGNERS DON'T GET A. Royalty checks are like. It's so crazy sometimes that. The amount of what we put on a screen is huge, obviously right and it's. It's considered to be an artist an art that's replicated in seeing millions of times over so. I always. Always feel like you know I I've heard from our director that at one point the archers guild was was asked to merge with the DJ at a certain point, so that they could receive all those types of accommodations, but that directors get for whatever reason they decided to remain independent. at the very least I feel like. We're probably one of the most underrated. specs filmmaking, yeah! I mean I. Know Not to say that because we're in it I'm saying it's true. Our work is on screen at all times basically. Up to the writers and the actors and indirect I know that but. It's. An work will be on screen when there isn't any actors or dialogue on either. You know there's also times where we're just sending looking environments and Film Television. And I I think it's A. It's a bit more disappointing I thought it would be the amount of appreciation that I think design gets and this type of work absolutely and. And even. Also I mean I winning an emmy was. Phenomenal personally, it didn't didn't do anything. So that we. Thank. You still gotTa wake up? You still gotta haul your show. You still got to. You know it's still exhausting. I didn't get I didn't get a I went back to the same show, and I didn't even get any more money and I want an emmy for that show I. It made no difference to me, but I'm sure shit if I was an actor and went back to the show if I. It would have been different, so yeah or director or writer I'm sure they're not under a contract. And you negotiate see that's what we're missing kind of. We don't have that decorators especially eighty mean. Like we've allowed for ourselves to be taken with less serious than Seles importance than some of the other. Mean there's always time like how many times have you started a project before you're on payroll? I'm hands I started projects before the thing that director before there's you've scouted and.

01:20:15 - 01:25:07

And it happens off especially scouting with designers, and like you're scouting Saturday because the only time you can get in are not paid, or it's constantly like hey, do me a favor and you know we'll just do this thing and I don't know it is. It's under appreciated I don't know why we allow ourselves to do be treated like. A collective mindset, and also we're constantly. The stop that it is a privilege to do what we do. Kind of constantly reinforced to us which is I think. Not The best tally for us to have. You know what I mean there's there's this kind of like. Let me live with you're able to do. Aren't you? Lucky, right? That's kind of I think pressed to us from above quite frequently that we're you know. We're in the rallies. Is that show the Goldbergs our show like parks and REC could not exist without the creative minds that are visually building those environments at all, but on the flip side. They couldn't exist that grabs. It can exist without. Any of the positions that are in there, so. It's interesting that the spiritually between his appreciation I suppose even though appreciation and cares size but. I don't know. I. I don't know what to think about that. Other than I I do agree with you that it does seem like a bit of a travesty that this amount of effort and time and craft that goes into this is I think. Very much under appreciated. Goldberg's not toot our horn, but like away every single. Every single thing we do is handcrafted product. You see onscreen as a real product. We created every food product Everyday Atari game. That's brand new tax. The kid opens up. Every vintage Ganic, because something we've made so there's so much effort that goes into this type of crafts that it would be nice that. Was Appreciative of so maybe it doesn't Atas appreciated. Maybe fulfills the need to the story in the story as a whole appreciated, and as long as we're supporting that. Maybe IT'S A. You know maybe we're doing order supposed to be doing. That kind of go back and forth on it, but it's. It's. It's your inner. Love of it that makes you get up every day. Otherwise, why would you do it? I mean I always say to myself well I'm not pushing concrete. You know my job is hard, but I'm not out there. I'm not physically being down every day I. Mean you kind of are I? Mean I hate. To. Say It but you are. Sometimes on scouting in the van and I look I see gotta. Push Hungry and I'm like that looks like so bad. The needle. For a while. Yeah. You'd less like like one day. K Look at that Van Gogh by Alex Pretty Cool. Although I. Don't know how much longer we're going to be sitting in vans. I don't know about scouting with this pandemic. I don't know how we're going to pull that off. I think it's going to have to be pictures only. Good I'm fine with that I don't want to van of my life in. Every production super happy about pandemic. Installing out was always a bigger so drive. On? I mean. I mean I. Don't think whatever standards we set are GONNA be forever, but. D-. Do you have any idea when you're GONNA? You'RE GONNA. Go back or you know. I you know I am a person that knows nothing. My wife is a nurse. She's much more versed in this me unfortunately able to glean a bit of her insight into this, but. was nothing getting better? I don't see how we're going to be able to progress unless we make kind of changes to how we do things. I also feel that studios in creators of content are going to need to create new content or running out of it, and it's to kind of. Dwindle they're pretty quick rate year. So. I don't see how there's not going to be a desire for the studios to up as soon as they can. After! They've figured out how to do that. Yeah, I think everyone should ensure that. That's going to be quaint to US having to work in a much different way than what we're used to working in. I think We're all going to get it. I think it's inevitable. We're all going to get it, I. Think and you just hope that it's not serious when you do get it i. don't know I. Don't know how else. I'm not just saying like the entertainment industry, but everyone who goes back to an office or this and that and it's lake.

