SELECTED WORK
Abbott Elementary
ABCOn Season 1 of Abbott Elementary, I was
handed a unique challenge: take a fictional Philly public
school—already designed for TV—and translate it into a real-world facade
that could live on the Warner Bros. back lot.
The original plan was to build the facade in front of soundstage 16, the
largest soundstage on the lot. The attached facade required the mural
piece to be on retractable wheels to that it could slide to the side
whenever vehicles needed to get on set. Ultimately, this plan was nixed
due to fire marshal concerns.
The new
plan was to build the facade on the back lot. Unfortunately, there isn't
much room for new buildings on the back lot of a 100-year-old studio.
Ultimately, Warner Bros. decided to remove some of the tracks of their
Chicago "l train" which would allow the facade to become part of the
Warner Bros. studio tour.
What followed was part detective
work, part design exercise. I reverse-engineered the original facade
design from stills, then figured out how to make it function in a
completely new physical context—one where tourists, not just cameras,
would be viewing it up close. It had to be instantly recognizable,
believable, and durable enough to live outdoors.
Working closely with the production designer, I developed detailed
mockups to bring the look of Abbott Elementary into the real
world—complete with weathered materials, functional hardware, and a
layout that felt true to the show’s spirit. While I wasn’t there for the
final install, the design package I created helped guide the process
and bring the concept to life on the lot.
Faze1
Twitch
How do you turn a warehouse office space into a fully immersive,
live-streamed, 24/7 branded experience? That was the challenge behind
FaZe1: The Warehouse -- a weeklong reality competition where FaZe Clan
scouted their next top creator, all while live broadcasting every second
to a global digital audience.
As the lead
on spatial and challenge design, I transformed FaZe’s Los Angeles
warehouse and parking lot into a high-impact hybrid space -- part home,
part content engine, part competition arena. Every square foot had to
work visually, physically, and logistically. Contestants needed a place
to live, sleep, and compete. Cameras needed coverage from every angle.
The design needed to reflect FaZe's high-energy, gaming-forward brand
identity -- all while functioning in real time, without a single pause
in the stream.
I designed everything from modular sleeping pods and interactive
installations to full-scale challenges, all tailored for maximum
engagement both in-person and on-screen. It was experiential
storytelling at the speed of live production—immersive, reactive, and
built to perform under pressure.
Tough As Nails
CBSOn Tough As Nails, every challenge had to feel real, rough, and
rooted in the kind of work that doesn’t always get the spotlight—but
keeps everything running. As one of three art directors on the season, I
worked hand in hand with the challenge department to conceptualize and
execute large-scale physical challenges that felt authentic,
camera-ready, and built to last.
I led art
direction on four episodes including the season premiere and finale.
Each challenge site came with its own unique demands: variable terrain,
limited build time, and the need for total reliability. My focus was on
designing immersive, durable environments that honored the spirit of
skilled labor and delivered a seamless experience for both competitors
and production.
From the
first episode to the last, the challenges I oversaw ran without a hitch
-- no game failures, no set malfunctions. That consistency came from
careful planning, tight collaboration, and a respect for the physical
and emotional stakes of the competition. It wasn’t just about building
sets—it was about building trust in the experience.
The Pack
Amazon
In 2020, I joined Amazon’s globe-trotting competition series The Pack as
Art Director. the production was gearing up for a wild logistical feat:
filming in multiple countries, across continents, all in a matter of
weeks. What followed was one of the most challenging and exhilarating
creative rides of my career.
From the
mountain trails of Costa Rica to ice caves in the Swiss alps, I was
constantly one step ahead -- designing and shooting sets in one country
while the crew was prepping in another. Time zones blurred. Calls
happened at 3am. My laptop became mission control. Whether it was
transforming a Viennese intersection into a finish line or turning
piazza del duomo into a challenge site, every location demanded its own
custom solution with fast turnarounds and no room for second takes.
I
worked closely with local crews, vendors, and translators, often
adapting designs in real time to account for shifting weather, customs
regulations, or a herd of goats that decided our location was the place
to be. The result: immersive, camera-ready environments that seamlessly
supported the show’s high-energy format and international scope.
The day before we shot the grand finale in Miami, the biggest challenge
yet hit us -- the national shutdown due to Covid-19. We discussed the
options at length and ultimately decided to pack everything up and stop
the show. Then, in May 2020 we became one of the first television
productions to start back up under new guidelines. With twice daily nose
swabs and tight-knit bubbles, we were able to finish a newly
designed finale in Utah, complete with dinosaur bones.
© Garrett H Brown 2025