Kristi honored with a Masters of Cinema award
at the 2022 RiverRun International Film Festival. see more...

Kristi Zea on "The Watcher" house

Production designer Kristi Zea shares a behind-the-scenes tour of the house and scenery that set the stage for the infamous residence.

ElleDecor

"The house is certainly the main character and that’s what attracted me to the series." Kristi talking to Architectural Digest.

See the trailer for The Watcher. And Netflix promotional house tour with actress Jennifer Coolidge who plays real estate agent Karen Calhoun

The Watcher premiered on Netflix October 13.

Photo of Michela Marino Lerman by Luis Guillen

NOW IN PRODUCTION

ON TAP

A NEW FILM FROM KRISTI ZEA AND KAREN GOODMAN

ON TAP is an independent documentary that explores the origins of tap through an in-depth profile of preeminent improvisational jazz tap dancer, Michela Marino Lerman.

Oscar-nominee Kristi Zea (Everybody Knows...Elizabeth Murray, Notes from the Field) and Oscar and Emmy award-winner Karen Goodman (Strangers No More, HBO Masterclass) are independent filmmakers who have been directing, producing, and designing documentary and feature films for more than three decades, including several works for PBS’ American Masters series.

Your support will help us complete this work. To make a donation, please visit HumanArtsAssociation.org

EVERYBODY KNOWS…ELIZABETH MURRAY

EVERYBODY KNOWS…ELIZABETH MURRAY is an intimate portrait of the groundbreaking artist and former Buffalo resident Elizabeth Murray. The film explores the relationship between Murray’s family life and career and reconsiders her place in the contemporary art history. Produced and directed by Kristi Zea, the film has been called “A vivid portrait of a unique talent and personality.” by Film Journal International.

MY FILM ANNIVERSARIES

the silence of the lambs

Vanity Fair on the legacy of The Silence of the Lambs

“Jonathan, Are You Crazy?”: The Making and Meaning

of The Silence of the Lambs

Anthony-Hopkins-Silence-of-the-Lambs-MGM

Anthony Hopkins in

The Silence of the Lambs was released on February 14 — 30 years ago. I had worked as a production designer with Jonathan Demme on Married to the Mob. I was hesitant to do The Silence of the Lambs. It was so creepy. Bit thos film has become a classic. Here are some other juicy articles about The Silence of the Lambs 30 years later.

Jodie Foster looks back at 'Silence of the Lambs' 30 years later – Yahoo Entertainment

'Silence of the Lambs': The "Interesting Dilemma" of Selecting Hannibal Lecter's Mask - Hollywood Reporter

The Lingering Terror of Silence of the Lambs - Esquire

The Silence of the Lambs and Clarice’s Lifelong Battle Against the Male Gaze - Den of Geek

Martin Scorsese's Powerful Goodfellas at 30

A review on theconversation.com

Associate professor in Cinema and Media Studies, RMIT University Adrian Danks writes a review of Martin Scorsese's seminal film Goodfellas, takes us through every nuance of the film to underscore how "massively influential" it has been.

Along the way he gives a shout out to the production design. "Although key collaborators such as editor Thelma Schoonmaker and cinematographer Michael Ballhaus have often and rightly been singled out for their contributions, the production design by Kristi Zea truly brings this “cloistered” and insular world to life."

I remember the almost obsessive detail needed to make the film look and feel like the time and place Scorsese had in mind. For an article for GQ, I recalled how it was important that the length of the collars, the shape of those shirts, the shape of the tie, the kind of knot, be accurate.

Marty had his mom cooking for the scenes where they were eating Italian food, because he wants his actors to feel like they're in the real place doing stuff for real.

Goodfellas was a remarkable film to have had the opportunity to work on.

"...stage-to-screen adaptation of Anna Deavere Smith’s "Notes from the Field" stars her alone playing a multitude of personalities...[and] paints a troubling picture of class
and race in modern America."

LATIMES.COM

"...an effective pulse-taking documentary..."

BLACKGIRLNERDS.COM

“Notes From the Field” was written and co-produced by Anna Deavere Smith

Directed by Kristi Zea

"This is not your father’s or even your

older sibling’s documentary..."

FROM THE CLASSROOM TO THE PRISON CELL, ANNA DEAVERE SMITH GIVES VOICE TO THE FORGOTTEN

TISCH RESEARCH, NEWS & EVENTS

ART & PUBLIC POLICY

Learn More about Notes from the Field Directed by Kristi Zea

New Amsterdam episode ‘Lift Off’ directed by Kristi Zea

New Amsterdam is inspired by Dr. Eric Manheimer's bestselling memoir "Twelve Patients: Life and Death at Bellevue Hospital" about his 15 years as medical director at the hospital.

Kristi Zea has been part of NBC’s drama New Amsterdam since its beginning in 2008 serving as production designer for the pilot and 11 additional episodes. She then directed “Five Miles West” in season one and now “Lift Off” in season two.

In typical New Amsterdam fashion, the story of “Lift Off” has viewers on the edge of their seats, including a super suspenseful lifesaving rescue by Dr. Reynolds.

“I am very proud of this episode” Kristi says, “and all the hard work that the cast, crew and all aspects of production contributed to making it so compelling.”

New Amsterdam airs on NBC and streams on NBC.com/New-Amsterdam.

In TALKING PICTURES, poet performer extraordinaire Bob Holman, founder of the legendary Bowery Poetry Club, is inspired by an exhibition of the supremely individualistic, off-the-wall paintings of his late wife, Elizabeth Murray. His performance bridges the relationship between poetry and painting, and asks the question, if paintings could talk, would they speak poetry?

Directed by Oscar and Critics Choice nominee Kristi Zea (EVERYBODY KNOWS... ELIZABETH MURRAY, NOTES FROM THE FIELD) with music by Oscar nominee, David Lang, and edited/arranged by Charles Caster-Dudzick. TALKING PICTURES is produced by Bowery Art + Sciences.