About
"What’s amazing is when you watch the actors walk into a set and they’re like, 'Oh my God, this feels real. This feels like a real place and we understand our characters now.'”
In her nearly three-hour-interview, Suzuki Ingerslev talks about growing up in Los Angeles, being a physics major at Berkeley, and becoming an architect. She describes her work as an architect in Europe and details how she got her start in the entertainment industry -- working on Days of Our Lives. She then outlines her work as an assistant art director on Saved by the Bell: The New Class, California Dreams, and MADtv, and shares how she became an art director on Tracey Takes On... (the show where she earned her first Emmy nominations). She talks of her time working on Ladies Man and State of Grace, and then details her work as first an art director and then production designer on the HBO series Six Feet Under. Ingerslev recounts her work on one episode of The Sopranos, on the first seasons of Shark and In Treatment, and as production designer for the full run of True Blood. She touches on her work for Hand of God and Here and Now, and talks about her designs for the first season of The L Word: Generation Q, the pilot of the Amazon series A League of Their Own, the Amazon special Yearly Departed, the David E. Kelley series Love & Death, and season 1 of Peacock's Based on a True Story. She concludes with remarks on how the industry has changed since she first started and offers advice to aspiring production designers. B-roll includes still photos of designs from several series that she's worked on. Adrienne Faillace conducted the interview on November 21, 2024 in Los Angeles, CA.
Highlights
Suzuki Ingerslev on "Sookie" and "Eric's" first time making love on True Blood -- on a bed, in the snow
Suzuki Ingerslev on "Claire Fisher's" art and other art featured on Six Feet Under
Suzuki Ingerslev on her designs for the time jumps in the Six Feet Under finale, and on Alan Ball fighting to get a helicopter for that episode
Suzuki Ingerslev on art directing for one episode of The Sopranos
Suzuki Ingerslev on how she became production designer on the HBO series In Treatment and her designs for "Dr. Paul Weston's" home and office and "Dr. Gina Toll's" office
Suzuki Ingerslev on advice to an aspiring production designer
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On her name; on her childhood in Los Angeles and her early interests; on being a physics major at Berkeley; on how she became interested in production design; on becoming an architect and working in Europe; on how she got her start in the entertainment industry - working on Days of Our Lives
On being an assistant art director on Saved by the Bell: The New Class and California Dreams; on being an assistant art director on MADtv and an art director on Tracey Takes On...; on her first Emmy nominations - for Tracey Takes On...
On assistant art directing on the CBS show Ladies Man and art directing on State of Grace; on how she became an art director on Six Feet Under and some of the early sets she worked on for Six Feet Under
On working with Six Feet Under creator Ala Ball, research and memorable designs for the show, becoming production designer in season 3, "Claire Fisher's" art, designs for the series finale, and on how Six Feet Under impacted her career
Chapter 2
On the Six Feet Under finale and items she's taken from sets after a show has wrapped; on production design for an episodes of The Sopranos, her work on season 1 of Shark and working with Spike Lee; on production design for season 1 of In Treatment
On production design for True Blood, including research for the show, night shoots, and designs for "Sookie's" house and the original version of "Bill Compton's" house
On her designs for True Blood's Vampire Authority headquarters, the many iterations of "Bill's" house, Merlotte's, Fangtasia, the MoonGoddess shop, "Russell Edginton's" mansion, "Sookie" and "Eric's" first time, and "Lafayette's" house
On attending Comic-Con for True Blood; on the True Blood series finale; on production design on the Amazon series Hand of God and for Alan Ball's series Here and Now
Chapter 3
On production design for season 1 of The L Word: Generation Q and the pilot of the Amazon series A League of Their Own; on production design for the Amazon special Yearly Departed, which shot during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic
