Secrets of a Production Designer with Robert Wise

Production Design is often the "invisible" art of filmmaking, but Hustler Robert Wise explains that everything the camera sees is a result of his work. Join the Huslers as they dive into the high-stakes world of the Art Department.

From his early days on the iconic Blink-182 "All The Small Things" music video to managing Kanye West’s Sunday Service with an Amex Black Card, Robert reveals what it really takes to build the world you see on screen.

Robert is a production designer currently in consideration for a Guinness World Record for shooting 7 Christmas movies in 2025.

If you’ve ever wondered how to get started as a PA, how to handle a difficult director, or how to "cheat" a shot for the camera, this episode is a class in set survival and creative problem-solving.

Featured Guest: Robert Wise (Production Designer) Hosted by: Mark Roberts, Rod Rinks, and Davie Dave.

Transcript

Mark Roberts 0:01

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome filmmakers, entrepreneurs, people of the world. What do we say, David? Content creators. Content creators.

Davie Dave 0:11

All around good people.

Mark Roberts 0:12

All around good people. Welcome to film hustlers. Boom. Boom. We have uh we are now on video. Uh so if you're watching us on YouTube, is that what you call this video? We are now on video. We're now on video on film. We're filming. Uh if you're watching us on YouTube, please uh subscribe, like, comment, whatever you know people do in this business. Um, but yeah, definitely do that. Um Davy. Um my name is Mark Roberts. I'm one of your hosts. I got uh Rod Titty Rinks here, who is also your host. Uh we're both filmmakers. Um are we though? Yeah, we really are. Yeah, he's made some movies, uh, some great movies at that. I also don't want to uh get started without saying that Davy Dave is also here. He's just not on camera.

Rod Rinks 1:00

What up, what up? What's up, David? What's up, Davy?

Mark Roberts 1:02

Handling the ones and twos in the camera. Thank you so much. Um and I've been doing it for about 30 years, raising money, foreign distribution, all these uh businesses that don't exist anymore. Um I'm just I'm just kidding. There's still foreign distribution. I'll call Clay Epstein right now. Um and he'll tell you about it. But no, there is they are distributing movies all over the world still, but it's not the same as it used to be. So we cover filmmaking, raising money, where's the money at, where the jobs are at, how to get the jobs, and we also on occasion um talk to guests that give you a look into how to get certain gigs on movies. Um, but our guest today is Robert Wise. Robert Wise is a uh production designer, extremely talented production designer. Does how many films do you are you in the world record? Are you a world record holder?

Roberts Wise 2:01

I am in consideration right now uh with Guinness Book World Record for the most Christmas movies shot in a year, which would be seven.

Mark Roberts 2:08

Seven Christmas movies shot in one year.

Roberts Wise 2:10

Mark, thank you. Two of them were for you. There you go.

Mark Roberts 2:14

That's awesome. Well, Robert Wise is here, he's a production designer. He's being considered for the world record in the most Christmas movies shot in one year. And you really shot them in six months, I'll bet, right?

Roberts Wise 2:27

Well, we started with you in March, and then uh I shot up until almost the week before Christmas started. Uh and um, yeah, it was a year-long process of getting all those movies in, and uh including you know, two other uh non-Christmas movies and a TV show.

Mark Roberts 2:42

Wow.

Roberts Wise 2:43

Well you went through all the seasons then, yeah.

Rod Rinks 2:45

Yes, the whole bit.

Mark Roberts 2:48

You know, our business has lots of different jobs, and you can't always see them, you know, when you're watching TV, like you can't see the production design, people walking around and putting stuff in. But clearly, you know, when you watch a Christmas movie, those Christmas movies are not shot during uh Christmas, they're shot on all other, yeah, in June. On all other days, uh all other months, and uh it has to be all the trees need to be brought in, all the uh um snow needs to be brought in. Um, all of the people that are you know working in 80 degree weather, the actors have to put on jackets and scarves anyway.

Rod Rinks 3:26

I'm not wearing it, Roberts. I'm not wearing it, it's hot. Lopez.

