Multi-award-winning British Production Designer and Set Decorator Alison Harvey joins Chris to share the story of her life and an extraordinary career spent creating some of the most memorable worlds in British film and television. Over more than two decades, Alison has built a remarkable career across the art departments of television series and major motion pictures, progressing through a profession in which experience, instinct, imagination and an extraordinary eye for detail all play their part. Her credits span everything from British television to some of the biggest international film productions, but her journey is also the story of how a creative career develops — one job, one opportunity and one relationship at a time. In this wide-ranging conversation, Alison takes Chris back to the beginning, reflecting on her early life, the influences that shaped her creative instincts and how she first found her way into film and television. From those formative experiences came a career that would see her work her way through the art department, learning the craft from the inside and collaborating with some of the industry's leading designers and filmmakers. Her early credits included work as a design assistant on EastEnders, followed by roles as an art director, production buyer, set decorator and eventually production designer. Along the way came an extraordinary collection of films and television productions including Atonement, Sherlock Holmes, Hanna, Anna Karenina, Gravity, Edge of Tomorrow, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Hellboy, Benediction and Tetris. But it is Alison's work on the acclaimed Netflix series The Crown that has brought some of the greatest recognition of her career. As Set Decorator across all six seasons, Alison helped create the extraordinarily detailed visual world surrounding the British Royal Family, spanning decades of changing history, personalities, homes, fashions and political landscapes. The work brought Alison international recognition and multiple major industry honors. She won Primetime Emmy Awards for The Crown in 2020 for the episode Aberfan and again in 2024 for the series finale Sleep, Dearie Sleep, alongside further Emmy nominations in 2018 and 2021. Her work has also received recognition from BAFTA, the Art Directors Guild, the Royal Television Society and the British Film Designers Guild. Alison talks about recreating a world that audiences already feel they know. Her career has also brought opportunities to work alongside some of the most respected names in production design and set decoration, including Martin Childs, Celia Bobak, Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer, Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo, Paul Kirby and Valentina Mladenova. Now Alison has reached another significant chapter in that journey, stepping into the role of Production Designer on Goodbye June, the feature film directed by Kate Winslet. The project marks an important point in a career that has evolved continuously — from assisting and buying to art direction, set decoration and production design. Throughout this episode of AART, Chris and Alison explore much more than a list of film credits. They talk about the experiences behind them: the choices and opportunities that shaped Alison's path, the people she learned from, the pressures and pleasures of working in film and television, collaboration, leadership, creativity and what she has discovered about herself during a career spent largely behind the camera. It's the story of a woman who has spent much of her professional life creating the worlds in which other people's stories unfold — and the life and career behind those worlds. Alison Harvey: A Life Designing for Film & Television is a conversation about creativity, perseverance, collaboration and the unpredictable journey of building a life in the film industry. Join Chris Stafford for this episode of AART, where the conversation goes beyond the work to discover the life, experiences and stories of the woman behind it. Alison’s website: https://alisonharvey.co.uk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harvey_alison/ Some of Alison’s favorite female artists: Cornelia Parker Eileen Agar Barbara Hepworth Lucie Rie Susan Halls Alison’s Dinner Party Guests: Barbara Kruger Barbara Kingsolver Barbara Hepworth Barbara Castle Barbara Hulanicki Barbara Streisand Keywords: Alison Harvey, Alison Harvey Production Designer, Alison Harvey The Crown, Alison Harvey interview, Alison Harvey podcast, British Production Designer, British Set Decorator, The Crown Set Decorator, The Crown Production Design, The Crown Behind the Scenes, Emmy Winning Production Design, Emmy Winning Set Decorator, Women in Film, Women in Television, Female Production Designer, Production Designer Interview, Set Decorator Interview, Film Art Department, British Film Industry, British Television, Film Careers, Production Design Career, Set Decoration, Atonement, Sherlock Holmes, Anna Karenina, Gravity, Edge of Tomorrow, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Hellboy, Tetris, Benediction, Goodbye June, Kate Winslet, Netflix The Crown, Martin Childs, Film and Television Podcast, Behind the Scenes Film, Art Department, Creative Careers, Chris Stafford, AART Podcast, Women Unscripted, Hollowell Studios Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/call-time--6660037/support. Call Time meets the women on set including filmmakers, cinematographers, DP's, camera operators, actors, makeup artists, costume designers. We share their story from childhood through career highlights, their highs and lows negotiating the film and television industry. CALL TIME is part of the Women Unscripted Podcast Network and Exec Prod of Hollowell Studios. 🎙️ Host: Chris Stafford Producer: Hollowell Studios Email: hollowellstudios@gmail.com Instagram: @thecalltimepodcast 🔔 Don’t forget to LIKE, COMMENT & SUBSCRIBE for more interviews with today’s talented and creative women. 🎙️ Produced by Hollowell Studios ✍🏻 Email: hollowellstudios@gmail.com 🎧 Call Time is available on all podcast apps
