The Product Agent: Hurry Up and Wait – Details, episodes &amp; analysis

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Jodi Mancuso - Hair Designer on SNL, Portlandia (PART 1)

Episode 26

Tuesday, May 11, 2021 • Duration 57:03

Jodi Mancuso is the Hair Designer on SNL, but you can also catch some of her work in Portlandia, among other things. Jodi grew up in the Bronx, and as a child, she was always watching her mother do hair. Jodi’s mom’s passion for hair was validated when her childhood friend (who was one of the top hair designers on Broadway) encouraged her to pursue hair, and so in her 40s, she went to hair school. Her mother then got started in production and worked her way up from the bottom. Jodi dropped out at 16 to get her GED and started working with her mom off-broadway.

Jodi eventually got married and her husband’s dream was to open a pizzeria, so they did, but she hated it, and really yearned for a creative outlet, and found her way to SNL.

This interview is another one in two parts, but in Part 1, Jodi and I discuss working moms, and how her mom taking her to work helped shape and influence her when she became a mother herself. Jodi also tells me all about what a typical week is like working on SNL, the fast-paced nature of SNL, wigs, wigs, and more wigs, and more!

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Ellen Mirojnick - Costume Designer on Bridgerton, Fatal Attraction, the Greatest Showman

Episode 17

Tuesday, January 5, 2021 • Duration 01:28:27

My guest this week is the amazing Ellen Mirojnick! Ellen is a costume designer whose credits include Bridgerton, Fatal Attraction, Wall Street, the Greatest Showman, Maleficent 2, and so so so much more! Ellen’s resume truly blows me away. She’s even worked on the pilot of How to Get Away with Murder, Speed, and Showgirl!

Ellen never actually studied costume design and found her way in the industry by complete accident. She studied art and found out that she loved designing clothing and had a penchant for it. She was a fashion designer for about 8 years before she worked her way into the world of production, and the rest is history!

This episode is a little bit different than the others. Today, Ellen shares the details of her remarkable career, her incredible stories of how her career has taken her all over the world, what it’s like being a working, single mom, and why she still gets butterflies in her stomach with each new project.

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Keri Lederman - Set Decorator on The Undoing, Marry Me

Episode 16

Tuesday, December 22, 2020 • Duration 01:33:32

Keri Lederman is a NYC-based set decorator whose credits include The Undoing, Marry Me, The Night Of, Sneaky Pete and The Looming Tower. Her mother was an antique dealer, so Keri grew up in her mother’s store seeing decorators and collectors come in. She ended up majoring in English and through a few internships, she found herself on low-budget film sets and working as a PA in production offices. She then became a prop person before she transitioned to set decorator.

What is a set decorator? The set decorator is the person who fills in and decorates the sets. For example, if the set involved a kitchen, the set decorator would be responsible for the flooring (tile, vinyl, linoleum), the appliances, the cabinets, and outfitting the kitchen so it looks like a real kitchen or whatever the scene calls for. The role of the set decorator is to tell the story of a character through their belongings and surroundings.

In this episode we talk about:

+ Knowing the ropes: Everyone, no matter what department they’re in, should do at least one year in the production office. This experiences helps someone understand the production in its entirety, rather than focusing on one department.

+ Why Props? Props are crucial in making the character come to life, and Keri enjoys the “things” in the set that help tell the story of the characters.

+ Camaraderie: the camaraderie in the production world is unlike any other industry, because everyone is working together to achieve a common purpose and to create a story. Even though departments are vastly different, the shared experiences are what truly strengthens bonds among the crew.

+ The character journey: in this episode, Keri shares with her the process of developing a character from reading the script to finding the perfect pieces to create the visual language to bring the character to life.

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Meghan Kasperlik - Costume Designer on Watchmen

Episode 15

Tuesday, December 8, 2020 • Duration 01:37:34

Meghan Kasperlik’s credits include Watchmen, 99 Homes, Fahrenheit 451, Noah, and many more, but she didn’t always want to be in production. In fact, she originally wanted to go into the medical field, but when she was in high school, she started to broaden her horizons and develop an interest in fashion. A retail job developed into a fashion magazine internship, which then led to a job offer in the fashion PR field. After that, she worked under Patty Field as a PA and worked her way up, and the rest is history. Meghan’s background in PR has given her a unique, well-rounded perspective as a costume designer.

