Tuesday, October 8, 2024
Step inside the vibrant and relatable world of Insecure with the design team that brought it to life: production designer Kay Lee and set decorator Amber Haley. Join host SuChin Pak and learn about decorating Issa’s iconically realistic apartment, pulling off those giant community events, and authentically capturing the spirit of South L.A.
Listen to the podcast HERE
Watch On Set With on MAX, or at HGTV Home on YouTube.
I was a new set decorator so excited to be working on “My Life as an Experiment,” a pilot that was produced by Jack Black. I was even more excited to learn that Donald Sutherland was one of the actors. One day, an A.D approached me, telling me that The Donald Sutherland wanted a meeting…with me. The set decorator.
I knocked on the door, and there he was. He was tall and a very large person, not like many actors and not at all what I expected. He had a huge presence and his voice moved through you, not in a threatening way, but in a way that almost reverberated your energy. He wanted to talk about his character and what the set could do to help bring him to life.
We had a long meeting and I listened to Mr. Sutherland share everything about every component of this person’s life — a much longer meeting than I thought it would be. He was very thorough and he knew everything about the history and the depth of the man he was playing. He handed me a few Xeroxed pages with images of very specific items his character would have and what he thought should be showcased on the set. Donald was a hand surgeon in the show, so models and sculptures of hands were a few of the items he wanted on display, like a master’s collection. He was passionate about his character’s space and I was beyond thrilled to be collaborating.
This meeting with Donald forever changed how I approach my work. I now ask all the questions up front, long before I start to pull furniture. Understanding who lives and works in the space is half the battle when you begin a new project. Where is the character from, where did they go to school, who are their parents, what is important to this person, what other details can you provide? When this info is readily available I know this is a tight writers room and I am both comforted and excited by that.
I was a newer set decorator and was tickled pink that I was face to face with a legend having such an in-depth conversation about the essence of this person. From that day forward I made sure that every single drawer, bookshelf, and hidden compartment on all my sets were fully dressed for the actors. Every single one. You need to have the info as the actor and director and writer understand it, you can’t fake this part. I guess you can, but it doesn’t have the same effect.
This was a level of depth in acting that I’ve rarely seen before or since. And as a side note, I met Donald in his trailer and we were alone. I had nothing to worry about, he was a true professional, but I never have taken a meeting alone since. I always bring backup now. Partly because he was so passionate about it all. It was a little intense, so I didn’t want to miss a single detail. I SO wish that I had a witness to that day, it was very Hollywood in the most surreal way. Looking back, after what many would consider a career with a few amazing shows, this meeting was a turning point for me and I never knew it then. Thank you, Donald, for sharing your process with me. How lucky I was to witness it.
Amber Haley is an Emmy Winning set decorator based in Los Angeles. She’s been in the industry for 27 years and started in property before working her way up and finding her passion in set decoration. Some of her recent projects include “Your Honor,” “The Mysterious Benedict Society,” “The Politician,” “The People V. OJ Simpson,” “Barry,” “Insecure,” and “Modern Family.”
by Steven Prusakowski
LOS ANGELES (December 16, 2023) – The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) today announced the winners of the 2nd Annual Children’s & Family Creative Arts Emmy® Awards which took place this evening at the historic Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles and aired live on The Emmys® apps.
“We applaud the exceptional talent who continue to inspire and entertain young audiences. The remarkable contributions to their craft are unparalleled. We congratulate all of tonight’s nominees and winners,” said Adam Sharp, President & CEO, NATAS.
The Children’s & Family Awards was the first standalone expansion of the Emmy Award competition in 43 years between NATAS and the Television Academy in 2022. Children’s & Family content represents the fastest-growing genre that NATAS awards, with a 23% increase in related programming the past two years. With more than 3,000 submissions, the competition is now the largest that NATAS oversees.
Tonight’s presentation was produced by NATAS with Lisa Armstrong and Adam Sharp, Executive Producers; Leon Knoles, Director; Dino Shorté and Adam Ruben, Writers; and Brent Stanton and Rachel Schwartz, Children’s & Family Awards Administration.
Presenters included Tamara Almeida (Jane), Ceci Balagot (Monster High: The Movie), Eric Bauza (voice of Bugs Bunny and others), Tantoo Cardinal (Spirit Rangers), Nayah Damasen (Monster High: The Movie), Miia Harris (Monster High: The Movie), Sonia Manzano (Alma’s Way), Ava Louise Murchison (Jane), and Ed Weeks (Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight).
The Children’s & Family Creative Arts Emmy ceremony was streamed live on NATAS’ dedicated viewing platform, available on the web at watch.theemmys.tv and via The Emmys® apps for iOS, tvOS, Android, FireTV, and Roku (full list at apps.theemmys.tv).
The complete list of Children’s and Family Creative Arts Emmy winners is available here.
OUTSTANDING ART DIRECTION/SET DECORATION/SCENIC DESIGN
The Mysterious Benedict Society - Disney+
Production Designer
Cynthia Charette
Art Director
Nathan Ogilvie
Set Decorator
Amber Haley
Keeping it real paid off for the HBO comedy, which received eight nominations for the upcoming Emmys
September 2, 2020
Fans who have been watching Insecure since the show premiered in 2016 know that the best part of the comedy, created by Issa Rae and Larry Wilmore, is its authenticity. In addition to being, well, insecure, the main character, Issa Dee (played by Rae), is imperfect and above all, oh-so-relatable, from her career blunders to her relationship woes to her desire to do something meaningful for her community. After four seasons on the air, the show has finally received ample recognition from the Emmys, racking up eight nominations in total this year. The awards show will be held virtually and will air on September 20. (In the past, Insecure received two nods for cinematography and one for Rae’s acting but didn't win.)