01:25:08 - 01:30:00

And some of us get it, and it won't mean a thing and some of us will get it, and it'll be bad and that sucks and. I. Just I'm afraid to go out of the house at this point I don't know I don't. I think we're all going to get it to Neville. Like if there is no solution to it, then there's no other choice but for us to. For it to work its way through much one way or the other so. I mean especially. I'm lucky. The kids are are young I. don't have to home, schooling and all that but and I. Think once kids go back to school. Unfortunately, then it it will. It's going to go. Everyone's going to get it. I know some guy on my crew has a has kids in school. And then his kids get sick, and then he's sick and then like. My lead may get sick and then I get sick it goes. It happens all the time in our crew and. Yeah because to be in school. Your whole life is one never ending cold. So I can't imagine wants schools open. It's just and I'm not saying that the bad it's it's as a bad thing I mean schools have to open. I'm not saying don't open, but. I think that's a huge deterrent to not just us going back to work I. Think Kids. Going back to school is a huge thing for us all contracting it also. and. Hey. How about this at that vaccine? Who knows it's a first run vaccine like what we shooting in our bodies. I don't know I'm really freaking out about all this. Really. I'm not sleeping well the last two nights. It's it's I mean it's all. Uncharted so it's. I try to think there's practically as I can about this. And it's it's hard. It's hard. Be Practical about something that you know so little about personally so. It's Yeah, it'll be a whole. It'll be different. How we doing things for quite a while is only imagine that it's going to be harder for us in the future. Even if we go back to school to go back to work especially in our industry, we work so closely together so collaborative. There's so many of us close together at any given point. It'll be interesting to see how. Well I think. I think you're shows are good to be on in a sense that you are on the lot. And you're stages are all set up and like you're. You're grounded. You know at at a lot if you didn't have to go on location or a lot of your locations are on the lot. You know you're. A pretty equipped for that. That's a good thing. I think such nice also. We've been working together for so long on these shows that. If we had to, you know work much more scattered since you know, it'd be further away from each other. We had a separate officers. We have to communicate via phone calls. Instead of in person I. think that fortunately show like mine us run for so long or shows that have been up and running for so long. We already have our communicative shorthand down to where we know how to do what we're doing. We know how we can. You know. Keep the process rolling. So I think for some of those more established shows where the crew has their rhythm down in their. You know their pacing that might be a bit easier to jump into something restrictions, and it would be for something just starting up. Like people you just when you just start up and your collaboration with the showrunner. The director DP is pretty intense. It's it's. Pretty in person, and it's pretty constant communication, but now it's. I think we're at a point where you really could be really far removed from each other, we'll still. Making sure that the. That worked. But. Yeah most of us can be starting up. Though is going to be the fresh stuff requires collaboration so. I'M IN A. Shooting at. I don't I have no idea I don't know how. We're going to do it. I don't. Know. I do know that hopefully one day there's Taco Bell and our future. And I make A. Pandemic or eating through a face mask will do yeah. I should say I. Miss You. I, haven't seen you in years but I miss you, but at least we get to. Chat every once in a while. Yeah? Well yeah love seeing the worth doing always. Elliott still good to see, and they said you one. It was pretty amazing and I. Don't even know. Myself had even Do something like that. That's. Pretty cool to see you know your work because. Like one an emmy and I was like well. That's cool I do that. I think I think when you want to talk to you around that time. I didn't look to see like what the process wash.

