SEASON 2 - EPISODE 138 - Suzie Davies - Production Designer

In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with production designer Suzie Davies (CONCLAVE, SALTBURN, MR. TURNER). Suzie once thought she’d be a sheep farmer, but after working for model-makers on commercials, she found herself drawn to the art department and filmmaking. A frequent collaborator with director Mike Leigh (Season 1, Episode 76), Suzie reveals how they first met and how she works with him within his unique process. We also learn how the boundaries of production inform Suzie’s general approach to design, and she shares how she tries to help directors realize their creative visions within these limits. Later, Suzie reflects on the challenge of finding period locations in the modern world, and we discuss how she augments locations to suit the film’s reality. Suzie also shares what made the estate in SALTBURN so unique as a location, and we learn how she balanced the production of that film with weekend location scouts in Rome for CONCLAVE. Throughout the episode, Suzie reflects on how she made the most of the opportunities presented to her throughout her career, and we discuss the enduring appeal of being just a sheep farmer.

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This episode is sponsored by Aputure

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 137 - Stefan Nikolov - Location Manager

Location manager Stefan Nikolov (SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE, JUSTIFIED: CITY PRIMEVAL, SHAMELESS) joins us in this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast. Originally from Bulgaria, Stefan followed his journalist parents around the world before landing in Chicago where he has since built a career in the locations department. We discuss how he worked his way up the ladder, and Stefan breaks down the different roles in the department. Throughout our conversation, Stefan shares many stories from his career, and we learn what to do when an alligator hunt prevents the crew from parking the vans where you need them. We also learn about the potential consequences of living in a home made famous on television, and we discuss why a film would come to Chicago to shoot for another real-world location. And at the end, Stefan gives his advice to anyone trying to break into the locations department.

This episode was recorded in front of a live audience in Chicago at the Athenaeum Center.

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This episode is sponsored by Aputure

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 136 - Judy Becker - Production Designer

In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with production designer Judy Becker (THE BRUTALIST, CAROL, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN). Judy’s love for art and collaboration began at the age of 3 and developed throughout her childhood, and after discovering the theatre department in high school, she found her way into the New York filmmaking scene. Having worked in a number of projects across many different periods of history, Judy shares how she approaches bringing those spaces to life, and we reflect on the fact that absolute accuracy to a period doesn’t always look real on the screen. Later, during our discussion of her work on THE BRUTALIST, Judy reflects on the challenges of communicating with a crew whose language is nothing like her own, and she reveals how they fought for scraps of plywood and found (and built) post-war America in Hungary. Judy also shares how she approached designing The Institute—the architectural centerpiece of the film—and she reveals how they used the scale model they built in the actual shoot. We also discuss the differences between working on location and in a stage, and Judy shares the creative attraction to working on producer Ryan Murphy’s many television shows.

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This episode is sponsored by Aputure