Two of the most successful sets of the season, which aired earlier this summer, also benefited from using real elements. For the block party that Issa painstakingly puts together to highlight Black businesses in rapidly gentrifying Inglewood (where Rae grew up and her character resides on the show), production designer Kay Lee, set decorator Amber Haley, art director Andrew Sloane, and the rest of the crew planned the event right along with her, inviting real businesses to participate as a way to truly capture the neighborhood.
“Issa and [executive producer] Prentice Penny gave us a straight-up list of businesses and makers and organizations that they were hoping we could reach out to,” says Sloane. The result was “sort of a meta environment” where local businesses such as Lenita by Grita flower truck, Lot XI Urban Apothecary, vegan restaurant Stuff I Eat, and others set up booths on Market Street for a five-day shoot. Some business owners or employees appear as extras, and all were able to style their booths if they wanted, though Sloane says the crew assisted with “beefing up their typefaces” and heightening colors for television.
“Some stores were very helpful and sent out employees who spent hours upon hours zhuzhing to refine their spaces,” says Haley. “It became this little unmentioned competition between the businesses, which was charming.”
For another episode, the team created an Art Walk in Downtown L.A., where Issa and her ex Lawrence (played by Jay Ellis) reunite to stroll through a whimsical installation of clouds and point out paintings that remind them of their friends. Haley tapped into her network to source pieces by local Black artists, as she has done with art featured throughout the show’s run. “We worked closely with Happi Hamilton, Spike Lee’s gallerist, and found much of the art from her for the first few seasons,” she says. “I’m always looking for pieces that I like.” Artists featured include Haley’s longtime collaborator Amina Cruz, YoYo Lander, Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, Binho Ribeiro, Swoon, Laci Jordan (her portrait of late rapper Nipsey Hussle felt especially authentic to the setting, given the number of tributes which have popped up since his tragic death in 2019), and more.
In the show, Issa refers to the Block Party as a display of “Black excellence,” and she has a clear mission for throwing her event. With gentrification encroaching, she wants to show that there are plenty of businesses already in Inglewood, owned by people who represent the neighborhood and its history, that are worthy of celebrating. By including the community in the production, Rae essentially did the same. She has given her take on gentrification before in interviews: “It’s a nightmare. There’s a Whole Foods coming. It’s over! I do love Whole Foods … I just want the benefits of gentrification without the gents,” she told Vulture in 2016. In other words, trendy coffee shops aren’t the enemy (in fact, Rae is a partner in the Inglewood location of one called Hilltop, which is featured on the show), but improvements to a neighborhood should benefit its residents, not price them out.
June 13, 2020
INSECURE is an honest snapshot of the life of a young woman, Issa Dee [Issa Rae], dealing with relationships, workplaces, unemployment and reality...a down to earth and extremely witty depiction of life in the Leimert Park and Inglewood sections of Los Angeles. We are immersed in the world of Issa Dee, limited and expansive as it can be, and her evolution from shallow-perspective relationships to deepening awareness of the responsibilities they involve, both for her and her friends and lovers, who may or may not be on a growth path as well. Much of the time, she is not aware, but we share the foibles and lessons...and many twists of life, and we somehow laugh through the process...often!
At the end of four HBO seasons, the most notable factor is Issa’s growth, which is represented in the sets as well. At the beginning of the current/most recent Season 4, we step into Issa’s new apartment, a huge leap forward for someone who has been, and still is, financially challenged. Happily, we see her not defining herself from that measure. However, she is still awkward in negotiating the far more valuable aspects of life, especially relationships...but she is, indeed, starting to define herself from within instead of without, which has an impact on life decisions and friendships that may no longer have the depth of influence and commitment they once carried.
SDSA Executive Director Gene Cane spoke with Creator/Co-Writer/Star Issa Rae about the sets that range from huge to personal...a depiction of the music festivals in Coachella, a major block party, a multi-block downtown LA Art Walk...all pulled together by Set Decorator Amber Haley SDSA and her teams...including, most importantly from a character standpoint, the everyday places and the new character-defining apartment.
Issa Rae reveals, “This season, the 4th season, when I walked into that fully-decorated apartment the first time, I was just floored at how great it looked. How much it represented her and how much it elevated her without us having to say much.” She adds, “That was something that I had really been adamant about, just making sure that it look like a real girl’s apartment...I think that often times you see such overly decorated sets with pieces that this person can’t afford this at this time...
I think it was about having those conversations, because Issa’s broke-ness is a huge plotline throughout the series, and Amber is very intentional about how she shops and the story behind each piece.
I absolutely love Issa’s apartment.”
And, so do we.
Not for the decor per se, but for the characterization, the essence of fine set decoration.
Check the gallery above for amazing behind-the-scenes, from sketches & plans to finished sets...
Watch the video for details from Set Decorator Amber Haley SDSA and Set Decoration Buyer Natalie Contreras SDSA, and a bonus at the end...a phone conversation about the sets with Issa Rae!
Enjoy!
