This week’s episode features my talented friend and colleague, Costume Designer Katie Irish. We dig into her roots in theatre (she also started off college pre-med just like myself!) and her transition into film and tv which included taking over designing The Americans. We talk about our union work in United Scenic Artists Local 829 - especially as she and I have been two of the co-chairs of the Pay Equity Task Force for several years. We discuss our recent contract negotiation and the gains made and what more still need to do: especially in regards to our amazing ACDs and CDCs. We also cover her most recent show Manhunt, a 19th Century feast for the eyes, and how she started her research of a period that’s quite removed from our present day. And so much more!

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If you head on over to the Patreon, you'll see that I release episodes there two days before the main podcast feed and some of these episodes will be longer with more even more stories than the public version. If you want to support me and this podcast, feel free to buy me a coffee on ko-fi or subscribe to the Patreon.

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Costume Designer Katie Irish

Credits include: The Americans, Manhunt, Hit & Run, The Enemy Within

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Katie Irish is a costume designer best known for her work on seasons 4-6 of the Emmy award winning FX series The Americans. Her most recent project is a miniseries for Apple + entitled Manhunt about the search for John Wilkes Booth after he assassinated Lincoln. In addition to these, Irish has designed Hit & Run for Netflix and The Enemy Within for NBC; the indie features The Widowers and Landing Up; and co-designed the Season 10 semi-finals and finale of NBC’s America’s Got Talent. She has also designed numerous commercials, short films, and music videos. Earlier in her career, she worked extensively as an assistant and associate designer on Broadway where favorites included Jesus Christ Superstar, Godspell, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Jerusalem, Fences, Promises, Promises, The Seagull, Is He Dead?, and Shrek. Originally from Memphis, Katie is an alum of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts with a MFA in Design for Stage and Film.

Katie Irish Links:

Website: katieirish.com

Instagram: @knirish

IMDb: Katie Irish

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TFACD Links:

Patreon: Tales From A Costume Designer

Instagram: @talesfromacostumedesigner

Twitter: @talesfromaCD

TikTok: @talesfromaCD

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Whitney Anne Adams Links:

Website: whitneyadams.com

IMDb: Whitney Anne Adams

Instagram: @WAACostumeDesign

Twitter: @WhitneyAAdams

TikTok: @waacostumedesign

Ko-Fi: @waacostumedesign

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Union Links:

Costume Designers Guild IG: @cdglocal892

United Scenic Artists Local 829 IG: @unitedscenicartists

IATSE IG: @iatse

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This week’s episode features the incredible Director, Writer, Producer Tina Mabry, who I was lucky enough to work with on our film The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat from Searchlight Pictures which just premiered on Hulu in August. Not only do we dig into our work together on The Supremes, we also cover a wide array of topics from cultivating a kindness and respect on set, jumping into directing episodes of television on established tv shows, to coming up with the spark of an idea for a script to and what happens when you a have to cut a two page monologue in favor of a wordless scene so you can make your day. Spoiler alert, it ends up being the right choice. Also, this episode is essential for all those starting out in the industry as Tina gives so much incredible advice. She is such an inspiration!

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If you head on over to the Patreon, there’s an extended cut of this episode. I release episodes there two days before the main podcast feed and these episodes will be longer with more even more stories. If you want to support me and this podcast, feel free to buy me a coffee on ko-fi or subscribe to the Patreon. Thanks for your patience during this past two week delay in getting this episode out: work has been all encompassing the past couple months and will continue to be through February. I’m getting episodes out as quickly as I can!

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Director, Writer, Producer Tina Mabry

Credits include: writing and directing The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat & Mississippi Damned, serving as a writer, producer and director for both tv series Queen Sugar and Queen of the South, directing episodes of television including Pose, Women of the Movement, and Insecure.

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Tina Mabry, a native of Tupelo, Mississippi, is an award-winning writer, producer, and director. She earned her MFA in Film Production from the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts. She is known for her work on "Queen Sugar" and on "Queen of the South," where she served as a writer, producer, and director for both series. Her directing credits include "Insecure" (HBO), "Dear White People" (Netflix), and "Pose" (FX). Tina’s feature film "Mississippi Damned" won over 13 festival awards. She has received a DGA Award and an NAACP Image Award. Her latest project, "The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat," starring Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Sanaa Lathan, and Uzo Aduba is available to stream on Hulu.

Tina Mabry Links:

Instagram: @tinamabry

Twitter: @tinamabry

IMDb: Tina Mabry

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TFACD Links:

Patreon: Tales From A Costume Designer

Instagram: @talesfromacostumedesigner

Twitter: @talesfromaCD

TikTok: @talesfromaCD

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Whitney Anne Adams Links:

Website: whitneyadams.com

IMDb: Whitney Anne Adams

Instagram: @WAACostumeDesign

Twitter: @WhitneyAAdams

TikTok: @waacostumedesign

Ko-Fi: @waacostumedesign

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Union Links:

Costume Designers Guild IG: @cdglocal892

United Scenic Artists Local 829 IG: @unitedscenicartists

IATSE IG: @iatse

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Today’s episode features Production Designer Kara Lindstrom, who I was lucky enough to work with on our film The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat from Searchlight Pictures which just premiered on Hulu in August. Her impressive and varied career has seen her work as a Set Decorator, Art Director, Screenwriter & Novelist in addition to Production Design. Not only do we dig into our work together on The Supremes, we also cover her beginnings starting with a mentorship from Polly Platt to her career today and what it took to design clean mud and construct trees for her Predator film Prey. And guess what iconic horror film just happened to be her first film job? You’ll have to listen to find out! If you head on over to the Patreon, there’s an extended cut of this episode with even more stories. I also usually release episodes there two days early!

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Production Designer Kara Lindstrom

Credits include: The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat, Prey, Dear John, Den of Thieves and the upcoming film Novocaine.

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Kara Lindstrom has worked as a novelist, screenwriter, set decorator and production designer for film and television. She was nominated for an Emmy in writing and has been noticed by Variety as “One of 10 Screenwriters to Watch.” Her novel, Sparkle Life was published in 2006 (Other Press). Shorter fiction has been published in Bridge Eight and Black Clock. Twice, she has been a two-time prize winner in the Islands Short Fiction Review (British Columbia, Canada). She has written for many studios, including Paramount, MGM, Universal, DreamWorks, HBO and Warner Brothers. As a set decorator, art director and production designer, she has worked on dozens of projects, including Heathers, French Kiss, Strange Days, The Mambo Kings, Den of Thieves, Dear John, Prey, Nyad, Novocaine. When she’s not working on location, she lives in Victoria, BC, Canada.

Kara Lindstrom Link:

KL Website: karalindstrom.com

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TFACD Links:

Patreon: Tales From A Costume Designer

Instagram: @talesfromacostumedesigner

Twitter: @talesfromaCD

TikTok: @talesfromaCD

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Whitney Anne Adams Links:

Website: whitneyadams.com

IMDb: Whitney Anne Adams

Instagram: @WAACostumeDesign

Twitter: @WhitneyAAdams

TikTok: @waacostumedesign

Ko-Fi: @waacostumedesign

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Union Links:

Costume Designers Guild IG: @cdglocal892

United Scenic Artists Local 829 IG: @unitedscenicartists

IATSE IG: @iatse

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Slightly delayed episode release today! I’ve been quite busy designing my current film which takes priority! A million thanks to my dear friend Corey Culp (also a Patreon member!) for editing this episode for me and helping make it sound fantastic.