DESIGNERS ON FILM

Whether you call The Substance (2024) high-art horror, or a seemingly-real story of self-harm that turns into a horror show, one thing is certain: the tragedy that unfolds will leave a mark on you. Demi Moore stars as Elisabeth, an actor, fitness icon, and influencer who faces an abrupt end to her career, until she becomes Sue, played by Margaret Qualley. Has Elisabeth been liberated by this newer, younger version of herself? Because there are rules to living this double life, she soon learns about its limitations, and when rules are broken, a zany nightmare ensues. Guest Miriam Schulman talks...

In Guillermo del Toro's adaptation of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's Frankenstein, Oscar Isaac stars as Dr. Frankenstein who toils away in his lab to create life from inanimate objects, resulting in his creation, his creature portrayed by Jacob Elordi who becomes a victim hell-bent on revenge. Jessica Barness may not have worked on the movie, but she's a big fan and joins the show to talk about characters and production design, as well as magic, fantasy, mythology, and genre. Is Frankenstein a horror movie, tragedy, science fiction? Perhaps it's a genre mashup? And what about a sequel to this? What...

In this bonus episode, production designer Debbie De Villa talks about her work on Strangeland (1998) and where it sits in relation to SE7EN (1995) and Saw (2004). Strangeland stars Dee Snider (of Twisted Sister), Elizabeth Peña, Robert Englund, and Linda Cardellini (from Scooby-Doo, Freaks and Geeks, as well as DTF St. Louis and the new series Crystal Lake based on Friday the 13th). In Strangeland, a stalker uses the internet to ensnare teenagers, who are kidnapped and put through painful rituals that bring the stalker pleasure. Actor Kevin Gage (who played Waingro in Heat) is the detective who will n...

Debbie De Villa has decades of experience as a production designer on dozens of films, including but not limited to Caddo Lake (2024) and Trap (2024). Caddo Lake tells a twisty story with a sprawling narrative that intertwines family members in ways they never imagined. In M. Night Shyamalan's Trap, a father and daughter attend a pop concert but as the evening goes on, the anxiety builds and things quickly unravel for everyone including the pop star. Debbie joins the show to talk about bringing words in the script to life, why being resourceful matters in filmmaking, and taking the audience...

Sharing October updates, so you can learn about each guest and their movie, and watch or re-watch their movie of choice before you hear upcoming episodes. NOTE: there may be a Spooky Movie Theme here, we are near Halloween after all.

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SCREAM (1996) with Matt Manos, who may not have worked on the movie but knows it backwards & forwards and has a lot to say about how masks are not only very necessary for each SCREAM killer but we discuss how masks also play a role in what designers do.

https://www.mattmanos...

Dr. George Ellis, who in addition to being a urologist is a producer making movies, has won plenty of awards in the film festival circuit. For his second time visiting the show, Dr. George talks about filmmaking as equal parts design thinking and social experimentation, and why as a producer it's important to have a methodical approach. Plus, learn about his film Starstruck, and what movies have impacted him, such as A Clockwork Orange with its modern take on violence fused with classical music.

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Dr. George Ellis, MD is an award-winning filmmaker who has...

David Cronenberg's The Fly (1986) stars Jeff Goldblum as Seth Brundle, a brilliant scientist who creates a teleportation process. Geena Davis, who was Goldblum's real-life partner during the filming, plays the ambitious journalist Veronica who falls in love with Brundle. Cronenberg's remake of the 1958 movie (which was based on a 1957 short story) packs a lot in, getting right to the mad scientist's lab then plenty of body horror. Brundle, who teleports himself during a drunken pity party, did so with a fly on board. Since the computer doesn't know what to do with these two separate entities, it fuses them...

Raiders of the Lost Ark captivated audiences on the big screen 45 years ago, today the movie feels just as fresh, exciting, and mesmerizing. Teacher, treasure hunter, preserver of rare antiquities Indiana Jones goes on a quest for the Ark of the Covenant, battling Nazis and his nemesis Belloq. But Indy can't do it alone, and has support from Karen Allen as Marion and John Ryhs-Davies as Sallah and George Harris as Katanga. For fashion designer Dan Stroupe, the movie has special meaning. Indy Influences are present in his brand and collections, notably the elements of travel since every collection...