Karen Burg, Editor
March 22, 2016
If you’ve been watching American Crime Story: The People vs OJ Simpson – or reading our recaps — you’re well aware that the show is so excellent in part because it’s tremendously good at transporting the viewer back to mid-90s Los Angeles. From the music supervisors to the lighting designers, everyone was really firing on all all cylinders. And one of my personal favorite aspects of this show is its sets. Whether we’re talking about the inside of Judge Ito’s courtroom, or the French Country shabby chic of Robert Shapiro’s bedroom, they are perfect. So, as you can imagine, we were very pleased to get to exchange some emails with Jeffrey Mossa, the show’s production designer, and Amber Haley, its set decorator, about how they made the magic happen — and how “weird stalker websites helped,” what’s going on with Johnnie’s actual office, and where, exactly, furniture from the 80s and 90s Beverly Hills goes to die.
GFY: Could you give us some background on how you got involved in set/production design? (And what is the difference between the two?)
JEFFREY: I had a passion for drawing from age four. I used to draw Darth Vader, R2D2, and Yoda, and make posters and album covers for my favorite bands. After seeing Raiders of the Lost Ark, I decided I wanted to be Indiana Jones. Since I couldn’t travel back in time and become an archaeologist, and since I knew I was a decent artist, I thought maybe I could work as an artist in movies. When I was in seventh grade, I saw a TV special on Industrial Light and Magic — it showed all the special effects technicians, model makers, and creature technicians from Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Ghostbusters, etc. I was hooked. At the time, I thought I wanted to get into special effects. In high school, we had a drama club, but I wanted nothing to do with that. We also had the “Spring Spectacular,” which was essentially a big variety show full of acts from various Broadway musicals. I started designing and building the sets for those freshman year and never looked back. Several of the teachers were impressed with my work ethic. One of them, a counselor that was actually never assigned to me, sought me out and recommended I apply to the Boston University Theatre Design program. I took his advice and began a journey that continues to this day.
As far as the difference between a set designer and production designer, it can vary depending on the medium. For example, in theater, the set designer is the person who (obviously) designs the sets. In film and television, there’s generally a larger scope of work going on, so you need more hands, and a bigger department. So the Production Designer is responsible for the look of all of the sets, set dressing, and props. It’s a huge job and you need a highly skilled and talented team to help you. So the set designer is the person who actually does the working draftings for the sets. We had a few set designers on TPVOJ, but our constant was Betty Krul. Betty is fantastic, she and I have an amazing shorthand, and I trust her. Betty is very talented, so I can trust her to work out the finer details of the set and get them right. This is not always the case, but in a situation where the two positions have a great working relationship, the set designer will definitely contribute to the aesthetic. Just to be clear on what I said earlier, as production designer I am responsible for set dressing and props, but both the prop master and the set decorator bring their aesthetic as well. Amber did an amazing job decorating the sets. We were able to have very brief but important discussions about each set before she shopped them, and we refined them together. Both of these positions are big jobs with big responsibilities.
AMBER: The designer is responsible for the overall look. They come up with the concept for the space. The set decorator, my role, provides all the details (e.g., furniture, drapery, artwork, and all the “stuff” that makes the space look real…i.e,. anything not nailed down). This texture helps provide the backstory of the characters and give life to the set. My mother was an interior designer, so I was exposed to art and aesthetics. I also grew up in La Jolla, California, at a time when it was transitioning from a sleepy beach town into a very affluent area. At an early age, I was able to identify a family’s backstory (old money, new money, renting/owning) and political leaning based on how they furnished their homes. But I kind fell into show business. I was working as a graphic designer for the Golden Door Spa in San Diego. A friend of a friend asked if I wanted to visit his commercial set. I did, and I loved it. That’s when I knew what my passion was. I first worked on a few commercials, then on a movie that came to San Diego. That led to a job in Los Angeles. I had the good fortune of working as a shopper for some phenomenal decorators.
GFY: How did you get involved with this project specifically?
JEFFREY: I was approached by the line producer, Chip Vucelich, who is someone I had worked with a couple of times prior. Chip has been a great friend and colleague, and has been a champion of mine in a business where many folks can be hesitant to stick their necks out for someone.
AMBER: A producer that I had worked with previously recommended me to Chip Vucelich.
GFY: Could you take us through a typical day at the office? I’m sure it varies at different points in production. What are some of the major duties that you have during a project, and at what point in pre-production do you come on board? Are you putting out day-to-day fires during the shoots, too, or are you always looking ahead to the next episodes?
JEFFREY: There is no typical day at the office. I think that what makes doing what we do appealing. The days do change dramatically depending on what point we are at in production, and also, each project is very different. I am one of the first people they hire – very early on in the process. Creating the permanent sets and scouting for the major locations takes time, so they generally bring me in anywhere from 6 to 9 weeks ahead of shooting.
We try like hell not to have to put out fires on “the day of” on set. Our job is to be two or three steps ahead of everyone else. Communication is key. Emergencies do occur, but we have a talented professional staff that specializes in knocking curveballs out of the park. Any time the shooting company arrives at a new set for the first time, Amber and I will “Open Set” – which means everything is done and looks amazing. We generally stay long enough that the director and actors have had time to rehearse the scene. If we’ve done our jobs right, everyone is happy, they finish rehearsal and we get the hell out of dodge because we’ve got a bunch more sets to get ready. We don’t hang around while they’re shooting except in specific instances when an element of the set needs to change mid-shooting. If we’ve really done our job well on location, most of the shooting company doesn’t even realize the work we’ve done. They often think it was like that before we got there.