On production design for the David E. Kelley series Love & Death -- designing "Candy's" house and "Betty's" house, the Marriage Encounter retreat, and "Don Crowder's" office and home
On production design for season 1 of Based on a True Story; on how the television industry and opportunities have changed since she first started in the business; on being a woman in production design; on her proudest career achievement and career regrets; on the value of oral histories, advice to an aspiring production designer, and how she'd like to be remembered
B-roll footage of still photos from sets she's designed from Six Feet Under, True Blood, In Treatment, Shark, Hand of God, Love & Death, A League of Their Own, and Here and Now
Shows
Based on a True Story
Suzuki Ingerslev on production design for season 1 of the Peacock series Based on a True Story
Days of Our Lives
Suzuki Ingerslev on her big break -- working on Days of Our Lives, which she considers "boot camp" for production design
Suzuki Ingerslev on the stages and sets for Days of Our Lives, learning to work a multi-cam show, becoming an assistant art director and getting into the union, and what her role as assistant art director entailed
Hand of God
Suzuki Ingerslev on production design on the Amazon series Hand of God
Suzuki Ingerslev on designs for the church on Hand of God
Here and Now
Suzuki Ingerslev on production design for Alan Ball's series Here and Now
Suzuki Ingerslev on designs for the Boatwright house on Here and Now
In Treatment
Suzuki Ingerslev on how she became production designer on the HBO series In Treatment and her designs for "Dr. Paul Weston's" home and office and "Dr. Gina Toll's" office
Suzuki Ingerslev on the shooting schedule for In Treatment and working with the cast
Suzuki Ingerslev on designs for the therapists offices on In Treatment
L Word, The: Generation Q
Suzuki Ingerslev on production design for season 1 of The L Word: Generation Q
Ladies Man
Suzuki Ingerslev on assistant art directing on the CBS show Ladies Man
League of Their Own, A
Suzuki Ingerslev on production design for the pilot of the Amazon series A League of Their Own
Suzuki Ingerslev on designs for the pilot of Amazon's A League of Their Own
Love & Death
Suzuki Ingerslev on items that set decorator Gabby Villarreal added to sets on Love & Death
Suzuki Ingerslev on production design for the David E. Kelley series Love & Death -- designing "Candy's" house and "Betty's" house, the Marriage Encounter retreat, and "Don Crowder's" office and home
Suzuki Ingerslev on designs for "Candy's" house on Love & Death
Suzuki Ingerslev on designs for the courthouse and for "Betty's" house on Love & Death
MADtv
Suzuki Ingerslev on being an assistant art director on MADtv
Saved by the Bell: The New Class
Suzuki Ingerslev on being an assistant art director on Saved by the Bell: The New Class and California Dreams
Shark
Suzuki Ingerslev on her work as a production designer for the first season of Shark
Suzuki Ingerslev on designs for the main house on Shark
Six Feet Under
Suzuki Ingerslev on how she became an art director on Six Feet Under
Suzuki Ingerslev on some of the sets she designed as an art director on Six Feet Under
Suzuki Ingerslev on working with Six Feet Under creator Alan Ball
Suzuki Ingerslev on her research for Six Feet Under and on memorable funeral setups, including one based on the opera Turandot
Suzuki Ingerslev on becoming production designer on Six Feet Under, assembling her team, and how she breaks down a script
Suzuki Ingerslev on where Six Feet Under was filmed
Suzuki Ingerslev on "Claire Fisher's" art and other art featured on Six Feet Under
Suzuki Ingerslev on decorating "Claire Fisher's" living spaces on Six Feet Under, the color palettes for different characters, designing different rooms in the Fisher home/mortuary and working with cinematographers on the show, and her work on the series finale
Suzuki Ingerslev on how Six Feet Under impacted her career
Suzuki Ingerslev on her designs for the time jumps in the Six Feet Under finale, and on Alan Ball fighting to get a helicopter for that episode
Suzuki Ingerslev on items she took from set after Six Feet Under wrapped
Suzuki Ingerslev on designs for the art gallery and pyramid on Six Feet Under
Suzuki Ingerslev on designs for the "Nobody Sleeps" episode of Six Feet Under
Sopranos, The
Suzuki Ingerslev on art directing for one episode of The Sopranos
State of Grace
Suzuki Ingerslev on art directing on State of Grace and designing for a show set in the 1960s
Tracey Takes On ...