In this episode, Meghan talks about her biggest challenges in her production career, the moments where she just made it work, the ins and outs of costume design and character development, and more! This episode is a long one, but you’re going to love it!

Tune in to learn more about:

Character Development: Who are the characters? What is their background? How much research goes into costume design?
Working your way up: For all the PAs or aspiring PAs out there: just jump in and do anything that is asked of you. Always be willing to help, because that shows willingness to learn.
The challenges of working in production: how to “turn it off,” and why you should remain calm instead of freaking out!
The differences between TV and film: from pacing, to the advancement of technology, to conceptualizing it as an 8 hour movie vs. a 2 hour movie, and more.

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Pam Chilton - Costume Designer of Modern Family

Episode 14

Tuesday, November 24, 2020 • Duration 01:00:29

Pam Chilton has been the costume designer for the last 6 seasons of Modern Family, but she did not always want to be a costume designer. Originally from the small town of Galveston, Texas, she struggled when she was in college as a film major with finding her niche and knowing who she was. While she was taking a semester off from school to figure herself out, a movie film crew came into town, and she volunteered to intern in the costume department. They liked her so much, they invited her to stay on, and 30 or so jobs later, Pam became a costume designer.

In this episode, Pam is going to talk about her experiences on Modern Family, the ups and downs of production, costume design, self care, and what Pam wants to do after Modern Family.

Tune in to learn more about:

The familial aspect of production: working long hours with people toward a single goal and to tell a story, and why communication, respect, and attitude are crucial.
Self care: you can’t come to work as your best self if you do not practice self care. Pam tries to have family dinner every night, enjoys walks with her dog, listening to podcasts, and meditation.
The last minute nature of production: how Pam organizes, plans, and prioritizes, even when things are always changing and the job presents challenges.
Budgets: the formulas, how to make the budgets work, restocking, how to cope with the changing sizes of actors (especially kids), and how to keep the characters relatable.

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Julia Caston - Costume Designer of Bad Moms, the Middle

Episode 13

Tuesday, November 10, 2020 • Duration 52:52

My guest this week is Julia Caston, who has been a costume designer for movies and television for almost 25 years. Her credits include Bad Moms, the Middle, Celeste & Jesse Forever, and Great News.

Julia’s career started when she studied theater, and learned costume design as part of her theater study. Costume design was never really her intended path until she realized that she had an aptitude for it. She began as a PA for another designer who gave her a lot of challenging and thankless tasks, but she worked her way up to a Costume Supervisor, and eventually to a Costume Designer

In this episode, Julia and I talk about the process of character building through costume design, and how the little things are truly what tell the audience about the character, which is Julia’s favorite part of the job.

Tune in to learn more about:

Julia’s step-by-step costume design process
The differences between working on movies and television
Shoes! How and why shoes affect the actors and characters
Working on a budget and why the generosity of brands is so crucial

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Karen Patch - Costume Designer of The Royal Tenenbaums, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Team America

Episode 12

Tuesday, October 27, 2020 • Duration 46:26

Karen Patch’s illustrious career as a costume designer includes the Royal Tenenbaums, Team America: World Police, School of Rock, and many, many more classic works.

When Karen moved to Malibu with her family, she quickly realized that all her new neighbors worked in the film industry. With her background as an art student and family members who hand made clothes, modeled, and knew the fashion industry, Karen naturally gravitated toward fashion and art. Now living in Malibu, the film & television industry seemed like a perfect fit. Despite not knowing much about the industry, she had an interest in getting started and was able to get her foot in the door through a friend. The rest, as they say, is history.

In this episode, Karen talks about the job and roles as a costume designer, her experiences in some of her most beloved films, and so much more!

Here are some of the things we can learn from Karen in this episode:

What is the role and job of a costume designer? What does a typical day look like?
Budgets, and how time and money determines what must be built or bought.
How to create costumes that become iconic, timeless, and have lasting quality
How Karen designed costumes for the puppets in Team America.

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