And, yes, we are ALWAYS looking ahead. Often looking further ahead than the producers – which, most of the time, is greatly appreciated by them.
AMBER: During prep (before filming), it’s mostly finding all the right items — whether it’s at prop houses, furniture stores, thrift shops, and even scouring online for the perfect pieces. Some days you are driving all around LA, other days you have production meetings, location scouts, and meetings with the director. Budgeting is a huge part of this job. You have to determine whether to buy or rent, because no matter what the project is, there are financial constraints. Right before the shooting starts, you then shift into a phase of pulling it all together, creating something that tells the story.
GFY: How much freedom do you have to make artistic decisions? Does everything have to be signed off on, or do you have creative latitude? (I’m sure this probably also varies from production to production.) We’d love to hear how the vision for this kind of show gets hammered out.
JEFFREY: As far as artistic freedom, that can vary dramatically depending on the personalities involved. This is a collaborative art — which is what makes it great. Having said that, if they hire you, they are buying into a certain amount of trust in your style and aesthetic. They don’t have the time to sweat the details like we do, so ultimately we bring a lot to the table. When designing the architecture of the sets, I have to consider the blocking of the scene and staging of actors and camera, so, yes, before we start building I generally seek a buy-off from the director and producers for the basic ground plan of the sets. Depending on the sets, I will also provide research reference and even a perspective rendering of the proposed set. This may or may not include swatches of fabric and paint chips – again, each situation is different. Ryan Murphy is very clear — if he doesn’t like something you show him, he’ll let you know.
The vision for this show starts with research. LOTS and LOTS of research. Some of which was really not easy to come by. And there tend to be a LOT of gaps to fill in. Francesca Galesi is a researcher I’ve used in the past, and she was tremendous help finding nuggets of research in the beginning that I would never have found on my own. Maren Brown, our art department coordinator, was also massively involved in the research throughout the whole project. I’d never have survived without her tireless efforts.
The vision then evolves, of course — whether it’s to make things more cinematic, or to take the edge of of some of the more garish 90’s details that would distract the contemporary viewer from the scene. The DA’s office, for instance, had all the surfaces and architectural details off the real thing, but we reformatted the layout to make it more cinematic.
AMBER: I have a lot of creative freedom. But you don’t want to surprise anyone on the day of shooting. For that reason I take photos of everything I plan to deliver to the set.
GFY: When you’re working on something like TPVOJS, and creating a set based on actual places, how close do you try to get to the actual place? (I’m actually not sure which sets in this project are locations, and which have been recreated. The courtroom, for example, is SO DEAD ON that I would bet it’s a location — but that seems unlikely to have been allowed.)
JEFFREY: The degree of accuracy varies, and the degree to which accuracy was desired varied. The crime scene needed to be exact. I was counting tiles in the photos, coming over every little detail to match it perfectly. The interior of Nicole’s condo, however, was less exact and captured the essence of the real thing. This was partly driven by the needs of the shooting schedule and having to find a location near our exterior that would work. Brad (Simpson) and Nina (Jacobson, the executive producers) felt that since everyone remembers the crime scene walkway, we couldn’t mess with that. The interior of the condo, almost nobody would remember that.
The courtroom, and the court hallway are sets. That was a decision form the get go.We were going to be doing so much shooting in there, we needed to build them. The divorce court and the prelim court are locations. Those were one time shoots.
I was able to walk into the real courtroom while it wasn’t in session. I took hundreds of measurements as fast as I could, and, while I wasn’t supposed to, I was able to take several photos of even the tiniest details of the real thing, which we replicated in painstaking detail. When the cast was all in the set on the first day we were shooting it, I felt like I was no longer in a set and had stepped back in a time machine.
AMBER: That’s right, the courtroom is a set. Jeff did such a good job building that set, I would sometimes forget I was not downtown.
GFY: How do you go about recreating actual spaces? What kind of research do you do?
JEFFREY: Research, research, research. Find whatever you can, however you can. Google, Getty, Flikr, old magazines, weird stalker websites — it’s all fair game. We toured the real criminal courts building. We surveyed and measured the floor immediately below the floor of Johnnie Cochran’s real office. His real office is supposedly still intact as a makeshift “shrine” — but we were told not to contact them.
For Johnnie’s house, we found a photo of the outside and a picture of him in his living room – limited details, but we took those, ran with them and filled in the gaps. I had one shot of Johnnie in his office, and found myself looking in the reflection of the cabinet doors to determine what the rest of the room looked like behind where the camera took the picture. For Marcia’s house, we had footage of her getting in her car in her driveway and were able to get a sense of what the house was like.
GFY: Where do you source props for a period piece like this? It seems like it would be a different assignment to recreate 1994 than, say, working on something like Mad Men (or Deadwood, or something like Game of Thrones).
JEFFREY: Amber and Dwayne (our prop master) could answer this better than I — there are several prop houses in town, many of whom will manufacture a period piece for you if they don’t have it. The internet is also a wondrous source for many things of old.
AMBER: We actually sourced many items from eBay. There are many good prop houses where you can find great stuff. For this show, I used Omega Cinema Props, Object, and Warner Brothers quite a bit. We also found many gems in consignment shops in and around Beverly Hills. As my shopper Rebecca Keeling would say, “This is where all the furniture from the 80s and 90s Beverly Hills comes to die.” When when you are dressing for a particular decade, you have to include furnishing from prior decades, because of course no has entirely new furniture in their home.
