JACK FISK - Production Designer

Team Deakins

James Ellis Deakins

Tv & Film, Film Interviews

4.9 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 18 February 2026

⏱️ 85 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 181 - Jack Fisk - Production Designer

In this extended episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with production designer Jack Fisk (MARTY SUPREME, THERE WILL BE BLOOD, MULHOLLAND DRIVE). Spanning the worlds' jungles, mountains, and open plains, Jack's work as a designer brings the real world to the audience on the big screen. Throughout our conversation, Jack discusses his views on designing, and he recalls numerous stories detailing the exhaustive work behind his contributions to films such as DAYS OF HEAVEN, THE THIN RED LINE, and THE REVENANT. Later, Jack reveals how he resurrected post-war New York City in the Lower East Side in MARTY SUPREME, and we discuss how he collaborated with cinematographer Darius Khondji (Season 1, Episode 135) on the film and strove for originality in its design. Jack also reflects on the evolution of his lifelong friendship with David Lynch from high school up until his death in 2025, and he shares how he overcame a number of obstacles while designing MULHOLLAND DRIVE. Plus, Jack recalls how he survived the "highway of death" in Costa Rica.

Listen to Ruth De Jong's episode (Season 2, Episode 49) to learn even more about Jack.

Recommended Viewing: MULHOLLAND DRIVE, DAYS OF HEAVEN

This episode is sponsored by Aputure & Picture Shop

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi and welcome to season two of the Team Deacons podcast, a collection of informal conversations
0:10.1	between Roger and James Deacons and a guest. We never know where the conversation will take
0:16.0	us, so listen in and see where it goes.
0:29.3	This episode is sponsored by Aperture and its new Storm XT-52, the industry's most powerful LED point source light. Brighter than a 6K-HMI empowered by Aperture's revolutionary
0:36.7	Blair light engine, the Storm XT-52 is both a tunable
0:41.8	white light and also the brightest ever adjustable color LED. Storm XT-52, unrivaled output,
0:51.3	only from Aperture.
1:02.5	This episode is brought to you by Picture Shop, whose colorists have created looks for many of the world's biggest films, acclaim series, and celebrated independent and festival projects.
1:09.9	Picture Shop is proud to be a creative partner to the artists behind the camera who trust us to help shape
1:16.4	their final vision.
1:18.4	Visit pictureshop.com to get in touch and mention Team Deacons for special rate consideration.
1:29.5	Today we're speaking with a production designer.
1:32.5	His credits include the thin red line, Mahalan Drive, The Revenant, and this year's Marty
1:38.7	Supreme.
1:39.7	We're pleased to welcome Jack Fisk.
1:42.6	Jack, thank you for doing this. Welcome. You know, I've been
1:46.2	watching your podcast for years, and I know you interviewed. Oh, wow. You interviewed Ruth the
1:51.5	young, and she had a great time. I was shocked when I saw it on my schedule. I'm so happy.
2:00.9	We'd love to start with the first question, which is what we always start with.
2:04.5	How did you get to where you are today? Is this something that as a kid you knew that you
2:09.7	wanted to build things or did you want to be a vet first and then find it? How did you come to
2:15.8	this? What wrong turn did you take?
	...

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