Introducing “Apotheosis”: A Production Design Podcast

Last week, as part of the 2025 International Production Design Week, the PDC premiered Apotheosis - a new podcast dedicated to exploring the art and soul of film design. While it doesn’t shy away from practical, nuts-and-bolts discussions, Apotheosis is especially devoted to examining the spiritual and philosophical dimensions of Production Design.

PDC Board Member Alexander Whittenberg is the host for the series and, to mark the premiere, he sat down with PDC Podcast Coordinator and Apotheosis co-producer Gavin Mosier to talk about how the idea came to life, what listeners can look forward to, and where the series might go next.

Here are a few highlights from their conversation:

Gavin Mosier: Let’s start at the beginning — what sparked the idea to launch Apotheosis, and how did the title come to be?

Alexander Whittenberg: The idea for Apotheosis was born during a very specific moment at the 2022 Production Designers Gathering on the island of Spetses in Greece. On the final evening, we walked together up the hill to a beautiful amphitheater to share our closing reflections on the weekend. As we settled in and the conversation began, the word apotheosis came to mind.

The term means “the highest point in the development of something; the culmination or climax.” Perhaps it surfaced because we were literally standing on a high point of the island, watching the sun set over its breathtaking landscape. But more than that, it felt as though we had collectively reached a kind of spiritual apotheosis in that moment. As the microphone passed from person to person, each voice offered something vulnerable and deeply personal. It was unexpectedly emotional — almost as if we’d stepped back in time to an ancient Greek symposium. The energy, the exchange of ideas, the feeling of connection was transcendent.

That feeling stayed with me, and I’ve been searching ever since for ways to manifest it again. This podcast is one of those manifestations. I encourage listeners to begin with the Apotheosis Introduction, which serves as a kind of prologue to the series.

GM: What kinds of conversations can listeners expect? How will you balance the philosophical with the practical?

AW: For me, it’s all about duality — the yin and yang of the work. Filmmaking, and Production Design in particular, demands a constant balancing act between the practical constraints of time and money and the deeper creative vision at the heart of it all.

I’m endlessly fascinated by how abstract ideas evolve into something tangible and real. And it’s inspiring to hear how each designer charts their own unique path from concept to completion.

So far, the conversations reflect a broad range of perspectives. In my talk with Nathan Crowley, for example, we explore how classic techniques and new technologies intersect to create the cinematic worlds of films like Interstellar and Wicked. My conversation with Rick Carter, on the other hand, dives deep into philosophical territory — from the spirit of place to the concept of Scoropi (if you’re not familiar with it yet, you’re in for a treat).

In my view, you can’t separate the practical from the philosophical — they feed each other. Apotheosis is a celebration of that interplay. While the podcast is meant to be accessible to anyone curious about film and design, I think fellow Production Designers will especially appreciate the level of detail and craft we get into.

GM: Music can play such a powerful role in shaping how a story is experienced. How does music factor into Apotheosis?

AW: With Apotheosis, there’s a certain lyricism and musicality to many of the discussions, and I wanted the theme to reflect that same energy. I met with my friend Nathan Avakian and shared a few pieces of music that spoke to me, and from there, he composed a wonderful theme — then riffed on it in a variety of styles and tempos.
As the podcast evolves, we’re planning to find new and unexpected ways to weave the score into the fabric of the show, even using it to underscore particularly moving moments in the conversations. It’s another way of deepening the listening experience and giving each episode its own subtle emotional arc.

GM: Production design is both personal and collaborative. What kinds of guests and stories are you most excited to highlight?

AW: There’s so much I’m eager to share. Beyond the one-on-one designer conversations, we’re also curating several special sub-series — what I jokingly call theApotheosis Cinematic Universe.

One of these is Apotheosis: Notes from the Field, where we’ll take a deep dive into specific moments in time or individual projects. We’re kicking it off with Jeannine Oppewall, who reflects on her experience working on Maria’s Lovers. If you were at the 2024 Production Designers Gathering, you might’ve been among the first to hear this essay — and you know just how special it is.

Another series, Apotheosis: Magic Lantern, celebrates unforgettable moments and personalities from our shared Production Design history. In “Apotheosis: On Collaboration,” we’ll join conversations between production designers and their creative partners — cinematographers, directors, costume designers, VFX supervisors — exploring how trust and shared vision shape the work.

And with Apotheosis: From the Archives, we’ll revisit invaluable recordings from the past, including conversations with the late Ralph Eggleston and John Iacovelli. Over the past year and a half, an extraordinary collection of stories has taken shape, and I’m thrilled to finally share it with the world.

GM: Looking ahead, how do you hope Apotheosis will grow over time? What kind of impact would you like it to have on the creative community?

AW: This is just the beginning, and I’m looking toward the future with curiosity and excitement. It’s very important to me that the podcast reflects the global community that makes up the PDC.

Alongside conversations with celebrated legacy designers, I’m especially eager to feature emerging voices — designers who are just beginning to carve their paths. One of the things that makes the PDC so remarkable is the intergenerational exchange of knowledge, and I want Apotheosis to embody that spirit.

Equally, this podcast is about shining a brighter light on the essential role of Production Designers as thought partners in filmmaking. To me, Apotheosis isn’t just a title — it’s a mindset, one that can take shape in many forms beyond the podcast itself. I can’t wait to see where it leads.

GM: Before we wrap up, can you give us a sneak peek into those first two episodes and what listeners can look forward to?

AW: Absolutely. The very first episode features PDC co-founders Inbal Weinberg and Kalina Ivanov, and it felt only fitting to begin at the roots of the organization itself. We talk about their early creative inspirations, how they came together to launch the PDC back in 2014, and how the organization has evolved and expanded in such a relatively short time. We also explore the creation and growth of the Production Designers Gathering and International Production Design Week, and close with their hopes for the future — both of the PDC and the field of Production Design as a whole.

In the second episode, I “turn on, tune in and trip out” with the legendary Rick Carter. We go deep with the esoteric — exploring the art of time traveling, musing on the enduring influence of ancient Greece, bridging the gap between left brain and right brain, and examining a mindset that’s all about shifting a negative outlook into a positive one. It’s a wide-ranging and deeply inspiring conversation that perfectly captures the philosophical spirit at the heart of Apotheosis.

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