Suzuki Ingerslev on being an art director on Tracey Takes On... -- her first time art directing
Suzuki Ingerslev on her research process for Tracey Takes On... and how travel has influenced her work
Suzuki Ingerslev on working with Tracey Ullman and Allan McKeown for Tracey Takes On..., how travel has influenced her work, on working with HBO for the first time, standing sets on the show, and her first Emmy nominations
True Blood
Suzuki Ingerslev on items she took from set after True Blood wrapped
Suzuki Ingerslev on feedback from the True Blood cast on sets for the show
Suzuki Ingerslev on how she became production designer for True Blood, and on her research for her interview for the show
Suzuki Ingerslev on where True Blood was filmed, her research for sets, and the sets she designed for the pilot, including "Sookie's" house
Suzuki Ingerslev on how night shoots impacted her work on True Blood, and on designing "Bill Compton's" house
Suzuki Ingerslev on changes to "Sookie's" house over the seasons on True Blood, designing the Vampire Authority headquarters, "Bill's" house, Merlotte's, Fangtasia, the MoonGoddess shop, "Russell Edginton's" mansion, "Sookie" and "Eric's" first time, and "Lafayette's" house
Suzuki Ingerslev on attending Comic-Con for True Blood and on the series finale
Suzuki Ingerslev on turning a hospital into an asylum on True Blood
Suzuki Ingerslev on fighting for a location on True Blood
Suzuki Ingerslev on designs for "Sookie's" house and the Fellowship of the Sun on True Blood
Suzuki Ingerslev on designs for "Lafayette's" house on True Blood
Yearly Departed
Suzuki Ingerslev on production design for the Amazon special Yearly Departed, which shot during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic
Topics
Advice
Suzuki Ingerslev on advice to an aspiring production designer
Classic TV Series Episodes
Suzuki Ingerslev on designs in the Six Feet Under finale
Suzuki Ingerslev on the True Blood finale
Suzuki Ingerslev on her designs for the time jumps in the Six Feet Under finale, and on Alan Ball fighting to get a helicopter for that episode
COVID-19 Pandemic
Suzuki Ingerslev on production design for the Amazon special Yearly Departed, shot during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic
Creative Influences and Inspiration
Suzuki Ingerslev on an early mentor, art director Art Trugman
Suzuki Ingerslev on mentors throughout her career and on being a mentor to others
Emmy Awards
Suzuki Ingerslev on her first Emmy nominations -- for Tracey Takes On...
First Big Break
Suzuki Ingerslev on her big break -- working on Days of Our Lives, which she considers "boot camp" for production design
Health and Medicine
Suzuki Ingerslev on production design for the Amazon special Yearly Departed, shot during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic
Historic Events and Social Change
Suzuki Ingerslev on production design for the Amazon special Yearly Departed, shot during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic
Memorable Moments on Television
Suzuki Ingerslev on "Sookie" and "Eric's" first time making love on True Blood -- on a bed, in the snow
Suzuki Ingerslev on the True Blood finale
Suzuki Ingerslev on her designs for the time jumps in the Six Feet Under finale, and on Alan Ball fighting to get a helicopter for that episode
Pivotal Career Moments
Suzuki Ingerslev on her big break -- working on Days of Our Lives, which she considers "boot camp" for production design
Suzuki Ingerslev on an early mentor, art director Art Trugman
Suzuki Ingerslev on what she thought she wanted to be when she grew up
Suzuki Ingerslev on mentors throughout her career and on being a mentor to others
Suzuki Ingerslev on her proudest career achievement
Pop Culture
Suzuki Ingerslev on designs in the Six Feet Under finale
Suzuki Ingerslev on "Sookie" and "Eric's" first time making love on True Blood -- on a bed, in the snow
Suzuki Ingerslev on the True Blood finale
Suzuki Ingerslev on her designs for the time jumps in the Six Feet Under finale, and on Alan Ball fighting to get a helicopter for that episode
Television Industry
Suzuki Ingerslev on becoming an assistant art director on Days of Our Lives and getting into the union, and on what her role as assistant art director entailed
Suzuki Ingerslev on Days of Our Lives and learning to work a multi-cam show
Suzuki Ingerslev on working with HBO (her first HBO show was Tracey Takes On...)
