Casey has been the set decorator of series such as The End of the F***ing World o Turn up Charlie. We talk with her about her work as a set decorator and the Killing Eve experience.​ What drew you into the industry and to be a set decorator?

I started out as a Photographer, I just knew I wanted to make strong imagery, from assisting in in-house studios in media companies I realized that it was the Art Director that actually had control of this so I started assisting Art directors in commercials as an Art Department assistant or Petty cash buyer and worked my way up from there.
 

For the people who don't know what it is. What does a set decorator do?

A Set Decorator is the person employed on a larger production to work with the designer to create the mood and styling within the overall design of the show. They work between the producers, director, and designer to make sure we have a look that works for everyone. The Set Decorator is responsible for sourcing all of what goes onto the structure of the set with the help of their team. That's anything from light fixtures to flooring and wallpaper to all furniture and handheld props.
 

The End of the F***ing World

What do you think are the key qualities of being that profession?

You have to be driven in your work, with a keen interest in design, history, and visual storytelling, but most of all, and perhaps not so easily learned, you must be a polite and respectful person. It is your job to work between many people and departments and to obtain many specific items, It’s very important to have good people skills. Good manners and a smile always go a long way.

You have worked too as a production designer. What's the difference between a production designer and a set decorator? The works must be well connected and working together, isn't?

I have worked as a production designer on smaller jobs like adverts (this role is referred to as an Art Director in this context) and 2nd Units of things. As a designer, you have overall creative control, but on larger jobs, this workload is spread between the Production Designer, the Supervising Art Director, and the Set Decorator. The designer has the final say on everything but these two roles are there to manage the workload of the team and help design the structure and look of the show/film. It’s very important to have the trust of your designer.

The End of the F***ing World

Which other departments are important to your work?

The departments I work with closely outside of my own team and Graphics are the Prop/dressing team and the Locations team, we all have to facilitate each other needs to an extent so it’s very important to have a good relationship. Lighting is also a huge part of dressing a set and making sure it’s lit well, so it’s very important to have a good relationship with the DP (Director of Photography) so that everyone is happy and knows what is lighting the set. Communicating with the Costume designer is also very important to make sure that the wardrobe compliments the set.

The new season of Killing Eve has shot in Barcelona. Have you worked in all the seasons? How was the Killing Eve experience in general and in Barcelona for you?

This was my first series of Killing Eve, It was a great project, It is very demanding in terms of the amount of travel, overseeing and sourcing but the people on the show are just wonderful. I really enjoyed filming in Barcelona, you have some wonderful prop houses filled with things that you just wouldn't find in the U.K, also the team I had there was really nice.

Photo Killing Eve: BBC America/Sid Gentle Films LTd

What was your idea for that set at the Ramos House, the appartment in Barcelona where Villanelle (Jodie Comer) lives? Do you have a process when building a scene?

In building any set, you have to use the narrative and charácter when forming their space, how long they have been in this new space and how they use it, etc. Villanelle is this incredible impulsive person who would only be drawn to things of beauty so It was a dream for me. Also, the location was so great to work with in terms of the Catalan architecture which lends itself to being able to bring in really wonderful Moorish, Italian and French pieces and just generally beautifully crafted eye-catching pieces, where appropriate.

Did you have complete freedom when it comes to organizing the set?

No, it is my responsibility to source and put forward ideas, mood boards, and looks, etc, but these need to be signed-off by the designer and producers, also the director needs to be happy with them.

Photo Killing Eve: BBC America/Sid Gentle Films LTd

What was the most challenging aspect of this location?

It was a listed building so it was very important to make sure we treated it with the utmost respect and care, there was also a very quick pet tortoise in the courtyard that we all had to watch out for.

What is your typical work for a week setting up an episode, for example?

We work in blocks which for us was blocks of 2 episodes. In our preparation period I would be out sourcing and coming up with mood boards for sets, I spend a lot of time looking for the right pieces, fabrics, and wallpapers, etc. Once we start shooting I can be dressing a new set every day. I flew out to other countries most weeks on the first 3 blocks of the show to meet with the buying teams I had abroad and to go to prop sourcing.

You work as a set decorator in films, tv-series and also in the advertisement. What is the fundamental difference between these three aspects of your work?

The purpose of these things is very different. The concept of an advert is to sell you an idea or product in a matter of seconds. In film and tv, we are building characters and stories in much more depth for a viewer to get lost in, like you would with a book. This creates far more work, so the preparation time, speed, and workload of each of these things can be very different.
 

Photo Killing Eve: BBC America/Sid Gentle Films LTd

How soon before the production begins does your work begin? And what are the firsts things you have to do?

I would normally start about 2-3 months before we start shooting. I would first read the scripts if I hadn't already been sent them and begin researching and sourcing images towards making mood boards. I would often be given a rough brief by the designer, and then I might créate a few different looks for some sets, then when I have made these into mood boards I will sit down with them and discuss what we think is the right way to go. When we have a bit more information about where we are filming or if we are building the set, I will write a budget for what these sets will cost. I also take action/hand props into account and budget for this also.

What has been your most challenging work as a set decorator?
Probably Killing Eve, but only because of the geographical scope of the show, It’s been my most enjoyable job but also the most logistically challenging and physically demanding.

Do you have any advice for students who want to work in the art department, specifically as set decorators?

Start petty-cash buying/assisting, or as an Art department assistant, this is how you work up to being an assistant-buyer. From there you can become the Production buyer which means looking after the hand props, product placement makes, etc and running the budget on behalf of the Set decorator. The next role from there is Set Decorator. I don't feel you can manage a team without having been experienced in each of these roles. Learning skills such as technical drawing is also very helpful.