Every episode, host Jason Tselentis speaks with a phenomenal guest, usually a designer, about their favorite movie. It might be worth watching over and over, and over again. Maybe it left them with more questions than answers, or a lingering feeling. Learn about art direction and set design, cinematography and performance, casting and screenwriting, acting and costume design, makeup and music, as well as advertising, marketing, media, technology, unforgettable quotes, and so much more. Whether or not you are a designer, you will enjoy every revealing conversation that explores creativity and strategy, perseverance and leadership, craft and style.
Debbie De Villa has decades of experience as a production designer on dozens of films, including but not limited to Caddo Lake (2024) and Trap (2024). Caddo Lake tells a twisty story with a sprawling narrative that intertwines family members in ways they never imagined. In M. Night Shyamalan's Trap, a father and daughter attend a pop concert but as the evening goes on, the anxiety builds and things quickly unravel for everyone including the pop star. Debbie joins the show to talk about bringing words in the script to life, why being resourceful matters in filmmaking, and taking the audience for a ride.
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As a teenager, when Debbie De Villa saw an exhibition with work by set designers and production designers that was full of sketches, models, and works in progress, she knew she wanted to work in film. Studying set design for theatre gave her the hands-on experience she needed to embark on a career in movies.
https://www.debbiedevilla.com/
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0212139/
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Caddo Lake (2024)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15552142/
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Other movies discussed:
Backfire! (1995)
The Burbs (1989)
Lake Placid (1999)
Love the Hard Way (2001)
Strangeland (1998)
Trap (2024)
Ulee's Gold (1997)
1 Oct 2026
Coming in October (2026)
Sharing October updates, so you can learn about each guest and their movie, and watch or re-watch their movie of choice before you hear upcoming episodes. NOTE: there may be a Spooky Movie Theme here, we are near Halloween after all.
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SCREAM (1996) with Matt Manos, who may not have worked on the movie but knows it backwards & forwards and has a lot to say about how masks are not only very necessary for each SCREAM killer but we discuss how masks also play a role in what designers do.
https://www.mattmanos.com/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117571
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THE SUBSTANCE (2024) with Miriam Schulman who loves the movie and the dark take on what it means to be an artist. Miriam is author of "Artpreneur: The Step-by-Step Guide to Making a Sustainable Living From Your Creativity" and Host of The Inspiration Place.
https://www.theinspirationplace.net/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17526714/
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CADDO LAKE (2024) with production designer Debbie De Villa who talks about what makes working in film fun, and we also discuss her earlier work on movies like STRANGELAND (1998), plus we touch on the M. Night Shyamalan movie TRAP (2024) and her contributions that shaped TRAP's look & feel.
https://www.debbiedevilla.com/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15552142
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0124102/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26753003/
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FRANKENSTEIN (2025) with professor, designer, and horror fan Jessica Barness who returns to the show having already dissected (sorry for the slashing suggestion, I mean she analyzed) NOSFERATU (2024) on a prior season of the show.
https://jessicabarness.com/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1312221/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5040012/
24 Sept 2026
Starstruck (2026) with Dr. George Ellis
Dr. George Ellis, who in addition to being a urologist is a producer making movies, has won plenty of awards in the film festival circuit. For his second time visiting the show, Dr. George talks about filmmaking as equal parts design thinking and social experimentation, and why as a producer it's important to have a methodical approach. Plus, learn about his film Starstruck, and what movies have impacted him, such as A Clockwork Orange with its modern take on violence fused with classical music.
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George Ellis, MD is an award-winning filmmaker who has won multiple awards through his production company Coronado Beach Productions at several film festivals. Most recently, his film Starstruck was selected to be shown at the Central Florida Film Festival. He also won awards at the Tampa Bay Underground film festival and won the award for best Indie Short Film at the New York Movie Awards for his film The Eden Trials. George is an American Physician and Urologic Surgeon, and has been published numerous times in the scientific literature and now dedicates his medical skills to the under-insured as a volunteer.
https://www.CoronadoBeachProductions.com
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm15501484/
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Starstruck (2026)
https://youtu.be/ha0N2HRNcyg
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Mortal Sin (2025)
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EeFd3cDDA/
https://youtu.be/FH36AiDPNnE?si=WcfuL48wb-plUw7s
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Dr. George's first guest spot (2025) from Season 2
https://www.designersonfilm.com/podcast/mortal-sin-2025-dr-george-ellis
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Other movies and shows discussed:
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Coma (1978)
The Great Train Robbery (1978)
M*A*S*H (1970)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
The Verdict (1982)
Who has been a guest on DESIGNERS ON FILM
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Tim Lapetino
Michael Sinanan
Omar Diaz
Manny Colon
Sean McCaul
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
8 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 43 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
72
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
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