Suzuki Ingerslev on her first time working with film as an assistant art director on MADtv
Suzuki Ingerslev on working with director Spike Lee on the pilot of Shark
Suzuki Ingerslev on designs for the pilot of True Blood
Suzuki Ingerslev on True Blood shooting on film for most seasons
Suzuki Ingerslev on advice to an aspiring production designer
Suzuki Ingerslev on production design for the pilot of the Amazon series A League of Their Own
Suzuki Ingerslev on designing for pilots, including A League of Their Own
Professions
Art Director/Set Decorator
Suzuki Ingerslev on becoming an assistant art director on Days of Our Lives and getting into the union, and on what her role as assistant art director entailed
Suzuki Ingerslev on how designing for film compares to designing for television
Suzuki Ingerslev on her research process
Suzuki Ingerslev on when casts typically interact with sets, and on working with other departments as the art director or production designer
Suzuki Ingerslev on how much time she typically has to plan sets and on managing the design process
Designers
Suzuki Ingerslev on her path from physics major at Berkeley, to architect, to production designer
Suzuki Ingerslev on becoming an assistant art director on Days of Our Lives and getting into the union, and on what her role as assistant art director entailed
Suzuki Ingerslev on how designing for film compares to designing for television
Suzuki Ingerslev on how she preps for a job interview and for a script, as a production designer
Suzuki Ingerslev on her research process
Suzuki Ingerslev on when casts typically interact with sets, and on working with other departments as the art director or production designer
Suzuki Ingerslev on how much time she typically has to plan sets and on managing the design process
Suzuki Ingerslev on hidden touches on sets -- Love & Death and True Blood
Suzuki Ingerslev on what makes a good relationship between a production designer and a director
Suzuki Ingerslev on her involvement in choosing between shooting on location for shows versus building sets, as a production designer
Suzuki Ingerslev on how actors' physical appearances impact her work as a production designer, particularly with the actors and spaces on True Blood
Suzuki Ingerslev on what she enjoys most about production design
Suzuki Ingerslev on her signature style and how her architecture background impacts her work
Suzuki Ingerslev on what she does when she's blocked on a design and on the basic tools of a production designer
Suzuki Ingerslev on how special effects have impacted production design
Suzuki Ingerslev on how artificial intelligence may impact production design
Suzuki Ingerslev on working within a budget
Suzuki Ingerslev on how the television industry has changed since she first started in the business
Suzuki Ingerslev on how opportunities have changed since she first started in the business
Suzuki Ingerslev on being a woman in production design
Suzuki Ingerslev on her proudest career achievement and career regrets
Suzuki Ingerslev on advice to an aspiring production designer
Directors
Suzuki Ingerslev on what makes a good relationship between a production designer and a director
Production Designer
Suzuki Ingerslev on her path from physics major at Berkeley, to architect, to production designer
Suzuki Ingerslev on how she preps for a job interview and for a script, as a production designer
Suzuki Ingerslev on hidden touches on sets -- Love & Death and True Blood
Suzuki Ingerslev on what makes a good relationship between a production designer and a director
Suzuki Ingerslev on her involvement in choosing between shooting on location for shows versus building sets, as a production designer
Suzuki Ingerslev on how actors' physical appearances impact her work as a production designer, particularly with the actors and spaces on True Blood
Suzuki Ingerslev on what she enjoys most about production design
Suzuki Ingerslev on her signature style and how her architecture background impacts her work
Suzuki Ingerslev on what she does when she's blocked on a design and on the basic tools of a production designer
Suzuki Ingerslev on how special effects have impacted production design
Suzuki Ingerslev on how artificial intelligence may impact production design
Suzuki Ingerslev on working within a budget
Suzuki Ingerslev on how the television industry has changed since she first started in the business
