When the Phone Isn’t Ringing: Side Hustles, Slow Production & Staying Creative as a Set Decorator
In this exclusive Gold Room episode of Decorating Pages Podcast, Emmy-winning set decorator Kim Wannop talks honestly about the reality of being between jobs in film and television, especially during the ongoing slowdown in Los Angeles production.
This episode looks at how set decorators and art department professionals can use their existing skills outside of a soundstage in realistic, practical ways. Kim explores how a decorator’s eye for sourcing, styling, editing, visual storytelling, texture, character, and camera-ready spaces can translate into new opportunities without huge startup costs or unrealistic advice.
She also shares ways to stay creatively inspired between projects, including visual research, museums, neighborhood walks, design classes, and building a useful reference library for future work.
For set decorators, production designers, art directors, buyers, prop masters, stylists, and creative freelancers, this Gold Room episode is about staying sharp, staying sane, and remembering that your creative eye still has value even when the phone is quiet.