Production Design Digest

Jade Healy is a story-teller at heart and a Production Designer by trade, working primarily in feature films. Her impressive 38 (and counting) critically acclaimed IMDB credits include ‘I, Tonya’, ‘Marriage Story’, ‘The Killing of a Sacred Deer’, ‘A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood’, ‘Ain’t Them Bodies Saints’, ‘Pete’s Dragon’, ‘Ghost Story’, ‘The Sacrement’, ‘In A Valley of Violence’, ‘Mississippi Grind’, and the upcoming ‘The Green Knight’ and Walt Disney’s ‘Peter Pan’ … just to name but a few. Jade and Production Design Digest host, Kelly Sinclair Smith, discuss her incredible multi-faceted career journey, their shared love of lamps, how she made her break into the industry and started designing films early on in her career, what she’s learnt along the way and how her love for story-telling is the driving force in everything she does. “Just because something looks amazing doesn’t mean it’s right for the character, or the film. I like to think I’ve learned to practice more control. My goal is to always create sets that push the narrative forward, not distract from it” explains Jade. In this episode with Kem White we cover: * How Jade made her break in the industry * Her hands-on approach to designing * Lamps, lamps and more lamps * What she looks for in a script * Her “dos and don’ts” of production design * How she’s progressed throughout her career and the crucial lessons she’s learnt along the way * The importance of putting story and character first when it comes to designing * What it’s like working with different directors and how to adapt to their individual styles of filmmaking * The use of negative space within her sets and why she’s come to appreciate it * Her beauftiful use of colour and texture, and how she develops them * The heavily researched look-books she puts together for each film and first-time director meetings, and why it’s important to still spend the time making one regardless of wether or not she does the job * ‘Imposter Syndrome’ - what it is and how she’s overcome it * How to avoid being pigeonholed as a Production Designer * The importance of being yourself * And much more! Subscribe + Follow Production Design Digest Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/production.design.digest/?hl=en] | Blog [https://www.kellysinclairsmith.com/podcast] Show Links: * In The Mood For Love IMDB [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118694/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1] | Production Design by William Chang * William Chang’s IMDB [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0151858/?ref_=fn_al_nm_2] * Magnum Photos [https://www.magnumphotos.com/] Follow Our Guest: * Jade Healy’s IMDB [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1639516/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1] * Jade Healy’s Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/jadeheals/?hl=en] * Jade Healy is represented by Mira Yong at WME [https://www.independenttalent.com/] Follow Kelly Sinclair Smith: * kellysinclairsmith.com [https://www.kellysinclairsmith.com/] * IMDB [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11477632/] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/studiosinclairsmith/?hl=en] * Kelly Sinclair Smith is represented by Vision Artists [https://www.visionartists.co.uk/] Original Score by Joe Davies [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9875426/]

Kem White is a Production Designer for big budget, high-end TV Commercials. Kem is based in London, but has worked across the world designing global campaigns. Her list of clients include Nike, Ikea, Louis Vuitton, Sky, Dulux, Twitter, Samsung, Paypal, Asus, British Airways as well as ALDI’s big Christmas TVCs for the past couple years that have involved designing and working with miniature models, building different scaled sets, VFX, SFX and an army of talented set-builders and scenic artists. Kem and Production Design Digest host, Kelly Sinclair Smith, discuss her career journey, her time spent as a model maker, why she transitioned from working in Film and Television to designing TVCs, her design process, what it’s like to work on global campaigns as well as designing sets using different scales. In this episode with Kem White we cover: * How Kem first started out in the industry * Her first ever job as a Production Designer * How that job opened up more doors to opportunities * How her background in narrative-based filmmaking prepared her for her career as a Production Designer in TVCs * What skills she thinks are necessary to be a good Production Designer * Her approach to designing the series of ALDI Christmas commercials that involved building a train carriage, an interior circus tent scene, a huge castle interior, a snowy mountain scene, as