Mark Roberts 3:30

Hey, he wouldn't have this on. Uh, he wouldn't have a scarf on. I said, yeah, he actually would have a scarf on. He forgot my jacket. Um, but it is a very important job on our on our movie. In fact, I think even on indie films, I think the art department is one of the largest departments on the movie in terms of people, visual, yeah. But um, but I'll give you an example. Like, I'm a producer, I do movies uh in the Christmas space and not in the Christmas space. And when I hire uh production designer, I have to take a lot into consideration, right? I have to I have to consider um does he have to rent everything? Does he have to buy everything and then send it back? I worked with a lot of people who literally ordered everything from Amazon on the film and then returned it all when the film was over. That's a crazy thing to do, but I have been part of that. Uh, and then you know, you got someone like Robert Weiss who has like a truck of Christmas extremely well organized. Um, and he shows up and there's nothing you can ask him for that isn't in his truck or that he can't get cheaply. But for the most part, everything you provide to our movies you own or have had about 90% of it, right?

Roberts Wise 4:46

Yes. Obviously, every movie is different, and props are their wild card because depending on how it's scripted, you're gonna need to get things. You still need to purchase, you need to still find it and and provide it uh for on-screen.

Mark Roberts 4:59

It's uh it's uh it's uh an art, what you do, it's part of the art. So you think uh you can win an Academy Award for what you do, right? Yes. So tell us about how you got started.

Roberts Wise 5:11

You know, I started as uh most people in the industry. You know, people have this uh opinion either you go in as a PA in the beginning or go to film school. Two years, where are people at? Uh it's a kind of a wild card, unless you're like into the technical aspect, like a cinematographer, that you need to know very specific things. But a lot of people succeed by starting as a PA. You know, you're the low totem pole on the structure of a film set and you're there getting paid minimum wage, you know, going to get Starbucks for everyone in the crew, whatever it may be, or go out and get you know props or shop. Um, I was the guy that uh anytime the director asked if I can do it, I was the first one to wait raise my hand. And you know, I started very, you know, uh very small, and then you know, the director and I did a movie out of the or uh uh music video for Blink 182, and it became phenomenal success. The director got three MTV music nominations, and all of a sudden we were on top of the world. We're doing all the pop punk music videos of that era, and um what video was it? Small Things.

Rod Rinks 6:19

All the small they didn't know that jam.

Mark Roberts 6:22

That was a good one. That's amazing that you know that. Come on. I'm I couldn't have I couldn't have sung it. So a director that blew up started you guys you guys just kept working together and kept doing your thing.

Roberts Wise 6:32

Yes, you know, in this industry you have a network, and you should not, you know, networking sometimes is a bad name to put on something, but when like people come out of film school, you have your network of people that you come up with. And you know, like you and I, you know, as a producer, you rely on me when you have a Christmas movie, and directors rely on me when they have a certain genre or they want to, you know, go out and and shoot something. So you should really value your relationships in this business. It's very important. Um, that you know, I was the guy, again, the low person on the totem pole would run out and get Starbucks for people in the beginning, and now I'm running a whole art team, you know, on pictures. You know, last year I spent nine months on the road. Uh you know this mark. I started with your movie um March of last year. Um the rental company gave me a brand new truck with 100 miles on it. By the time I gave it back nine months later, it had 17,650 miles on it.

Mark Roberts 7:32

All over the country. All over the country.

Roberts Wise 7:33

I moved to 25 states or 23 states.

Mark Roberts 7:36

That's awesome. So when we do a movie, do you do you have stuff at home and do you bring do you have more than can fit in that truck? I'm curious.

Roberts Wise 7:45

Oh, yes, yes. If I were to pack all my Christmas decor, I would probably have seven trucks.

Mark Roberts 7:50

Wow.

Roberts Wise 7:51

And so when I do a movie, you know, I I think you've noticed because you try to double up on movies, and when I leave, I sometimes give you a call like, Can you tell me about the second movie you're planning to do so I can pack my truck right? Because sometimes I might not come back to Los Angeles where I'm based to repack that truck for two movies back to back. So you've you've received those phone calls from me. I was like, okay, the second movie you're doing, can you tell me about it so I can know how to pack my truck correctly?

Mark Roberts 8:17

Yeah.

Rod Rinks 8:17

Well that you have a warehouse, Robert? Where do you keep all this?