GFY: Which sets were your favorites — and, in fact, which little details were the ones you were proudest of getting right? Which were the hardest?
JEFFREY: I think I change favorite sets as I watch the series again. Shapiro’s home study and Johnnie’s bedroom were some of my favorites while we were working on it. Mostly because those were completely built sets with no real reference, so we created those from scratch. How could you not love the courtroom? I’m so happy that our directors and Nelson (our DP) shot that the way they did. It’s the courtroom you know, but you’ve never seen it like this – it makes you feel you’ve got the inside track with the lawyers. I’m also fond of the jail set. It’s not the prettiest thing in the world, but that’s what ’s great about it — it really puts OJ in a place he clearly cannot deal with. The DA’s office shoots great — you don’t feel like you’re in a set at all. Honestly I’m proud of it all and thrilled at how well the look of the show is being received.
GFY: We noticed the chess sets in each legal office. Can you talk about how you decided on that detail, and how you even picked which chess pieces went to which person? Are there any other fun little set/production Easter eggs in there like that? (And did anyone ever actually move the chess pieces from episode to episode?)
JEFFREY I’m not sure who decided on the chess sets. I think it was Bob Gould, the first decorator. We certainly ran with it, and it made sense. I actually thought about how cool it would be if we moved the pieces in a very specific way as the series went on. That quickly became a pipe dream as our shooting schedule started coming of the rails a bit in the middle of episode 5, and we began radically shooting out of order. It would have been impossible to track. There were weeks where we were shooting three or four episodes — and in the end we had days like that.
They aren’t really any other “Easter eggs” per se. We did expand on Shapiro’s boxing theme. He was a boxer – so we ran with that and reflected it in sculpture and paintings. Amber got great boxing paintings for his home study.
GFY: Could you talk about the scene where Johnnie’s team totally strips down OJ’s place and redecorates it? What is the experience like of essentially having to create two versions of one set? And how precise did you and the props folks have to be with some of those things? For example, OJ’s Heisman. Did you commission that? We only really saw it from the back, I think. Was it completely finished or just from the one angle?
JEFFREY: The Heisman is a prop that’s probably in a few prop houses in LA. (Amber can correct me if I’m wrong.) I don’t think that was overly difficult. Redecorating that house was not easy — not gonna lie. That is a good example of every photo and piece of art needing be bought off on.Lots of opinions to consider. So it was a process — and there are legal clearances involved was well. That was a thorn in our side for weeks. That’s also an example of when we had to hang around set a bit longer than usual.
GFY: In Episode 5, the painting “The Problem We All Live With” features prominently. Was that a historically accurate detail, or something you guys came up with to convey a particular message? (It appears behind Shapiro early on, and then Cochran hangs it in OJ’s house.) What subtle touches did you guys add to convey mood, or message, in a show like this which is depicting such a complicated racial and social landscape?
JEFFREY: That painting was decided on very early on. That detail came straight from the script and honestly I can’t speak to whether or not that detail is accurate. It’s poignant and perfect though isn’t it?
We were definitely aware of what the art and decor conveyed about the characters and race. We didn’t overthink it, but certainly it came into play. I’m not sure that we paid more attention to that, though, than we would in any other even fictitious script as we help to define the characters by their surroundings.
GFY: Both of you have done a lot of work on contemporary pieces — was it difficult to switch over to a period piece? I have to tell you that, having lived here in Los Angeles in 1994 (and my whole life), I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a show that captured LA in the 90s in such a naturalistic and accurate way.
JEFFREY: I don’t think it’s that difficult to adjust to the period of it all. We always start with research, whether or not its a period piece. So while it can present some challenges, the process is generally the same. I’m glad you feel it’s authentic — it means we did our job well. The worst thing would be you being distracted from a scene because the setting didn’t ring true.
AMBER: It just takes a lot more time and resources to accurately depict an era as opposed to present day. But either way we do a lot of research. It’s harder to find correct pieces for a period project.
GFY: What was your biggest challenge on this project? Related, is there anything you WANTED to do, but weren’t able to?
JEFFREY: Honestly the single biggest challenge was dealing with the logistics of the schedule. Ryan Murphy was running three shows, directing for two of them, and we had plenty of actor and location schedule issues to work around. So, really, the hardest part was keeping morale and reacting to curveballs. The other aspects of the show ere by no means easy, but they were better defined.
There’s always things I wanted to do but couldn’t — I can’t think of anything specific on this project right now, I guess I’m far enough removed from it.
GFY: Is there anything you wish you could go back and do differently, or fix?
JEFFREY: I have to say I’m happy with the sets — I love the way they’ve shot them. I wouldn’t have done much differently. In episode 4, when Robert Kardashian goes to pick up his kids and Kris Jenner answers the door, that was a location we found that had to be near the house we were shooting for Johnnie’s house. So it wasn’t quite the right look, and it really wanted to be a two-story house. We did quite a bit of landscaping and decorating to bring the house “up” — but we also planned to add a second story via visual effects in post. We did all the design work for that and passed it along, but it’s clear the producing corps decide not to spend that money, as it didn’t make it to the screen. I think I’m the only person who missed it though! Nobody cried foul.