You want more? YOU GOT IT! Plenty of tangents, arts and crafts talk, and more swear words than usual make this bonus episode go to eleven (apologies to Nigel Tufnel). In addition to more One Crazy Summer thoughts, hear Jason's pugs barking, learn about synthesizers & MIDI & PageMaker, how to organize your movies, packing and moving, murals, paint and emotion, beer can designs, sketchbooks versus laptops, NYC's Strand Book Store, and Bill Murray's brother Joel. This re-released episode originally appeared on Season 1 of the show.

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A Southern, Jewish-American originally from New York, Mike Wirth is...

Although our guest Mike Wirth didn't work on 1986's One Crazy Summer, he loves the movie for all the right reasons. Guilty pleasure? Not quite, according to Wirth who wonders, "Why couldn't John Cusack's Hoops McCann have been Hoops Leibowitz?" In addition to One Crazy Summer, we discuss whammy animations, world-in-world experiences, Better Off Dead, Grosse Pointe Blank, Singles, Chainsaw Date and Hemorrhoids from Hell, Bobcat Goldthwait, comic book icons Archie and Betty and Veronica, and The Goonies, plus silly sequel and prequel ideas for One Crazy Summer. This re-released episode originally appeared on Season 1 of the show.

Noah Smith is a multidisciplinary visual storyteller specializing in UX design. With a background in film, Noah's also a big, big fan of Ferris Bueller's Day Off, the 1986 comedy that's also full of action, drama, and sprawling musical numbers. Ferris, an extremely popular teenager, skips school and with his best friend Cameron and his girlfriend Sloane, they embark on a series of adventures. What about the possibility of Ferris being a figment of Cameron's imagination, the so-called Fight Club theory? And how does Ferris connect to Spider-Man? Plus, the movie's small but memorable baseball moments make it perfect for...

Season 3 will have more great guests and more great discussions about movies, including Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, and Capra's It's a Wonderful Life, among others.

See this episode's notes for links to our LETTERBOXD with each season's films collected season by season. Plus, you can contact us to recommend a movie, suggest a guest, or nominate yourself as a guest.

Remember! Subscribe AND provide a review of the show wherever you listen to podcasts!

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about the podcast:

https://www.designersonfilm.com...

We've done it again, made it through another season of DESIGNERS ON FILM. Having just finished Season 2, here are highlights and episodes of note.

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Sam Beddoes, who developed a video game based on The Rocky Horror Show, talked about the movie, aka The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

https://www.designersonfilm.com/podcast/the-rocky-horror-picture-show-1975-w-sam

Leading up to Halloween in 2025, we continued our Spooky Cinema theme with plenty of new additions, Season 1 and 2 are collected at…

https://www.designersonfilm.com/scares/

Erik Wiese discussed the work that we...

In this bonus episode, you'll hear more from Sofia Cababa Wood who discusses Marie Antoinette, its themes, and movies that would pair well with it. Antoinette was ruled by her circumstances, but the 2006 movie shows us a more personal side, all while avoiding graphic imagery of her ultimate demise. We also talk about the funny, entertaining MTV Cribs parody that Jason Schwartzman did which appears on the DVD's special features.

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Sofia Cababa Wood is a Seattle-based product designer at eBay. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Visual Communication Design from the University of Washington...

Based on Lady Antonia Fraser's 2001 biography and directed by Sofia Coppola, the 2006 Oscar-winning movie Marie Antoinette portrays the queen in a way you might not expect, making her a relatable person, a teenager who becomes a leader, coping with life's ups and downs all while trying to have some fun too. The stylistic flair and visual embellishments (watch for a pair of Converse sneakers) make plenty of scenes feel like a dessert tray thanks to the friendly, sweet color choices and Milena Canonero's work which won a 2007 Oscar for Best Achievement in Costume Design. Designer Sofia Cababa Wood has...

Designer Christie Wu shares more thoughts about Clockwatchers (1997), talking about iconic, memorable, and funny scenes. Starring Toni Collette, Parker Posey, Lisa Kudrow, and Alanna Ubach, Clockwatchers tells the story of four female temp workers struggling to get through each day of their 9 to 5 job.