01:30:02 - 01:35:00

Your submitted. You guys don't. Think. That's what I'm saying like I. Don't know what the I think. One. Guess what your agent better be listening to this podcast right now and she. He or she better get on the ship because. That's obscene that the goldbergs wouldn't. Submit, or schooled like. Know. Someone's you. You need to know what you need to help her. You know what you mean. Art Department could neither should be doing this. Your coordinator is. They should. This. Don't. Yeah Yeah, get on it because ambition do like June fifth or something already know. Well I mean. At least I haven't had to compete against you then. They know that I need to do. You're going down. I. I believe we're going to make good place. All your. Vote because it's finished now. You don't win like that. People are like a over a lot of people. Do like I I think that one already. I'm not up for that. It's very hard to win. To you don't mean like once he won. He prophesied commit anymore. I'm kind of a fan of that like once you win. You probably shouldn't submit anymore. Guess puts them around for the rest of us. I'm okay with that. I'm kind of kind of okay with that and then. I'm kind of not. Second. I need another one. I got two boys I. I can't leave one behind. What are you? What are you up to like You just. Are you working on anything? Oh, yeah, so I'm One thing is able to do so film is obviously. It's really hard to do during this. Time! But still able to do a lot of location based work and able to do remotely by myself a one that things I've been working on for the past two years is. Rebuilding the paramount ranch, western town burned down in the Wolsey Fire Oh wow so. The National Park Service for the past year or so. Designing the new western town that's going. Back to the paramount grants for filming, so I've been fortunate to be able to keep working on that during the pandemic here and Yeah which is Kinda, cool? It's a obviously a set that is. Existing since nineteen twenties. For shooting on, but also place. That's open to the public for them to enjoy as well so tennis cross designed between You know filming location and. Environments told you know enjoyment for the for the community as well, and that's great, so you go out there much. You have to go. Yeah. I lived just down the street from it. So I I'm pretty close by which of the reasons I got involved when it is because it's such a part of the community here where we live, I live paramount ranch. goes there. Yeah, a lot to. To right now we're still really onto the Kinda pre design phase of whether should be with the National Park Service, which now owns the property is very league governmental process to make anything happen. But it's been A. it's a really cool to kind of go through the history of this was Kinda history of its importance to the film industry over the past hundred years now and it's. Like. For the future did bonanza tested like bonanza a rifle? A lot of those shoes they can fifties and sixties all those westerns. brought it into kind of a day of popularity. And in the eighties, it became much less. Popular that type of TV, show and that kind of western film so. The property ended up being donated by its current owners the National Park Service. And it kind of was used for small things here they're probably the biggest thing is used for in the nineties. Dr. Quinn shot there then recently before the fire Westworld was shooting there. So so it. It kind of surgical, a nice purpose than kind of recent memory here, but now. Michael is to build in such a way that it's much more attractive than usable. Location for filming. Awesome man great project. So. Yes, something kinda cool. Building your back lot. Yeah. Right. That's awesome. You mean does that like that's a staple in Hollywood like that's awesome. Yeah, it's interesting. We looked in in the amounts of western towns that exists now it's getting smaller and smaller. The murder of such as wants up in Santa, Clarita, and closing down and falling into disrepair so. Bad It's GonNa, be nice to kind of have a new. Yeah, it's.

01:35:01 - 01:39:20

One of the Goldbergs this past year, and it was just so much work Stephen. Get it kind of. So It'll be good to have one. That's you know kind of built with stone in mind and built with an ascetic, that is kind of camera ready to come in to shoot it, so come the golden going for right now. That's awesome that you have to do while we're down to I mean you've always had that. Like what are you working on on in between shows? I don't care I. had this project going on working for Disney and it'd be like Chipman Man I need a job. I. Know I felt were working. Back and forth. I really can't imagine carrying on another fulltime job. Creating a show I don't know how he doesn't. And he's got three kids. Greg Gorgeous kids. I mean I am not kidding. I thought he was a serial killer. I think I pulled over for gas in flagstaff or something, and then I came to this realization of like. I'm whose duties. mean it was so naive. I just dumped him in the car started driving cross country. But. It was it was a great life and work experience that made me grow some really thankful and eating comey. And I got a really good friend. and. We both have no shame in our love for Taco Bell. Some very thankful he was able to do this podcast. I really do the cooperatives and believe me over the years and watching. It's been on and like email him. after the episodes like Hey Kudos, that was a good one. Thanks for those little details you put in like just trying to call out how appreciative I am of those details. Some really glad that. that. He did the interview I. Hope You enjoy that. So, here's the thing. I ask the time at this part of the show for a little review on Itunes, and it's come to my intention that possibly. A! Lot of you have no idea what talking about. So to the majority of you who are listening on your phone? In the PODCAST APP. If you search decorating pages and you select the show and then scroll down to ratings and reviews. You can tap at five stars typically tap tap, and then maybe if he got him in and write a review. And it's pretty much the same. On your desktop laptop. With Mac just go to the PODCAST APP and then scroll down. There I am reviews and ratings. If. You're rocking a PC I'm sorry. I'm like him for what I don't know what goes on there, but I'm sure you figure it out. You're on a P.. Sake I'm sure you can figure it out, so thanks for that. Check out the decorating pages YouTube Channel and subscribe there to see these little clips of past podcasts that I've been putting video. If I read start with the production designer David Grossman. And the little clip that I did of him talking about the color green that he selected for the film doubt. And again. THAT YOUTUBE IS! Page channel and don't forget to subscribe, so you're alerted to all new clips. Coming up in the next. Month or so here are the interviews I have lined up. Next week is production designer Tracy dishman. Then production designer Brian Stonestreet set decorator Brandy Kayla set decorator John Deere's I got a roundtable discussion of the finale of the good place with Ian Phillips Adam Row. Perello and Graham with and myself. And then editor editor Jonathan, Fisher, who is just going to school us about the editing process it's. So much good stuff. I hope you've got a new phone. I'm Kim on up for decorating pages. Father's Day is just around the corner. Give Dad the gift of relaxation a stogie in the pool. Still floating luxury pool float. Available now on Amazon at sea, and still be floaty, DOT com.