well as multiple miniature models and sets * Her experience designing the ‘Dulux Walls’ global campaign, and her research into colour trends * Her production design “pet peeves” * Her favourite part about being a Production Designer * And much more! Subscribe + Follow Production Design Digest Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/production.design.digest/?hl=en] | Blog [https://www.kellysinclairsmith.com/podcast] Show Links: * Romeo + Juliet IMDB [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117509/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_36] | Production Design by Catherine Martin * Catherine Martin’s IMDB [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0552039/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cr12] Follow Our Guest: * Kem’s Website [www.kemwhite.co.uk] * Kem White’s IMDB [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1667544/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1] * Kem White’s Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/kemwhitepd/] * Kem White is represented by Independent Talent [https://www.independenttalent.com/] Follow Kelly Sinclair Smith: * kellysinclairsmith.com [https://www.kellysinclairsmith.com/] * IMDB [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11477632/] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/studiosinclairsmith/?hl=en] * Kelly Sinclair Smith is represented by Vision Artists [https://www.visionartists.co.uk/] Original Score by Joe Davies [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9875426/]

Dick Lunn is a Production Designer for Film, TV and Commercials. Dick’s production design credits include ‘The End of the F***ing World’ (2019), Next of Kin (2018), Humans (2015), Man Up (2015), The Survivalist (2015), Cuban Fury (2014), Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa (2013), The Inbetweeners Movie (2011), Four Lions (2010), and the upcoming Netflix series; The Duchess. Dick and Production Design Digest host, Kelly Sinclair Smith, discuss his career, all the different aspects of production design that he’s drawn to, his favourite go-to photography books for references, his approach to designing visually pleasing spaces through the use of symmetry and incorporating the camera’s aspect ratio within his set designs to create interesting frames. In this episode with Dick Lunn we cover: * Dick’s journey into Production Design, and how his degree in modern history created a solid foundation for being able to reference and research different jobs * How having parents who were both art teachers influenced his love of art, and how studying art history and renaissance artists, such as Hieronymus Bosch, taught him about composition, lighting and how creating lines within a picture can draw the viewers eye to specific focal points * How his time spent as a runner, prop master and art director prepared him for his career as a Production Designer * His approach to designing for the screen, and how important it is to consider the camera movement and the blocking within a scene when designing a set * How he uses symmetry within his set designs to bring structure to the space and create visually appealing compositions * His long-standing working relationship with his set decorator and what makes it such a successful collaboration between them * The textures, colours and detailed props within the sets of ‘The End of the F***ing World’ (S2), and how Dick created the look of a British/Americana fusion for the series * And much more! Subscribe + Follow Production Design Digest Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/production.design.digest/?hl=en] | Blog [https://www.kellysinclairsmith.com/podcast] Show Links: * Art History for Filmmakers [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-History-Filmmakers-Storytelling-Required-ebook/dp/B06XF1238B/ref=sr_1_1?crid=34MXQ94LJK17K&dchild=1&keywords=art+history+for+filmmakers&qid=1594286806&sprefix=art+history+for+,aps,155&sr=8-1] | by Gillian Mclver * Inside North Korea [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inside-North-Korea-Oliver-Wainwright/dp/3836572214] | by Oliver Wainwright * The Ruins of Detroit [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ruins-Detroit-Yves-Marchand/dp/3869300426] | by Yves Marchand * Two and One Quarter [https://www.amazon.co.uk/William-Eggleston-Two-One-Quarter/dp/0944092705/ref=sr_1_1?crid=9TDSPY6SVLB6&dchild=1&keywords=william+eggleston+-+two+and+one+quarter&qid=1594283810&s=books&sprefix=two+and+one+quarter,stripbooks,163&sr=1-1] | by William Eggleston * Cathedral of the Pines [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cathedral-Pines-Gregory-Crewdson/dp/1597113506/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=cathedral+of+the+pines&qid=1594283856&s=books&sr=1-1] | by Gregory