Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1507937
4 P E R S P E C T I V E | S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 C O N T R I B U T O R S J O S E P H T. G A R R I T Y holds a BA degree from Temple University's School of Communications and Theater and an MFA in Production Design from The AFI Conservatory. He has designed feature films, including Runaway Train (Art Director), My Girl, Drop Dead Fred, Son in Law, Sunshine Cleaning, Cake, Mr. Church, I Can Only Imagine and I Still Believe. Garrity met Christopher Guest in 1988 and was chosen to design Guest's directorial debut feature, The Big Picture. Garrity has designed all of Guest's films since, including Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind and For Your Consideration. Garrity now serves as the Department Head of Production Design at The American Film Institute Conservatory. He has served as a Council Member for the Art Directors Branch, Local 800. E R I N M A G I L L was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area amongst a creative and eclectic family of storytellers. Her artistic pursuits and skills were especially encouraged by her mother, a corporate interior designer, who often brought home tile, formica and carpet samples for Erin to create her own dollhouse. While attending UC Davis for her BA in design, Erin experienced a pivotal moment in her development as a designer when taking a theater design course. Instructor John Iaocvelli shared his behind-the- scenes set images from the film Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, and this window into the world of filmmaking lit a spark for Erin. She secured a role at Pixar in the Art Departments of Ratatouille and Toy Story 3 and absorbed Pixar's foundational notion that story is everything, a mantra Erin feels still remains invaluable to her career. After receiving an MFA in Production Design from AFI, Erin began her live-action career as an assistant and Art Director on Mad Men, Danny Collins, Insecure and The Romanoffs, under revered Production Designers Dan Bishop and Chris Brown. She has since had the opportunity to design multiple features, series and commercials, most notably the Sundance Audience Award winner, Brittany Runs a Marathon, IFC's instant cult classic Swallow, and the first season of ZIWE from A24 and Showtime. After almost two decades of working within a wide range of Art Departments, Erin prides herself on a thoughtful, empathetic, and responsible approach to the cultural and societal context of a project, often drawing from her love of museums, historical markers, traveling the world, and walking down the path less traveled. www.erinmagill.com C A B O T M C M U L L E N is a native of Boston by way of Los Angeles. His career started as a designer for architect Vladimir Kagan in New York City. A passionate interest in storytelling led him to the New York stage where he became a theatrical Set Designer on and off Broadway and later, a Production Designer of film and television. His first network television experience was as an Art Director at Saturday Night Live. The mix of architectural reality and theatrical exuberance established early in his career can still be felt in his recent work for high-profile brands across all platforms. Classically trained with degrees in fine art and architecture, Cabot takes a multidisciplinary approach to design, and the range and skill set he brings to his work is extensive. Cabot has been Production Designer and creative partner for seventeen feature films, hundreds of commercials and music videos, and thousands of television episodes and pilots. He is particularly proud of his decade's-long collaborations with executive producers Steven Spielberg and Bill Lawrence on multiple television and feature film productions, including Spin City, Scrubs, The United States of Tara, Smash, Extant and now, Shrinking for Apple TV+. Recent feature film work includes Flamin' Hot for d1irector Eva Longoria and Searchlight Pictures. In addition to film work, he continues to practice concept design for high-profile interactive architecture projects. Cabot has been nominated for three Emmy Awards and four Art Directors Guild Awards, and still prides himself in working hands-on with the grit, gusto and inventive energy that has carried him throughout his career. He lives in the hills of Sherman Oaks, CA, with his lovely wife Lisa Lang McMullen and their furry family of four-legged friends.