Welcome to the Season 6 Premiere of Decorating the Set: From Hollywood to Your Home with Beth Kushnick! We kick off the new season with a fantastic interview with Production Designer and Beth collaborator, Michael Fitzgerald. From his teenage days interning at Shakespeare Santa Cruz to his collaborations with Beth on Rare Objects and Starz’s Run The World and, to most recently, working on Disney’s fantastic 2024 film, Out of My Mind, Michael has seemingly done it all in the business. We are so lucky for him to bring us his love of production design and his boundless passion and creativity. A must listen to episode to begin the new season!  

The Interview with Michael begins at Time Code: 6:06

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Production Designer Michael Fitzgerald is a California native, having begun as a teenager interning for Shakespeare Santa Cruz and regional theater companies, he continued his exploration of theater and set design at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. His subsequent move into the realm of feature films allowed him to nurture close collaborations with directors, a creative relationship that he values immensely. His recent forays in the documentary world have also enabled him to bring the directors’ very personal visions to the screen. Michael is currently working on the documentary series People of the West, recounting and visualizing the rich and complex history of California’s native peoples.

Out of My Mind, is Michael’s third feature film collaboration with director Amber Sealey, after the Ted Bundy prison drama No Man of God (2021) starring Elijah Wood. Amber and Michael met at Shakespeare Santa Cruz as teenagers! Out of My Mind (2024) is Disney’s very first film featuring a nonverbal lead actor with cerebral palsy. The challenge for Michael was two-fold: to create realistic spaces at the character’s home, school environments and other locations, and also to make every working set completely accessible, to accommodate the numerous actors in the cast with disabilities.  

Michael has always had a strong intuition for how to best bring a story to life, creating worlds that are visually authentic and in synch with the tone of each project.

Visit Michael’s Website: www.michaelfitzgeraldproductiondesigner.com

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For over 35 years, Beth Kushnick has created character-driven settings for countless award-winning television series and feature films. As a Set Decorator, she’s composed visuals that both capture and enhance any story. Now, she wants to help you capture and enhance YOUR story.

Join Beth and her co-host, Caroline Daley, each week as they go behind the scenes of Hollywood’s magic, and give you approachable, yet sophisticated tips to realize the space that best expresses who you are.

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Follow Beth Kushnick on Social Media: 

Instagram: @bethkushnick

Follow Caroline Daley on Social Media:

Twitter: @Tweet2Caroline

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Credits:

This is an original production of Pod Clubhouse Productions, LLC. Produced, engineered and edited at Pod Clubhouse Studios. For more information, visit our Website.