The Art of Influence - Class One - Production Designer Cedric Gibbons and Set Decorator Edwin Willis
A masterclass in classic Hollywood production design and set decoration—taught through 13 film case studies from MGM legends Production Designer Cedric Gibbons and Set Decorator Edwin Willis. Designed for working artists, film students, and cine-nerds who want practical, repeatable techniques from the Golden Age that still power modern visuals.
What you’ll learn:
How Gibbons and Willis built iconic worlds with materials, color logic, and architectural framing—and how to apply those choices to your own projects.
A toolkit for visual storytelling: composition, period research, prop language, and the choreography between camera and set.
How to reverse-engineer a film’s “design spine” and turn references into actionable design plans.
Strategies for translating big-studio solutions into real-world budgets and schedules.
What’s inside:
13 deep-dive segments analyzing key films (see syllabus below)
Tactics you can use immediately for production design and set decoration
Clear takeaways tailored to both narrative and commercial workflows
Free Preview:
Start with “The Wizard of Oz” (1939)—the complete segment is free. Explore how color theory, set engineering, and prop language built one of cinema’s most enduring worlds. If the approach clicks, unlock the full class.
Syllabus (13 Films)
Our Dancing Daughters (1928)
Grand Hotel (1932)
The Great Ziegfeld (1936)
Marie Antoinette (1938)
The Wizard of Oz (1939) — free segment
When Ladies Meet (1941)
Mrs. Miniver (1942)
Gaslight (1944)
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)
An American in Paris (1951)
Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
I’ll Cry Tomorrow (1955)
Who this is for
Production designers, art directors, and set decorators sharpening their craft
Directors, DPs, editors, and students seeking a shared design vocabulary
Anyone who loves film history and wants usable lessons, not just trivia
Taught by:
Kim Wannop — Emmy-winning Set Decorator and host of Decorating Pages Podcast. Kim connects on-set problem solving with film history, translating MGM-era ingenuity into today’s workflows.
How to get started:
Watch the free Oz segment.
Purchase the full class to unlock all 13 film studies.
Apply the frameworks to your next build, scout, or pitch deck.