Crewdson * Early Works [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Early-Works-Jeffrey-Ladd/dp/B07TMRS36F/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=early+works+parr&qid=1594283896&s=books&sr=1-1] | by Martin Parr * Hustlers [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Philip-Lorca-diCorcia-Hustlers/dp/3869306173/ref=sr_1_1?crid=KU09VUEKWP8I&dchild=1&keywords=hustlers+philip+lorca&qid=1594284022&sprefix=hustlers+phili,stripbooks,157&sr=8-1] | by Philip-Lorca diCorcia * Modern Colour [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fred-Herzog-David-Campany/dp/377574181X/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=modern+colour&qid=1594284051&sr=8-6] | by Fred Herzog * Blade Runner (1982) IMDB [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083658/] | Production Design by Lawrence G. Paull * Lawrence G. Paull’s IMDB [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0667223/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cr19] Follow Our Guest: * Dick Lunn’s IMDB [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0526752/] * Dick Lunn’s Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/therealdicklunn/?hl=en] * Dick Lunn is represented by Echo Artists [https://www.echoartists.com/] Follow Kelly Sinclair Smith: * kellysinclairsmith.com [https://www.kellysinclairsmith.com/] * IMDB [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11477632/] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/studiosinclairsmith/?hl=en] * Kelly Sinclair Smith is represented by Vision Artists [https://www.visionartists.co.uk/] Original Score by Joe Davies [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9875426/]

Anna Rhodes is a Production Designer and Art Director for Film, Commercial, Music Video, Events and Stills. She is based in London, but has worked globally, including Mexico, Chile, Tokyo, Seoul and Europe. Her long list of clients include Steve McQueen, Kanye West, One Direction, Kylie Minogue, Virgin, Absolut, Nike and Net-A-Porter. Anna and Production Design Digest host, Kelly Sinclair Smith, discuss her career journey, designing shoots abroad, building successful director relationships, developing colour palettes and how her background in graphic design helped shape her into the production designer that she is today. In this episode with Anna Rhodes we cover: * What lead Anna to pursue a career in Production Design * What her degree in Graphic Design taught her about developing colour palettes and how it influences her approach to designing * Anna’s creative process - how she preps a job from start to finish * How to create stand-out mood boards, and the importance of using carefully considered references to develop initial set designs * Her go-to sources for inspiration * What it is like to design a music video for Kanye West, directed by the iconic film director, Steve McQueen * Her passion for designing music videos and what it is about doing them that she enjoys most * Anna’s research that went into designing and building (not one, but two!) entire New York street sets that take us back to 1985. We go into detail about all the different artists that Absolut have used for their advertising campaigns, and how she had to show the passing of time by re-decorating the streets to represent every decade from 1985 to current day * We examine the importance of developing a mutual level of trust with directors * She discusses her “series of micro-failures”, what she learnt from them, and how ultimately it made her a better designer * And much more! Subscribe + Follow Production Design Digest Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/production.design.digest/?hl=en] | Blog [https://www.kellysinclairsmith.com/podcast] Show Links: * Toys (1992) IMDB [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105629/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0] | Production Design by Ferdinando Scarfiotti * Ferdinando Scarfiotti’s IMDB [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0769162/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cr11] Follow Our Guest: * Anna Rhodes’ Website [http://studio-rhodes.com/] * Anna Rhodes’ IMDB [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2373071/] * Anna Rhodes’ Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/annammmrhodes/?hl=en] * Anna Rhodes is represented by Wizzo & Co [https://wizzoandco.co.uk/] Follow Kelly Sinclair Smith: * kellysinclairsmith.com [https://www.kellysinclairsmith.com/] * IMDB [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11477632/] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/studiosinclairsmith/?hl=en] * Kelly Sinclair Smith is represented by Vision Artists [https://www.visionartists.co.uk/] Original Score by Joe Davies [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9875426/]