GFY: Do you watch these episodes as they air, or would that just drive you crazy?
JEFFREY: I actually don’t have cable, so I have to watch them on iTunes, which means I watch them the next day. I really enjoy watching them. I’m totally engrossed in the characters. That is a sign of success for me — when I can forget about my work and just enjoy the show in (almost) the same manner you do. It’s my goal to have that experience on every show I work on.
AMBER: Yes! Fortunately unlike actors, we don’t have to rely on a few takes. By the time it get’s shot, we’ve spent considerable time on it. So usually it’s more appreciation of how it all came together. It’s actually quite enjoyable to watch.
GFY: What is your dream project?
JEFFREY: My dream is to work on material that I want to watch. It’s really that simple. I love telling stories — if I respond to it, it’s perfect. I’ve had the fortune of working with some top notch talent — what more could you ask for? (Maybe an Emmy? 😉 )
AMBER: Well, I have an eleven year old son, so it’s not working on something out of town. My husband and I watch a lot of HBO shows, so I’d really like to work on one of those series. But I don’t really have specific types of things I want to work on. I enjoy the variety that this business brings.
GFY: And finally, if it hasn’t come up yet: Where were YOU when the OJ Simpson chase happened, and during the trial and the verdict? Were you as glued to it as everyone else? What are your memories of this time, and did any of them inform your work here?
JEFFREY: I first moved to LA in the fall of 1993. The Northridge earthquake was my first earthquake. I was headed to LAX to fly home to see family the day of the slow speed chase. I remember all the helicopters in the sky. I got the airport just before things got real. I certainly paid attention to the trial, but I wouldn’t say I was glued. I’d check in every now and then.
GFY: Is there anything else you want to mention that we haven’t covered? Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to talk to us!
JEFFREY: It takes a village to pull this off, and I had the privilege of having an incredibly talented small army working with me to make everything amazing. On something like this, you are certainly in the trenches with these people on their, and your, best and worst days. It may sound cliche, but I couldn’t have done it without them and am extremely grateful. So while I’d like to take a heaping spoonful of credit, I am one man who is nothing without them. Whether it’s Amber, Maren, Betty, Gary Christensen (our construction coordinator), Scott Cobb (my art director), Lori West (our graphic designer), Rob Tokarz (our assistant art director), Joe Samuelson (our art dept PA), and the countless others who worked with and for all those folks, their efforts should be celebrated. Not only are they all incredibly talented individuals, I’m fortunate enough to count them all as friends.
AMBER: I personally want to thank Jeff for being such a focused, smart and funny leader. He raised all of our games. I need to thank my tireless crew: Rebecca Keeling (shopper), Keith Alshire-Rezendez (leadman, who’s responsible for the set dressers and logistics), Gio Aurilia (on-set dresser), and finally Nya Patrios (a fellow decorator), who is also a yogi and having her energy around us daily was a blessing.
For inspiration in creating the onscreen world of Santa Barbara’s upper crust in the upcoming series The Politician, production designer Jamie McCall looked to none other than the work of the iconic design duo of Sister Parish and Albert Hadley.
Created by Ryan Murphy, best known for his wildly popular shows such as Glee, American Horror Story, and Nip/Tuck, the Netflix dark comedy centers around an ambitious preppy high school student, Payton Hobart (Ben Platt), who has his long-range sights set on the Oval Office via the student body presidency and admission to Harvard. As the six-time Emmy-winning director has detailed, the show features the satirical tone of ’70s films like The Candidate and Shampoo, with aesthetics evoking The Royal Tenenbaums and The Graduate.
In addition to the beautifully decorated and always fashionable work of Parish/Hadley, McCall referenced a 2018 Gucci collection and the hyperstylized films of director Wes Anderson for the overall ambiance of the show. “I wanted to do an East Coast upscale-rich vibe, and came across Sister Parish and Albert Hadley in my research," says the designer, whose recent credits include NBC’s The Good Place. "I loved the classic way they used patterns and bold color in a sophisticated manner, and I carried the look throughout the show. Ryan wanted pops of color and layers that were clean and classic, which is why I thought the designers' work would be perfect.”
The legendary pair’s influence was taken a step further when McCall created a continuous floral textile pattern for Payton’s bedroom. Art imitates life, as the designer explains: “I thought about the character and how even as a high school student, he would want a presidential bedroom.” Inspired by the stately real-life bedroom of John F. Kennedy, McCall referenced interiors the designers created at the White House for the 35th president and tried to do a take on their look: “I love the fact these designs do not age and are timeless.”
While the setting of the series is the tony stucco-and-bougainvillea-filled environs of Santa Barbara, filming actually took place in various locales in and around Los Angeles. A private home in neighboring Thousand Oaks doubles as the Hobart manse, while the backdrop for another hub of activity—Saint Sebastian High School—comprises three different locations.
Color plays a useful tool in storytelling, as McCall juxtaposes icy blues (indicating the coldness of Payton’s parents, played by Gwyneth Paltrow and Bob Balaban) with warm pops of color. As he worked closely with costume designer Lou Eyrich, the sets are simpatico with Paltrow’s wardrobe, which includes a bold red Carolina Herrera gown—perfect for tending to the perfectly manicured rose garden—and an emerald caftan, complete with $10 million worth of Harry Winston jewelry.