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Christie Wu is a concept-driven designer working at the intersection of culture, design, and technology. Specializing in digital and interactive design, she crafts playful interactions and inventive visual stories that reverse expectations and bring joy to everyday experiences. At DEPT, she has designed for Twitch, eBay, Nordstrom, E*Trade, and...

Starring Toni Collette, Parker Posey, Lisa Kudrow, and Alanna Ubach, Clockwatchers tells the story of four female temp workers struggling through the challenges of their 9 to 5 job. But when a new, full-time permanent hire comes on board suspicion and competition set in, made worse by a patronizing boss and thievery that brings about a witch hunt. Designer Christie Wu talks about how Clockwatchers impacted her, and explains why its well-composed cinematography is so rewarding to watch.

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Christie Wu is a concept-driven designer working at the intersection of culture, design, and technology. Specializing in digital...

In this bonus episode, Professor Karen Cheng shares more thoughts about Working Girl (1988), a movie she loves. We discuss the cinematography, Harrison Ford's character, and other movies that would pair well with Working Girl for a potential double feature.

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Cheng is the author of Designing Type, a comprehensive, systematic guide to the design of letters, published by Yale University Press. Since its initial publication in 2006, Designing Type has been translated into German, Spanish, French, Ukrainian, Chinese, Japanese and Korean, and it has been ranked #14 on a list of "Top 50 Typography Books of the Last 50...

Working Girl, directed by Mike Nichols, stars Harrison Ford, Melanie Griffith, Sigourney Weaver, with Alec Baldwin and Joan Cusack. Tess, played by Melanie Griffith, ascends the corporate ladder using her book smarts and street smarts, and by pretending to be somebody she's not. Tess strives to do big things, and has plenty of good ideas to get her foot in the door until she's caught, accused of being an imposter. With Sigourney Weaver as her boss Katharine, and Harrison Ford as Jack Trainer the love interest, the movie has plenty of laughs, and lessons too. Professor Karen Cheng joins...

Based on the book The Accidental Billionaires with a screenplay by Aaron Sorkin and directed by David Fincher, The Social Network is a dramatization of Facebook's founding. The fictional story shows the grit, tenacity, and ruthlessness of its creators. Guests Scott Amyx and Cameron Tau talk about the movie, and how Facebook has caused disruptions impacting people at a very human level, resulting in isolationism and addiction, damaging mental health. But Uplifty aims to do something very different, helping people build relationships.

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Scott Amyx is a global innovation expert, venture capitalist, and futurist focused...

The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967) was written and directed by Jacques Demy. Whether you call it off-beat, dreamy, or off-beat and dreamy, this whimsical musical is just the right movie to kick off spring thanks to its bright costumes, memorable set design, great dancing, and upbeat tunes. Plus, the situation with the sadistic killer will keep you guessing. Designer Radha Sachdev talks about what makes The Young Girls of Rochefort so memorable, and why it's worth watching not just once, but again and again.

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Radha Sachdev is an independent designer working across timezones, helping...

Fifty years ago, All the President's Men was released, starring Robert Redford as Bob Woodward and Dustin Hoffman as Carl Bernstein. The movie, written for the screen by William Goldman, dramatizes the research, legwork, and reporting done by The Washington Post's Woodward and Bernstein who exposed the Watergate scandal, shedding light on the corruption that stemmed from President Richard M. Nixon's Committee to Re-Elect the President, known as CREEP. In the movie, released in April 1976, Woodward and Bernstein come across as dedicated, scrappy, and fearless, at times they're even chummy. Designer, author, and teacher Michael Bierut praises William Goldman's...

Tom Muller talks about Highlander, its poster design and home video release, and shares tips for organizing old school cassette libraries. This episode appeared on Season 1 of the show in 2024.

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Tom Muller is an award-winning designer and creative director at helloMuller, and has made an impact on the cultural landscape with narrative-driven design and brand storytelling, creating compelling identities and experiences. Tom's radical and visionary re-design for Marvel's X-Men identity, a new visual language that included wordmarks and typography, helped launch 2019's groundbreaking HOUSE OF X and POWERS OF X. He's also designed for...