Roberts Wise 8:20

I have a lot of stuff everywhere. Okay. Like I collect motorcycles. Like I have 27 motorcycles, which are all over my living room, my house, um, and I had to build extension to put all my Christmas decor. Wow. Uh as well. And then, you know, I do a lot of um lifetime thrillers, so I have like something like 350 guns that I have that I have a special room for that I house them. I want to go to your house. You know, the art department's interesting because we have the cool things on set. Yeah. You know, depending on what you do, um, what kind of movie, Christmas movie, it's not that you know, we have Christmas gear. But when I do these these sci-fi movies, or if I do these shootout movies, I have some really interesting things, bazookas, machine guns. Yeah, and of course, everybody wants to touch them, but obviously, you know, there's a protocol like who can touch what, and and uh we try to keep that professional. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Mark Roberts 9:13

Art department has to be there the day before we're shooting there, right? Because they got to build everything out, make it look perfect, and then you have to get there first thing in the morning so that you can start setting up things, and then you have to be the last one out because when we're done shooting, you have to unload everything and break down, right?

Roberts Wise 9:30

Uh the French have a term, uh mise en scene, which is literally to put it in the scene. The art department is unique that anyone who watches any TV program or any movie, they're seeing the results. Everything on screen is a result of me and the decisions I make with my conversations with you, Mark, or the director or other producers. And when that camera goes on and turns on and flickers, everything that that camera captures is a result of my work.

Mark Roberts 9:58

Yep. So, yeah, so I tell them I tell anybody, like, do it, you work with art department, put in your time, work with camera, put in your time. All of these jobs are gonna be really hard. Uh, but you're gonna find something you like. And I guess when you worked, and the director said, and you started working, how how did you choose or did it choose you?

Roberts Wise 10:21

I fell in it. I could have easily uh became a cap a camera operator. You know, I I just happened to have a lot of skills. I do a lot of home renovations, so when someone needs something done, I have I'm a big gyver. I I can make things happen. And you know, this is I started before cell phones. So I was Giver.

Mark Roberts 10:40

Sorry I had to do that.

Roberts Wise 10:41

I was able to, if a director needed a pink, you know, poodle within two hours on set, I'm gonna find that pink poodle and put it on set.

Rod Rinks 10:49

Or you're gonna paint one.

Roberts Wise 10:50

Now it's incredible. Like you have people that sit on their cell phones, their smartphones, and can procure things so easily. Where I had to make phone calls, I had to knock on people's doors, I had to go and search and find things for the film. And now it's so simple to sit there with your smartphone and get things done. Yeah, just Google it.

Mark Roberts 11:08

Yeah, so Amazon. Hey, write down on your pencil and paper, Robert Weiss. He's he's your guy for your next for your next next show.

Rod Rinks 11:18

No, and you know, I was thinking, recession proof, really. I mean, his his type of job, you know, he can work in any features, TV, verticals. It doesn't matter. He's gonna continue to work.

Roberts Wise 11:32

And another uh rule of success that I've uh abided by is just have a good attitude because what happens is especially on a low budget or a tight shooting schedule, is you're forced to juggle things. You have to do it the smiley face and this continue. And and I always I always believe there is a solution for any problem. And I must say, money does solve problems. Oh, yeah. And you know, I was uh in everything. Yes, you know, I went through like a a year, I was taken out of the business for a year. I was working uh personally for Connie West to oversee a Sunday service, and every week was a production. And he's considered probably the hardest person to work for. No one survives, everyone was amazed that I lasted for a whole year. But the it didn't pose a problem for me because I had his American Express black card and whatever things, whatever he wanted, I was able to purchase. Right. You know, it's it's amazing how I would spend like say $60,000 over a weekend to put a whole lighting array, and I turn the light on, he looks at it, he's like, I don't like it. And it was a waste of $60,000. And that's just one instance. I've wasted so much money, but he had an unlimited bank account, and again, money solves problems. However, most situations that's not the case. So you have to really work and economize and use your mind to really figure out how to solve problems, and that's what I do.

