How Sets Become Characters: Production Design Secrets

Great production design doesn’t just support a story—it helps tell it. In this Collider compilation, production designers from across film and television explain how carefully crafted sets become emotional anchors, symbolic spaces, and enduring characters in their own right.

Spanning multiple projects, this video explores how iconic locations are chosen, rebuilt, and reimagined—from rugged lodges in the Yellowstone universe to historic mansions synonymous with prestige drama. The designers discuss blending real-world architecture with narrative intent, matching interiors and exteriors across multiple locations, and using elements like light, weather, and texture to reflect character psychology.

You’ll also hear how real towns are transformed into different eras, why certain historic estates require a “less is more” approach, and how domestic spaces are designed to reflect ambition, grief, and generational memory. These behind-the-scenes insights reveal the invisible work that helps audiences feel grounded in a world long before a character ever speaks.

This is an essential watch for fans of production design, world-building, and the craft choices that quietly define some of television’s most memorable settings.

0:00 Introduction – Why Sets Matter More Than Ever
0:09 Creating Iconic Lodges for the Yellowstone Universe
1:02 Matching Interiors and Exteriors Across Locations
2:01 Light, Warmth, and Protection in Storytelling Spaces
2:59 Recreating Historic Towns and Time Periods
4:15 Finding the Perfect Estate for Period Drama
6:02 Designing Homes Around Trauma and Memory

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