Chris Rubino talks about his work on film and television titles and graphics, and analyzes Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut, starring Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise, based on Arthur Schnitzler's Traumnovelle. Are Dr. William (Cruise) and his wife Alice (Kidman) in the middle of a nightmare or dream, or dealt a terrible hand of horrors in real life? We also talk about the supporting cast, from Marion to Mandy, and touch on the essay, "A Front Row Seat as an Actress in Eyes Wide Shut Reinforces How Much It Anticipated the Epstein Scandal" written by Julienne Davis who portrays...

In this bonus episode, designer, author, educator, curator, artist, and pioneering podcast host Debbie Millman talks about Arrival (2016). And then, special guest Zipeng Zhu joins the show to talk about creativity, and why trust is an important part of learning, growing, and improving. Plus, learn about the roles that communication and romance play in Arrival.

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Debbie Millman is host of the pioneering podcast Design Matters. Fast Company called her "one of the most creative people in business" and Graphic Design USA called her "one of the most influential designers working today." She's a "woman...

Debbie Millman, designer, author, educator, curator, artist, and pioneering podcast host, joins Designers On Film to talk about Arrival (2016), a movie that has all the ingredients to keep you engaged and make you curious about life on this planet, or life beyond this planet. Amy Adams is Louise Banks, Jeremy Renner is Ian Donnelly, and together they're brought into a government operation to understand, analyze, and hopefully communicate with visitors from another planet. In addition to sharing everything about the movie that she loves, Debbie also talks about how science has been an integral part of her own life...

In this bonus episode, hear more from Zipeng Zhu who talks about his design philosophy and methodology, the importance of sprinkling magic dust on top of things, and why swiping up and down and hoping for the best isn't the best design approach. We also talk about manga and manifestation, creating work that you can touch or work that touches people, and be sure to listen to the end, you'll hear us planning a Zoom Drop-In to surprise an upcoming guest.

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Zipeng Zhu is a Chinese-born artist, designer, educator, and founder of the award-winning...

Nikki Villagomez knows a thing or two about fonts, not only because she's a designer but also because she's a published author and historian who loves typography. In addition to learning about her books Culture+Typography: Examples in Font Pairings and also the sold out Culture+Typography: How Culture Affects Typography, hear why Pretty in Pink means so much to her. Plus, we touch on Miami Vice, the Brat Pack documentary called Brats (2024), Mondrian, and hair gel. This episode appeared on Season 1 of the show in 2024.

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Nikki Villagomez is a nationally recognized speaker on...

Zipeng Zhu talks about his time studying design in New York and learning from Debbie Millman. He also gives thanks to all the amazing people who helped him on his creative journey, including Jessica Walsh who loves the movie Amélie as much as Zipeng. Amélie lives in a world unto herself, full of imagination and creativity, but she's kind and gives back to others, creating joy in a variety of ways.

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Zipeng Zhu is a Chinese-born artist, designer, educator, and founder of the award-winning creative studio Dazzle in New York City. He wa...

Sam Potts talks about his comfort movie, Miracle starring Kurt Russell and Patricia Clarkson. Based on real life events, Miracle tells the story of the American hockey team and the 1980 Olympics Miracle on Ice. Russell plays Coach Herb Brooks, who leads the underdog American hockey team on a challenging journey and through rigorous training and a series of wins, they eventually face the seemingly invincible Soviet Union team. We also discuss the Cold War backdrop looming over the characters and events in the movie, teamwork on and off the ice, and how teamwork and accountability are a part of...

Brand expert, author, internationally recognized designer, and TEDx speaker Kevin Finn joins the show to talk about Blade Runner starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos, M. Emmet Walsh, Daryl Hannah, Brion James, and Joanna Cassidy. Deckard, played by Harrison Ford, is brought back to an elite unit that hunts and retires rogue Replicants, bioengineered beings virtually identical to humans but often used for slave labor. We also discuss the movies Alien and Aliens, as well as Blade Runner 2049 and Barry Lyndon.

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Kevin Finn is a brand expert, author, internationally recognized...

The 2013 movie Her, written and directed by Spike Jonze, stars Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson, and Rooney Mara. We see Phoenix as Theodore living an isolated life, occasionally recalling his marriage to Catherine played by Mara. The movie explores loneliness, love, and divorce, as well as technology. When Theodore acquires a new, advanced operating system that is able to relate to him and communicate with him, the Samantha artificial intelligence changes his life. Weber Wong joins the show to talk about the 2013 movie, and we also discuss FLORA, a professional creative tool with all the best text, image...