Mark Roberts 13:01

That's one of the reasons that production designers go with you on location scouts. Um, you know, they check out where you're gonna shoot, how you're gonna shoot, what what side of the room you're gonna shoot on. Um when you don't have a lot of money, like normally we don't. You have to decide what part of the room you're gonna shoot first, right? Because you don't dress the entire space. This is important for all filmmakers if you're listening. You don't dress the entire room, right? You get you can't get there and decide where you're gonna shoot unless you're willing to wait for it to be dressed. You decide beforehand, I'm gonna shoot over here, I'm gonna shoot over here, and then Robert, you come in and set that side. What happens if a director just comes in, you've already dressed this side and they want to shoot that way?

Roberts Wise 13:48

Yeah, sometimes everything's a moving target. Um, you know, you've plant you walk into space, you tech scouted ahead of time, and you plan to shoot a certain way or a certain certain area, and all of a sudden blocking whatever it may be. Sometimes as an actor said it wouldn't be great to do the this way, and then all of a sudden everyone has a pivot. Everybody on set needs a pivot. Um, and that's just reality. And again, that goes back to putting your your your good smile on and saying, I'm gonna solve this for us.

Mark Roberts 14:17

Well, you've always been really pleasant. I think uh not everyone is, but by the way, it's uh it's a tough job, and I think uh when you're asked to pivot, not everyone likes to pivot like that. But but I think you do have to consider um that it is long hours, it's a very creative job. I think all of our jobs in film are very creative and fun, but they are like enormous uh dedications. Like you really do have to dedicate your life to it, you have to put in uh a lot of effort and a lot of time with your relationships. I want to go back to something you said earlier because I think it it it helps a lot of people to know this. When you volunteer to do a job and you're really good at it, or at least you're reliable. I heard this recently that being reliable is a lot better than being talented. And I want to say that that's probably true because when you're there, you know, and you're available, then doing the job is uh is more important than like whether or not you have talent. But I think you've got to get out there have some talent.

Rod Rinks 15:20

You can't like be well, not every you know.

Mark Roberts 15:22

I think most people have some talent, but if you're there, yeah, yeah. If you're there, um that's half the battle is just being there, right? A lot of people are.

Rod Rinks 15:32

We're in the people business, like Terrence Winter, who I admire showrunner, writer, he said that he would much rather have a writer's room with average writers who are eager in there, wanting to work, wanting to do it, then a room full of like super talented writers who are just assholes and it's hard to get get along with. Because we're together all day, every day for you know, hours on end. So you have to be you have to be able to get along and you have to be reliable. Like if somebody doesn't show up, you need that person there, but they have to have some sort of ability.

Mark Roberts 16:07

I think most people do have talent, and I think when you add commitment to that, yeah, that you end up being a lot better, you know, the most yeah, and then people get you get the callback. Yeah, you get the call. So I think uh volunteer, get out there, volunteer for free movies, verticals, whatever it is. I don't know, like whatever, whatever people are making these days. I don't know.

Rod Rinks 16:31

They're making everything, Robert's debris. I don't know.

Mark Roberts 16:33

I I was telling these guys, I'm sticking to my lane. I make movies, and I'm gonna stick to that's not true.

Rod Rinks 16:40

You're lying. You're making you're making a talk show right now. They call these talk shows now.

Mark Roberts 16:44

See, I don't even know. You change you move in the moving the rug on me. I make movies, I'm gonna keep making movies, and then you know, when I can't make movies anymore, I guess I'll retire. But um but I think for sure, volunteering, being part of uh of um a department, figuring out if you like that. And then I think what's really fascinating about what you said, and it happened to me too when I first started in the business. I worked on a movie called Three Amigos, and Dan Allingham, who was the UPM, went on to do like I don't know, 10 other movies. And man, I was on every one of those. Every time he got a movie, I was getting I got a call. And that went for like a couple of other producers I worked with. And I started to like what producers did, which is why I became a producer. But art department always stood out to me because they always had to be there changing the plates. Like if you rented a car, it'd have to have the right plates for the city that you live in. Art department has to work with wardrobe because colors, right, of things that you're putting up might contrast with colors that they're wearing, scarves. Doesn't all of that come into play with you guys?

