Sam's Story

I found my way into production design after a few years working in the AD department on union sets. Being on set helped me understand how all the moving pieces of a production come together, but it wasn’t until I was crouched between takes on Good Trouble, whispering to a friend that I wanted to design a restaurant but not run it, that someone nearby said, “Oh, you mean a production designer.” That moment sparked something. I started taking books out of the library and slowly carved a path into the art department.

I didn’t go to film school. I came from dance—seven years performing professionally—and from the service industry, from philosophy and women's studies classes, from sculpting things with my hands just to see what they became. All of that shapes the way I design. I value realness, layers, and emotional resonance. I care about character. I want to know what they loved as a kid, what’s stuffed in the back of their drawer, what kind of life they’ve lived that would show up in the space around them. It’s not just set dressing—it’s storytelling through texture.

I love collaboration. My best work is never done alone. I thrive in that electric rhythm when you’re on set, the stress becomes a sprint, and you’re solving problems with the kind of instinct that only comes from being in it. I’ve mostly worked with friends—people I trust and respect—and I find that joy and compatibility are essential when you’re together for 12+ hours a day.

My style? It depends. I’m drawn to mood and movement more than aesthetic trends. Wes Anderson’s films taught me early on to look at the screen like a dance: every frame a composition, every object intentional. But I also love grounded, messy, fully lived-in worlds. I collect things in real life the way I do in design—not for polish, but for sentiment. I like building spaces that feel true.

I’m interested in telling honest stories. I’m not here to chase clout or coolness. I just want to help make things that feel meaningful.