“Everything that you see behind the actors”, in series and movies.
First, an introduction to Production Design, from the series Crash Course Film Production with Lily Gladstone (which we collected over here, via PBS):
StudioBinder looks at how production design can be used to convey mood, character, and themes in the story being told:
Case Studies – Series
Production Designer Ian Phillips breaks down scenes from series he has worked on (Parks and Recreation, Love, and The Good Place) as case studies for the elements and considerations which go into the design which supports the storytelling (via Indy Mogul):
Elements
- Paint colours
- Wallpapers
- Moulding
- Artwork
- Wear and Tear
- Construction
- Set Decoration
- Props
Considerations
- Time Period + Architecture
- Does it serve the story?
- Make it film-friendly (eg removable walls, to allow for camera placement)
Production Designer Chris Trujillo breaks down his work on Stranger Things 4 (via Netflix):
The stylized period production design of Mad Men (2007-2015) (via Amazon Prime):
Set decoration is a signifier.
Jon Hutman, Production Designer (Something’s Gotta Give, 2003)
Case Studies – Movies
Indy Mogul again, this time looking at production design in movies:
Production Designer Jon Hutman reviews his peers’ and his own work on mansions in movies such as The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) and Clueless (1995) (via Vanity Fair):
POV you are Sally Choi, art director on Obsession (2026) (who, sidenote, prompted an online discussion about indie film payment structures when the movie became a breakout hit):
The Production Design on Poor Things (2023) (via Searchlight Pictures):
Further Viewing
Let’s zoom out from production design, to look at how a series gets made: