Designing Across Time Zones for 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.
