Carly Whitaker is a set decorator living in Brooklyn. She is a member of IATSE Local 52, and has worked on films / tv shows including – The Enemy Within, Dr. Death, WeCrashed, and The Trial of the Chicago 7.
Carly is a graduate of Bennington College where she studied set design. Since Bennington, she directed a short film called “Splattered Words.” It is a piece that combines her backgrounds in — theater, performance art, visual art, design, and film.
Carly Whitaker's Project Showcase
Q&A with Carly Whitaker
Q.
First investment piece of furniture you purchased?
A.
I have two Bergère armchairs that I purchased separately over the course of several years. The first chair had a fabulous cockatiel pattern on it, and after I acquired the second one, I realized they both needed to be reupholstered. I wanted something similar but slightly mismatched. My grandparents had a pair of his / her armchairs in their bedroom, and I wanted to recreate that look for myself. I was still in love with the cockatiels, but not sure what to do. When I lamented this to “The Endgame” assistant decorator, Johna Landi- she suggested this incredible Italian fabric with toucans on it. So, I had one upholstered in the white colorway and the other in the navy. They are my tropical thrones, and I am obsessed with them.
Q.
What’s the biggest surprise you’ve had?
A.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 is my favorite project to date and my wildest story to date. To make a long story short, the film was starting with a unit in Chicago before our work in New Jersey. Our production designer was wary of the lack of work being accomplished in Chicago as we were nearing the start of filming. About a week and half before filming, around 7pm, the designer made a snap decision. He walks into the office, looks me in the eye and says, “Carly, you’re going to Chicago.”
I gulp, “Friday?”
“Tomorrow.”
Twelve hours later, I was on a flight to Chicago with a duffle bag stuffed with a week’s worth of clothing. I ended up staying there for a month.
It was a wild ride, and a monumental learning experience that I hold near and dear to my heart. There are so many stories I could tell you about my month in Chicago, but mostly I am incredibly grateful for Andy Baseman’s trust and faith in me through that whirlwind month. I am also so lucky to have ended up with a kind and hardworking Chicago set dressing crew who welcomed my plucky, New York attitude with open arms.
Q.
Best compliment you’ve ever received?
A.
My first production design credit was for a short, independent film called Dottie’s Thanksgiving Pickle and Olympia Dukakis agreed to star in it, even though it was a tiny film. I was just out of college, and we were using the director’s grandmother’s house as our set. I Google Image searched pictures of Olympia that would make sense to have cut out and stuck them on the fridge. I didn’t know anything about clearance then, but it probably didn’t matter since it was such a tiny project (but I digress). When we were shooting the kitchen scenes, the boom op noticed one of the photos and asked the producer if we were shooting in Olympia’s home. The producer replied, “No, that’s set dressing.” I grinned from ear to ear. There is no greater compliment than when someone believes your set is reality and not movie magic.
Q.
What was the first project you worked on?
A.
Bennington College has a program called “Field Work Term” where all the students had to find internships or do an independent study for six weeks every year of undergrad. I knew I wanted some film and TV internship, so I got an IMDB Pro account, and cold called New York television shows. Low and behold, the art department at “Ugly Betty” said yes to me. This was my first art department. During that time, I learned the art of distributing drawings, ordering lunches, and copying PO’s. I had such a great time. Then a few weeks before graduation, I was called by Julia Hickman with a job offer as the second art PA for Season 4. Days after graduation, I moved to Brooklyn. I’ve been working my way up through the ranks of the art department in NYC ever since.
Q.
What’s the best thing about shopping in person?
A.
I love shopping in person. Frankly, I wish I had more time to do so. First, there is the element of surprise. Some of my favorite purchases for sets have come from kismet moments. Hell, it even happened today walking up Manhattan Ave. in Greenpoint on a mission for smoothies. We ended up buying colorful plastic chairs, funky South American purses, and a vintage bright yellow Cosco rolling table for a Caribbean market set shooting later today.
I also love supporting small businesses. This is one of my favorite things about being a set decorator. For example, on my current project, I needed a rack of colorful Caribbean / West African clothing. I reached out to an old high school classmate who has a West African clothing line in Atlanta. That detail added a” je ne sais quoi” element to our exterior shot that would never be found on Amazon.
Shopping in person also allows me to build relationships. For that same Caribbean market set, the assistant set decorator, Celine Marino, and I went to Brooklyn Terminal market to buy items for our store front. We had an empty space that needed to be filled with authentic products. As we were walking down an aisle with shopping carts filled to the brim, we caught the eye of the manager. He asked us what we were up to. I explained our project, and immediately he got the staff to come help us. We had staff members following us with carts, giving us advice on what products would be the most authentic items for our set, and had a blast helping us out. We ended up spending almost eighteen thousand dollars on products for our set. The receipt was nearly sixteen feet long! I’m sure we’re now characters in a cocktail party joke, but the entire staff was so excited about the show. Our store front was so authentic that we fooled the locals in the area into thinking the store was a local business. That would never have been possible without shopping in person.
Q.
What are three things you can’t live without?
A.
Black coffee, music, and laughter
Q.
How would you define your work in three words?
A.
Eclectic, layered, organic
Q.
Favorite city to recharge?
A.
It’s not a city, but Current Island in the Bahamas
Q.
What’s your favorite time of day?
A.
Magic Hour on a summer evening
Q.
What’s one thing that’s always in your refrigerator?
A.
Topo Chico
