Judy Rhee: Production Designer

Judy Rhee is a Production Designer who has worked in film, television & commercials for over 25 years. Her most recent projects include Rian Johnson’s breakout hit series Poker Face on peacock starring Natasha Lyonne, a pilot for Showtime based on the Swedish book & film, Let the Right One in and Love Life season 1 for HBOMax starring Anna Kendrick. She collaborated with Vince Gilligan on his feature film El Camino a continuation of Breaking Bad, the ground-breaking television series. Rhee also worked on Better Call Saul season 4 which was nominated in 2019 for the Art Director’s Guild Award for Excellence in Production Design. Other streaming shows include Netflix/Marvel series Jessica Jones (season 2), original Amazon series Patriot (Pilot & Season 1) created by Steven Conrad and Amazon series Alpha House created by Garry Trudeau, cartoonist of Doonesbury. Her production design credits for films also include Cyrus Nowrasteh’s The Stoning of Soroya M. (Director’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival), the romantic comedies, My Man is a Loser directed by Mike Young and Two Days in New York directed & starring Julie Delpy and Chris Rock. Her work was recognized in The Hollywood Reporter for Shana Feste’s drama, The Greatest with Carey Mulligan, Pierce Brosnan & Susan Sarandon. 

Originally from Los Angeles, she discovered her passion for production design as an undergraduate at NYU film school. She encountered her first break while working as a bartender & waitress while still in school, one of her regular customers shared the art department on his film was being replaced. She interviewed later that day and was hired as an Art P.A. on Frank Henenlotter’s cult classics Frankenhooker and Basket Case 2. Working her way up in various positions on movies and commercials, she learned how every detail in production design supports the narrative of a story and helps create the worlds of the characters. For Judy, the design process always starts with the script. Successful production design is the visual language of the story without distraction. I work from the inside out to create authenticity of the spaces the characters live, exist and move through. She relishes joining forces with the writer, director and cinematographer to bring the written word to life on the screen.

Judy honed her craft and developed her aesthetic working as an Art Director with prominent directors. She worked on James Gray’s first and second feature films, Little Odessa starring Tim Roth, Vanessa Redgrave and The Yards starring Joaquin Phoenix, Charlize Theron, Mark Wahlberg. She art directed David O. Russell’s Flirting with Disaster starring Ben Stiller, Patricia Arquette and Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream with Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly. She teamed with Todd Solondz on Storytelling and collaborated with Hong Kong visionary director, Wong Kar-Wai, on his American film, My Blueberry Nights starring Jude Law, Norah Jones, Rachel Weisz, Natalie Portman. Her participation as the American Art Director with British director Stephen Daldry’s The Hours starring Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep & Julianne Moore was nominated for the Art Director’s Guild Award for Excellence in Art Direction in 2002. When Judy Rhee is not traveling for work or pleasure, she resides in Brooklyn, NY.

PRODUCTION DESIGN SALON MODERATOR:

Adam Bernstein: Director

Adam Bernstein is an American film director, music video director and television director. He produced the first original programming for the Nickelodeon Network, and later went on to direct Nickelodeon’s first original live-action, scripted comedy, The Adventures of Pete & Pete. He has directed over seventy music videos, including “Love Shack” for the B-52’s, “Hey Ladies” for the Beastie Boys and “Baby’s Got Back” for Sir Mix a Lot. 

In addition he has helmed the pilots for Fargo, 30 Rock, Scrubs, Alpha House and Strangers with Candy, Adam’s episodic credits include: Oz, Bored to Death, The Big C, Breaking Bad, House of Lies, Fargo, Californication, Nurse Jackie, Orange is the New Black, Divorce, Better Call Saul, The Sinner, Billions.

For his work on the television show Fargo in 2014, he received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special. In 2007, he also won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series for his work on 30 Rock. He is also the recipient of an MTV Award (Love Shack), a Peabody Award (Homicide – Life on the Street), and a Good Citizenship Medal from the Daughters of the American Revolution (1973).