Suzuki Ingerslev on how opportunities have changed since she first started in the business
Suzuki Ingerslev on being a woman in production design
Suzuki Ingerslev on her proudest career achievement and career regrets
Suzuki Ingerslev on advice to an aspiring production designer
Genres
Comedy Series
Suzuki Ingerslev on being an assistant art director on Saved by the Bell: The New Class and California Dreams
Suzuki Ingerslev on being an assistant art director on MADtv and an an art director on Tracey Takes On..., Ladies Man, and State of Grace
Suzuki Ingerslev on production design for the Amazon special Yearly Departed, which shot during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic
Suzuki Ingerslev on production design for season 1 of the Peacock series Based on a True Story
Daytime/Primetime Serials
Suzuki Ingerslev on becoming an assistant art director on Days of Our Lives
Drama Series
Suzuki Ingerslev on her work as art director and then as production designer on Six Feet Under
Suzuki Ingerslev on the Six Feet Under finale and items she's taken from sets after a show has wrapped; on production design for an episodes of The Sopranos, her work on season 1 of Shark and working with Spike Lee, and on production design for season 1 of In Treatment
Suzuki Ingerslev on production design for True Blood
Suzuki Ingerslev on production design on the Amazon series Hand of God and for Alan Ball's series Here and Now
Suzuki Ingerslev on production design for season 1 of The L Word: Generation Q and for the pilot of the Amazon series A League of Their Own
Suzuki Ingerslev on production design for the David E. Kelley series Love & Death -- designing "Candy's" house and "Betty's" house, the Marriage Encounter retreat, and "Don Crowder's" office and home
People
Alan Ball
Suzuki Ingerslev on working with Six Feet Under creator Alan Ball
Suzuki Ingerslev on how Alan Ball's departure from True Blood after season 5 impacted her work
Suzuki Ingerslev on production design for Alan Ball's series Here and Now
James L. Brooks
Suzuki Ingerslev on James L. Brooks being a fan of her sets for In Treatment
Alan Caso
Suzuki Ingerslev on working with Alan Caso and cinematographers on Six Feet Under
David Chase
Suzuki Ingerslev on shooting part of an episode of The Sopranos at David Chase's house
Toby Corbett
Suzuki Ingerslev on art directing on State of Grace and designing for a show set in the 1960s
Dominique Diaz
Suzuki Ingerslev on mentoring Dominique Diaz
Gregg Fienberg
Suzuki Ingerslev on working with Gregg Fienberg on True Blood
Audrey Fisher
Suzuki Ingerslev on working with casts and other departments, as with costume designer Audrey Fisher on Love & Death
Michelle Forbes
Suzuki Ingerslev on working with Michelle Forbes on In Treatment and later on True Blood
Marc Forster
Suzuki Ingerslev on production design on the Amazon series Hand of God
Rodrigo Garcia
Suzuki Ingerslev on how she became production designer on the HBO series In Treatment
Lesli Linka Glatter
Suzuki Ingerslev on production design for Love & Death and working with Lesli Linka Glatter
David E. Kelley
Suzuki Ingerslev on production design for the David E. Kelley series Love & Death
George LaFontaine
Suzuki Ingerslev on what she learned from production designer Bernard Vyzga and lighting designer George LaFontaine on the CBS show Ladies Man
Spike Lee
Suzuki Ingerslev on working with director Spike Lee on the pilot of Shark
Allan McKeown
Suzuki Ingerslev on working with Tracey Ullman and Allan McKeown for Tracey Takes On... and how travel has influenced her work
Bob Shaw
Suzuki Ingerslev on art directing for Bob Shaw for one episode of The Sopranos
Art Trugman
Suzuki Ingerslev on an early mentor, art director Art Trugman
Tracey Ullman
Suzuki Ingerslev on working with Tracey Ullman on Tracey Takes On...
Suzuki Ingerslev on working with Tracey Ullman and Allan McKeown for Tracey Takes On... and how travel has influenced her work
Gabriella Villarreal
Suzuki Ingerslev on items that set decorator Gabby Villarreal added to sets on Love & Death
Bernard Vyzga
Suzuki Ingerslev on what she learned from production designer Bernard Vyzga and lighting designer George LaFontaine on the CBS show Ladies Man
Ben Watkins
Suzuki Ingerslev on production design on the Amazon series Hand of God
James Woods
Suzuki Ingerslev on being praised by James Woods for the set of his house on Shark