Set decorator Amber Haley sourced the high-end interiors from a variety of usual suspects, ranging from custom upholstery to antiquities on Chairish and 1stdibs, and an assortment of ashtrays from eBay. Even the school classrooms and libraries were dressed right down to the bottle-green lacquered lockers.
The series premieres on Netflix on Friday, September 27.
Of course, with something as dynamic and stylistic as THE POLITICIAN, we wanted to know every detail possible!
Set Decorator Amber Haley SDSA graciously answers our questions and generously credits her talented crew.
Do take a moment to read below, we know you will love her clarity as much as her fabulous sets!
Enjoy!
Karen Burg,
Editor
SET DECOR: You’ve worked with Ryan Murphy before, so please tell us how that previous experience dialed into this one.
Set Decorator Amber Haley SDSA: I have. I took over on THE PEOPLE V OJ SIMPSON and was on tap to do HURRICANE KATRINA before it was shelved. I really enjoyed the producers at Color Force, Brad Simpson and Nina Jacobs. They know what they are doing and help to make sure the money spent is captured by the camera. There’s not a lot of waste. They are my personal favorite...so smart and so real.
SET DECOR: Ryan is known for his personal great taste in art and penchant for stylized artistic sets and storytelling...and has often been hands-on in some of the artistic decision-making. What were some of his specifics for this production?
AH: Yes, all of his sets are always so beautiful. But it’s more than that. He knows how to shoot them. You see the sets in their entirety, a complete 360. I cannot tell you how many times I have felt like I’ve done the same caliber work (on other shows) and you never see it.* Ryan and his team of amazing DPs and camera operators show you the environment in a way I’ve never seen before. They use cranes in every location and in every set on stage. Even in the smallest sets you think, OK, this will not be a crane shot, and then, they figure out a way to bring it in. It’s really incredible. We always dress the world for our actors and director, but in RMTV, we know the audience will get to see it too.
Please share some of your deepest challenges on this and how you met them!
Physically the sets were spread out all over Los Angeles County as well as Ventura County and Orange County. There were days we needed to dress locations in Thousand Oaks and then in Fullerton. I met them with lots of iced tea and listened to lots of audible books. Thankfully, my leadman David Potter and I communicated a great deal on our tech scouts about what was going on in each location both logistically and esthetically. Especially when you are dealing with mostly locations...some mansions that require white glove attention, and a school with murals over one-hundred-years old...you are up against the elements and architecture. His teams were incredible and worked very hard. These families being portrayed all had money, so we really couldn’t compromise on the set dressing. We all had to bring our A-game.
Was there anything particularly surprising or serendipitous?
Yes, I play tennis and am a huge fan of Martina Navratilova. So that was pretty cool that she played Georgina’s love interest in the show.
We understand that much of this was shot on location rather than built on stage.
What were the pluses for that?
Hands down, the architecture. We shot in some pretty amazing houses all over Los Angeles and Ventura County. Which was great, because the sets were able to have a great deal of detail that is often hard to mimic unless you have lots of time to build. The locations had beautiful murals and carved pieces that really lend to the riches of our characters’ environments. I think the beautiful locations were a great starting point for the Art Department to do their magic to bring everything up to another level. That was definitely a challenge, to make sure our set dressing blended seamlessly with the existing architecture.
Usually there are many restrictions on a location, were you able to have carte blanche in some?
Almost all our locations required very complicated drapery. We were constantly having meetings with the designer to figure out how to accomplish what we wanted vs the locations perimeters. Matt Pollastrini, our draper, helped to solve these installation riddles. He estimates that 90% of our locations wouldn’t let us drill into the walls.
What was your overall approach to this project?
You had fellow SDSA members Natalie Contreras and Lisa Goldsmith as Buyers. Please tell us about how you worked with them to source all of the fabulous elements in these sets!
Well first off, they both have excellent style and taste. I would say I utilized their strengths.
Natalie has a fantastic eye, by nature is a problem solver and really organized, she’s sort of a unicorn.
Lisa is maybe the best detail buyer/decorator I know. She’s incredible with sourcing and dressing unique details.
I was damn lucky and I know it.
In total, we often had 6 buyers at a time working. Because we were moving so fast and I had to be in 3 locations at once, Natalie would assist me with tasking out and keeping all our buyers in the know and on schedule. We had a good team of buyers: SDSA members Sondra Thorpe, Tracy Johnson, Carrell Shaw, Amy Ryder and Karen Ipock. It was a large undertaking, and production was very accommodating at supporting our efforts.
What were some of your resources?
Warner Bros. Property
Warner Bros. Drapery: We lived at WB Drapery. Every throw pillow you see in the show, all the bedding, all the custom drapery and slipcovers came from WB. Andy and Ryan and their team really pulled off a lot of miracles for us.
Omega|Cinema Props: We had a lot of items custom made, and Alan from Omega was unbelievable in his assistance. He knew what we were up against.
Arte De Mexico
Art Pic
Universal
Objects
Dazian
Modernica
Eastern Oriental Rugs
Advanced Liquidators
RC Vintage
Faux Library
We would often buy things and alter them or pull them apart and make them into something else...without our construction department, WB and Omega we wouldn’t have been able to pull that off.
How many days did you have for this? How large a crew? And how many sets???
We often had 30 set dressers, 6 buyers, 3 drapers and countless trucks.
Giovanni Aurilia was our On Set Dresser. I hired him on THE PEOPLE V. OJ and he’s been with Ryan Murphy ever since.
