There are a lot of jobs in TV and film production that, if done right, are often underappreciated. For example, you don’t hear many people raving about the art of costume designing and making unless it’s a period piece with flowy ballgowns. But behind every item of clothing on any film or TV show, is a choice. Whether you actively think about it or not, everything a character wears tells you something about who they are, where they are, and when they are.
Our guest this week is Hollywood costume designer and maker Lisa Davis. She’s worked on all manner of projects, from the Oscars to Crank Yankers…Aquaman to Hannah Montana. And, if I can offer my own opinion, she’s responsible for the costume that resulted in one of the best jokes in Arrested Development’s fourth season (David Cross’s “The Thing” costume, seen below).
Other standout topics in this episode include the tricky maintenance of vomit-spewing puppets, strange showbiz meetings that take place in strip clubs, last minute latex allergies, and attempting to costume Shaquille O’Neal without the opportunity to measure him in person.