Roberts Wise 17:50

Yeah, absolutely. You know, art department is like the Marine Corps, first one in, last one out. Yeah. And, you know, the camera sets up and does her thing and leave. You know, they they came in here to address set, which I did previously. And when they leave, I'm still there to break down the set. Uh speaking about, you know, just people, you know, working with people, you know, you you want to work with people with good attitudes. You know, I learned, you know, when I got to finally be on set with with uh bigger name talent, I got the opportunity to meet someone that I grew up just admiring. And then when I got on set with this person, the bad attitude just turned me off. It's like, why does this person even have business in front of the camera when he's treating everyone behind the camera so badly? And you know, it's one of those hard moments where you're just like, oh wow, that's that's that's something that I don't want to be part of. I don't want to be around this person.

Mark Roberts 18:46

But you know, there are there are certain directors that you know they yell at action, they you cut, and then they immediately run over to like art department or camera or something like that. And the dire actor, sometimes the actors are just standing there going like how'd I do? Like, how was that? You know? Um, but everyone needs something a little bit different there, you know. Some actors don't care. I saw a thing with Gene Hackman, and it was in the actor studio, and they said, What do you want from directors? And he was like, To not direct me. That was his answer. He's like, to just let me do my job, and if I get off my mark or something happens, and you just kind of redirect me. He goes, Because if they talk to me too much, all I'm doing is thinking about what they said rather than thinking about the character idea. So all that to say every department needs certain conversations. You don't need all the conversation in the world, but I have seen you. And if you don't know this, art department has to be looking at the camera, has to be looking at what the shot is. It's not, you don't just do the room and leave. You do the room and then you see where they put the camera, and you're like, oh man, let me move that tree over there so I can get a little bit of the tree. Oh, the the drinks aren't filled enough, or the wine bottle wasn't there before, or what you know, that's not your job, but um, it's kind of all of our jobs. But the idea that everything that the camera sees is your responsibility, and as a result of that, you have to cheat things so that they make it into the camera.

Roberts Wise 20:19

Yeah, when we do Christmas movies, there's a a um phrase you hear all the time Christmas in every frame. Right. And it's a matter of cheating uh for camera. So you when the camera's set up, you kind of push the Christmas decor into it in a more prevalent way, and that's how you get the magic of that beautiful feel-good Christmas movie that visually stunning and just is appealing to people.

Mark Roberts 20:44

Well, luckily, um, I think part of also working with a team of people is that you know what it's gonna cost. You know, there's a lot of times as a producer or as a director, you go and you make a movie and you're working with someone new, and all of a sudden you're $40,000 over budget, and you're like, how did that happen? No one knows, but you're a moving train, so you got to figure out out later. But in the end of it, everyone's gone, and the producer is left there with just uh another overpriced bill that you didn't have in the budget to begin with. But that's why if you're if you're wondering why we all work together all the time, it's and you get your team together, is because you know what to expect from them and they know what to expect from you. I can't afford to pay that, therefore you're gonna do it on the budget that I have. And we've experienced that together. And by the way, you've always been awesome about it. Never, I've never had a problem with your department.

Roberts Wise 21:36

Yeah, I mean, I think you're you're honing on on something that that goes back to the very beginnings of filmmaking. You have the artistic and the money people. Being artistic sometimes needs more finances to create the vision. You know, I think you know it's it's it's a it's a juggling, you know, thing that you have to do as a filmmaker because you are given a Budget and you're expected to keep to that budget. It is a problem that every filmmaker in the world has to deal with, unless you are you have your own production company, you can write your own checks. But still, you're you're still you have a finite bank account, and that is the problem that every film that we we touch, we have to balance that somehow or another. And doing it creatively is you know what I have to sometimes come up with alternatives to you know look at other options, but it's very important. If you want to survive in this business, you need to abide by that struggle.

Mark Roberts 22:38

Well, it's tough too, because it's time. Uh it's time and it's energy. And if you go uh over schedule and over budget, that becomes an issue too, as Gemma will tell you. Gemma Jones, the great line producer we work with all the time. So yeah, it is a it's a dance, but I think if you build your team, you get on a team that you feel comfortable with, not only does your job get more creative and fun, uh, but the job that you're doing for someone else also becomes fun because then they the like someone like myself is able to, you know, maneuver the budget and make sure that we all make a little money and we all go home not in debt or in trouble. Although I gotta say, working with Netflix definitely a sack of money solved most of the problems.

Rod Rinks 23:21

Yes, take it easy, take it easy.