We had two months prep, but once the train left the station, we often had only a day or two for a location. It was very important to go in with a plan and start building right away all the pieces that we knew would be a challenge. The one piece that comes to mind was our 25’ dining room table in Alice’s House. We knew immediately that would have to be a build, for the simple fact that it was going in the Paramour Mansion and we needed to get it up to that property.
Let’s talk about some of the specific sets and set elements for THE POLITICIAN.
The lamps/lighting...so many great & distinctive.
Please tell about collaborating with the DP/Director of Photography on the practicals. And did that aspect influence some of your choices?
There were parameters that were requested by the DP on the pilot. Those were carried on thought the season.
I have found...and for me, it started on OJ...that our lights now light the set.
When I first started in this business, that wasn’t the case.
It has changed, for the better. But it does add another layer of dimension to the reality of the set and needs to be considered when decorating the set.
The art: We sourced paintings throughout LA and of course, there are always great finds at Art Pic
Florals: I have a florist, Elizabeth Bailey, who has been working with me for over 10 years. She does every single show that I do.
We talk at great length about the characters and the environments. We walk the sets and talk about what is needed, what I’d like to see.
She’s amazing and part of process, and she’ll only work with me.
The key set, the Hobart mansion...
...The chandeliers...Please tell us about the individual choices for these throughout, including the stables/horse barn!
There has been a lot written about this barn. Who knew the barn would get so much press? It was actually based on Ellen Degeneres real barn in Santa Barbara. So yes, it was based on reality. People really live like this...really rich people that is. Everything in that barn came from Objects. It was just the perfect mix of elegance and rustic.
...Library...Desk the size of a country... Leather bound books – First editions!
Oh, the Hobart House library. That was a very special room. Art Department built that into the location house living room.
They built all custom bookcases and columns. So, for us, the stage was set to make this really warm and old money.
My favorite piece: the round bookcases they built.
Our buyers took two days to pull 500 feet worth of beautiful first editions at Faux Library.
...Living Room/music room...
The biggest challenge in the Hobart living room was the size of that location. We had the two matching sofas that flank the fireplace custom built at Omega, and the rest came from WB. We wanted everything to be luxurious and look like old money. Because we wanted many sitting areas, proportion was very important in that grand room.
...Sitting room...
We wanted to keep this room very simple to not take away from the lattice work and mirrored panels.
...Dining room...
We used the existing table and had the chairs made. We loved the look of the rustic table next to the velvet chairs. We used lots of pieces in that room that could have been heirlooms of the Hobart Family.
...Payton’s bedroom...
When we tech-scouted the Hobart House, and I was told the bed that was on location was going to be Payton’s bed, I couldn’t wrap my head around it.
Our designer, Jamie Walker McCall, showed us a photo reference of JFK’s bedroom and that was our jumping off point. We wanted it to look like a Presidential suite.
...Lily pond patio...
We actually shot the swimming pool and the lily pond at two separate locations. The Hobart House location was in Thousand Oaks on a ranch property. When they wanted to shoot the scene Georgina paints, for blocking purposes with the twins shooting the bow and arrow and then jumping into the swimming pool, the Thousand Oaks house just didn’t work for that scene. So, we shot that in Beverly Hills at another mansion with large rolling gardens which we also utilized for Georgina’s gardening scenes.
Alice’s home...
Alice’s house was shot at the Paramour Mansion. We all loved her bedroom suite...all those windows and the sitting room with the fireplace flanking the two rooms.
Our draper was tasked with the challenge of also not being able to screw into the walls in a room full of windows!
Among favorite pieces were the Victorian bird cages in her sitting room. We don’t see them in that set, but we do catch them in her dining room.
Astrid’s home, particularly her bedroom...
Jamie selected that really fun satin green and gold foiled wallpaper, and that was really our inspiration.
We wanted Astrid to be in jeweled tones, quite the opposite of Alice. We had everything made for her: the rug, the bedding, the throws, the drapery and valances, her bedskirt, her bed...I mean, everything. We even hand-painted the blinds!
This set was another location where we couldn’t go into the walls and so getting those valances to stay up was quite the challenge!
Jackson house...
This house was this great craftsman house up in the Highland Park hills. We wanted the Jackson house to have a Tammy Wynette flavor. We had a lot of fun shopping antique stores for this set.
New York... Hotel room where Astrid & Ricardo stayed
This set was a build. We wanted it to be a take on the Chelsea Hotel in New York City. We loved the peeling paint and the mold on the walls. Quite the contrast to her lavish life in Los Angeles, which is exactly what Astrid was craving. We added in antique pieces that might have been there since the opening of the hotel and were probably very hip in its heyday.
You’ve done such a variety of sets and settings on some great productions: AMERICAN CRIME STORY, BARRY, THE ROMANOFFS, INSECURE, MODERN FAMILY, & more, including Emmy nominations for BARRY and MODERN FAMILY! *
Did you have a favorite?
About a year after ACS:OJ, I felt a shift in my career, plus it was an awesome show and my first really big one.
I love INSECURE because Issa Rae is a goddess and makes the show so much fun.
Is there a genre or period you would particularly like to take on in the near future?
I love gorgeous sets, that’s my jam. Pretty, big and dramatic.
It’s what I love, and I have found it’s also what I’m good at without a ton of effort or research.
I’d love to do a big period film, obviously, but only if it shoots in Los Angeles.