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In Spring of 2018 I was contacted about a potential Netflix project called ‘Black Summer"‘. This 8 episode series was to be loosely based in the world of ‘Z Nation’, a SyFy show with a large cult following that had been created by Karl Schaefer. This show however was to be helmed by John Hyams, a versatile director with a talent for capturing action. He dreamt of a show that was brutal and violent - while also tying into many themes that are pervasive in today’s society. I was asked to come aboard as the Production Designer and quickly set about forming a team that could assist in properly executing a vision that was apocalypse size in scope. My team also needed to be able to run as fast as the characters in our show - we moved very quickly and surgically to accomplish what I feel is my best work to date.
This show required coming up with design solutions that felt realistic in a world where a surreal situation was taking place. It would have been too easy to slip into sci-fi or horror mode camp. The mission was to create an atmosphere where this could actually happen. The response to our show has been extremely strong - as of writing, the show is the second most popular show on television (sources: IMDB, RT). Viewers describe it as ‘terrifying’, ‘intense’, and ‘chaotic’. I feel we are really connecting with our viewers, and that is the base goal of any film project I take on.