Mark Roberts 23:22

You know what I'm saying? You know what I'm talking about. You know, not more importantly, but as important is uh music for us anyway. We work with a company called extreme music.com who handles all of our music needs. I don't know if you ever heard of them, extremusic.com. You probably you wouldn't have to. You might have you might have to someday. Yeah, uh yeah, it's good to know. Extreme Music.com has the most amazing library of uh composers, of songwriters, and you can find anything on there from classical, Tchaikovsky, I mean, literally every type of music that you might think about for your movie, it's on there. So check out extremesic.com for all your music needs. They're uh incredible and they're big um supporters of our show.

Rod Rinks 24:07

And you know, Robert, you brought up a good point about the cigars. Are you a cigar smoker?

Roberts Wise 24:11

Uh yeah, I I I got out into that um that that wave in the 90s. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Rod Rinks 24:16

So we're at a really cool spot uh called the library. Okay. Here in um Studio City. Our guy, Vic, runs the place, he lets us shoot here. You get a chance, check him out on IG. It's a private club, so it's not you know, not a lot of riffing. It's a speakeasy. It's kind of like it's yeah, you gotta, it's a whole thing.

Mark Roberts 24:34

It's so you gotta have a special knock.

Rod Rinks 24:36

They don't let this guy in. I got to vouch for him. Look at him.

Mark Roberts 24:39

You're I'm trouble. Uh but yeah, check them out. It's the library. The library here in uh Studio City?

Rod Rinks 24:45

Yeah.

Mark Roberts 24:46

Yeah. Any advice for anybody getting into wanting to get into uh your business?

Roberts Wise 24:51

Yeah, I mean, you need to extend your your network, and that requires, you know, I even as production designer, I I go on big projects as a PA still on the art team because I want to be able to meet other filmmakers in my department and actually create a roster of people I may need, you know, and learn about other people's talents. So, you know, again, it goes back to getting on set, you know, taking the minimum wage just to be around filmmakers because you have the opportunity, if you want to be a production designer, you have the ability to sit there on set and and ask an actual production designer how do you do things? What do you do? What are your advice? Or if you want if you want to be a cinematographer, you can ask that person that holds a camera, can you explain to me what you do and how to get in involved? And that is the most important thing to do is just be on set.

Rod Rinks 25:42

All right.

Roberts Wise 25:43

Even if it becomes, you know, if you have to be a crafty PA, you know, making sure everyone has the snacks and drinks, that allows you to have access to the filmmakers that will eventually hopefully help you in life.

Mark Roberts 25:55

That's awesome. Well, good advice. What about student films? Do you recommend people working on student films?

Roberts Wise 26:00

I used to do them even when I was doing these big, you know, theatrical release movies. Um, I I went to UCLA and UCLA, both schools. So I do have a network there.

Mark Roberts 26:11

Wait, you went to UCLA and what?

Roberts Wise 26:12

I UCLA and USC. You said UCLA and UCLA. I was like, well, is there two different versions? Uh well, I went to business school at UC USC, film school at UCLA, and then I got my MBA pepperdine. So it's a lot of money. It's a lot of money, and maybe I can make more money doing other things besides filmmaking, but it's all about expressing yourself and doing things that you're passionate about. You know, do I want to sit there in a boardroom, you know, going through a business plan and explaining how to do acquisitions? Or I can be on set hanging out, you know, with Mark Roberts and everyone else.

Mark Roberts 26:52

Or you can be on set creating a set where someone's pitching a boardroom with a bunch of the exact scenario I just said, but on film. Well, it's awesome to have you here. We've never had a production designer on, so this is kind of cool. Hopefully, you guys uh get something out of this. Um, no matter what, if you're a filmmaker, you need production design. Um, it's important to even get someone to volunteer. If you think you don't need it or can't afford it, get someone to volunteer to help you see what's in your camera, see what the camera's seeing so that someone can go like, oh, that thing's out of place. That thing on the wall shouldn't be there. The TV's not on. Like, those are literally things that the uh production team tells you. Get out there, keep working, keep trying, keep volunteering, and find out what you love. And uh hopefully that'll help out. Thanks for being here, Robert. Really appreciate it.

Rod Rinks 27:39

Hey. See you on the next film. See you in the movie with David Davis or throwing up.

Mark Roberts 27:45

Yeah, we'll see you guys next time on Film Hustlers.