Greetings, Programs! Designer, writer, curator, and historian Tim Lapetino, who's the Creative Director at Atari, shares insights about Tron: Ares, which tells the story of two tech giants battling for digital dominance. We also talk about video games, the fantastic Nine Inch Nails music, Disney, Star Wars, Marvel comics, Alien, and artificial intelligence.

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Tim Lapetino is an award-winning designer and author who has helped brands tell their stories through design and writing. Tim enjoys working with geeky brands and their passionate fans, telling stories and inspiring generations of collectors, creators, programmers, tastemakers, and artists...

Greetings, Programs! Meet designer, writer, curator, and historian Tim Lapetino, who's the Creative Director at Atari. Armed with a passion for digital and visual culture, Tim shares insights about 1982's Tron, its production, sequels, and video games. We also discuss WarGames, classic sci-fi, artificial intelligence, and The Big Lebowski. This episode was originally released for our 1st Season in July 2024 and during this recording, Tim was working on a Visual History of Tron book, in mid-pitch mode.

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Tim Lapetino is an award-winning designer and author who has helped brands tell their stories through design...

Designing a rave requires planning and patience, it also requires a vision. Get the proper space, the best DJs, and electronic dance music (EDM) that gets people dancing all night and into the early morning, until the last record spins. It's all captured in the movie Groove (2000) which Michael Sinanan fell in love with after the first viewing, not only because EDM has the beats that keep his design process going, but the movie also inspired him to become a DJ himself. Michael talks about what makes the movie so iconic, and touches on the current club and dance...

Omar Diaz and Manny Colon, who work together as handfellas, bring iconic movie moments to life with custom-made puppets, cardboard props, creature designs, and special effects magic. Their puppet-powered parodies include The Matrix, Pulp Fiction, Jaws, and just in time for the holidays, Die Hard. The team brings unapologetic comedy, vintage puppet vibes, and handcrafted absurdity right to your eyeballs, through painstaking craft and an insatiable curiosity.

https://www.instagram.com/handfellas/

https://www.youtube.com/@HandFellas

https://www.patreon.com/handfellas/

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Die Hard (1988)

https://www...

What's the best book-to-film adaptation, and could it be Die Hard? Sean McCaul, of Citizen By Design, calls the Bruce Willis action flick his favorite movie. And Sean is in great company, James Cameron has called Die Hard HIS favorite action movie. We also discuss Frank Lloyd Wright, terrorism, Moonlighting and Blind Date, plus 1994's The Crow. For good measure, we get into Batman and Robin and how the comic book detectives connect to Die Hard with a Vengeance, as well as Se7en. Plus, because villains are fun, we touch on Wicked and Cruella. This episode was originally...

This episode is dedicated to Michele Singer Reiner and Rob Reiner, and was originally released for our 1st Season in February 2025. The Princess Bride, based on William Goldmans book with a screenplay by William Goldman, is directed by Rob Reiner. "Romance, comedy, suspense, pirates, mystery, and a quest all blended into a single, action-packed movie? Inconceivable!" No, Vizzini, it exists, and it's The Princess Bride.

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Mónica Malavé is a marketing and branding strategist, and CEO of Elevate It Now. Originally from Puerto Rico, she has a passion for design, marketing, and all things cr...

Dr. George Ellis, who in addition to being a urologist, is a producer making films, getting them into festivals where he's won plenty of awards. We talk about filmmaking as equal parts design thinking and social experimentation, and why as a producer it's important to have a methodical approach. We discuss his new film Mortal Sin, why theaters matter, and we touch on the Warner Brothers and Netflix deal.

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George Ellis, MD is an award-winning filmmaker who has won multiple awards through his production company Coronado Beach Productions at several film festivals. Most recently...

"It came for the thrill of the hunt. It picked the wrong man to hunt." Predator (1987) features Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Bill Duke, Sonny Landham, and was directed by John McTiernan (who also directed 1988's Die Hard). One by one, the predator hunts and massacres soldiers, and eventually kills a rescue team led by Schwarzenegger's Dutch. Today's guest was so fascinated by the movie that watching it wasn't enough, he had to bring it into the real world, as a playable table-top game. Jesse Shoffstall is a graphic designer who received his design degree from Winthrop University in Rock...