Ep. 2: Production designer Loren Weeks on intuition and communication in the creative process

Loren spent over ten years as an architect before the dream of writing films landed him in the art department. His passions for (and skills in) architecture and photography shape his approach to production design. 

This conversation is absolutely chock full of insightful tidbits: about communicating with directors, allowing for serendipity in your design, and paying attention to what feels right rather than what’s perfect.

“There are so many ways you can approach a design. There are so many ways. There are thousands and thousands of correct answers to any design question, thousands, endless. I don’t look for perfection, but I do look for something that’s correct — that I feel is correct.”

“When I’m designing a set, I’m always thinking about how they are going to shoot it. I want to give the director options for how they might block a scene. I want to make sure to give options for lighting, so that cinematographer you can go in and do his or her work. Because if we’re doing sets that can’t really be lit or blocked, then what am I doing? So, first and foremost what makes it effective is if it supports a character in the scene. And then that it supports the director and the cinematographer.”

Loren Weeks

Loren is best known for his work on The Good Cop, Mozart in the Jungle, and several Marvel series. To learn more, check out his website or IMDb.

Links mentioned in the episode: