Amy Williams

It’s not uncommon for Television shows to transform over time into a new direction. The evolution of a show is what audiences usually appreciate and admire the most. Even though the first 2 season of Master of None had a different focus and tone, the 3rd season of the show, which was directed by Aziz Ansari and co-written by Ansari and Lena Waithe, manages to not only add a new, brilliant layer to the series, but it also creates a captivating discussion about the relationship between Cinematography and Production Design.

The static shots within the built interior, which creates breathtaking architectural frames, combined with the set design pieces spread throughout the home makes Master of None: Moments in Love one of the most architectural love stories depicted on Television.

In an exclusive interview with Interiors, we spoke with Amy Williams, who is the Production Designer for Master of None. The photos, drawings and renderings are courtesy of Amy Williams.

INT: Obviously, we’re very familiar with your incredible work from Seasons 1 and 2 of Master of None. How did Season 3 come about and what made you want to work on it?

AW: Master of None is a very special show for me and it's very high on my priority list. I didn't even question if I would or wouldn't do the third season. My response to Aziz (Ansari) and Alan (Yang) has always been "let me know where and when you're ready to shoot it and I'll be there." We all remained connected between seasons 2 and 3 and I worked with Alan and Aziz on personal projects. Both of the creators needed renovation and interior design work on their homes so I did that with them. I worked on a series in Los Angeles with Alan called Forever. I also joined him in Taiwan for his first feature, Tigertail. Between Seasons, a lot of ideas were shared in bits and bobs, but it wasn't until the summer of 2019, after completing the work on Aziz's place that he suggested I rewatch Ingmar Bergman's Scenes from a Marriage because he was working on the scripts for season 3 and he felt that the film would be a good reference. A few weeks later, he divulged that the third season would not include Dev (his character) at all and it would focus entirely on Lena's character and her wife. I was sold immediately.

INT: In terms of Production Design, Season 3’s focus is on Denise (Lena Waithe) and Alicia’s (Naomi Ackie) cottage and farm in Upstate New York. The interior, which was built on a London soundstage, is remarkable and showcases incredible architectural details. What was the process like finding this location and then trying to build the interior out with its own unique personality and style?

AW: When we started prep back in January 2020, we were open to either building the house interior on a stage or shooting at a real location. The biggest question was could we find an exterior in the UK that would work for an American farmhouse and landscape. The authenticity and believability of both the interior and exterior were vital. We scouted dozens, but most felt too British and didn't have the right proportions and layout. It was hard for our London location manager to find the exterior, let alone the interior, so I took to Airbnb to show him examples of homes in Upstate New York and then I started to hunt for similar styles in the UK. I sent him the listing of "the house" and he was able to connect with the owners and clear it for filming. Having the exterior informed the spacing, windows, doors and other key architectural moments. The property has 3 homes of various ages, and we used two of them to play as the exterior. One house had a beautiful bay window and the other had a perfect peak for the second story. The interiors didn't have the open feel we wanted, so we took inspiration from some bits and took liberties with the rest. I wanted to fill the interior with interesting nooks and abnormalities. The flaws and imperfections are what make it feel real. The low ceilings and smaller sized rooms also give it a level of believability.

INT: The cinematography for Season 3 lends itself well to the Production Design because it feels as though the stationary camera is a part of the home. The long, wide shots that linger on the characters allows the audience to focus on the architecture and the interior design. What was the process like working with Director, Aziz Ansari and Cinematographer, Thimios Bakatakis?

AW: Aziz is a generous, collaborative and trusting director. We batted around several ideas and features for the cottage set. Some were scripted, like the staircase and others were not, like the stained glass windows. He decided very early on that the shots would be locked off and static. With that in mind, I wanted to give him, the DP and the actors some architectural frames within frames to play with and I wanted to give the audience some linear lines in the form of exposed beams to make it interesting and draw the eye. That inspiration came from watching several Yasujirô Ozu films. The lines and plaid patterns are stunning so we worked them into our American country home. Thimios and I had worked together 10 years earlier on a film called Keep the Lights On, which was also a queer love story arch shoot on 16mm. When our DP from the first two seasons, Mark Schwatzbard, was unable to join us in the UK due to Covid restrictions, I pitched Thimios to Aziz and the team. Thimios was hesitant at first, as he'd never done TV, but we reassured him that this was not a normal TV set up and we were treating this like a film. I loved that he immediately embraced the idea of small spaces and low ceilings in the set. He created an impressive set up outside the set to flood it with natural light and we worked together on the interior lighting using only lamps and "practicals' in the set. Film lights were never employed inside the set, which we found makes the setting feel even more natural. Thimios is also very generous with collaboration. It's not often that the DP invited the designer to help him look through the view finder and frame up a shots. It was also really rewarding to witness our evolution as filmmakers during this 10 year reunion. There were several moments where we would stop and marvel at "how far we had come and the skills we'd amassed"

INT: Denise and Alicia’s cottage goes through a unique transformation where we see their home in Episode 1 and then watch as it gets sold and reoccupied by Episode 5. In terms of Production Design, how did you plan and design for the architectural life cycle that takes place?

AW: The logistical change over from one set to another was an intense process. We basically had to flip the set and redress it in the span of 1 day and an overnight. There were mixed emotions when it came to the evolution of the space. It mimics the journey of our main characters and their story. The home is at it's most vibrant, cozy and warm at the start of the first episode. To see the departure of a character along with her belongs is jarring and then to see it empty in the 3rd episode is even more brutal.

The transformation in the last episode was kinda fun and silly. It's so dramatically different that it offers up some comic relief and WTF moments. As Denise says when they enter the house "what the ____! They colonized it!" The charm and personality is gone, but the bones remain and you still feel the history. The small details, the charm, the colors, don't matter anymore at this point in the story. These two women seem most comfortable and open with one another in this last episode. The "stuff" never made them happy to begin with. Don't get me wrong, the stuff paints a picture, it shows their personalities, the economic status and to some extent their beliefs, but it's not the core of who they are. It's only a glimpse into these two beautiful peoples lives.

Amy Williams is an Emmy Award Winning Production Designer and has worked on various Films, Television Shows, Commercials and Music Videos. You can visit her Website and Twitter to see more of her work.