Decorating the Set (Directing Episodic TV with Special Guest, Mark Tinker)
Welcome to Decorating the Set: From Hollywood to Your Home with Beth Kushnick! This week, Caroline and Beth sit down with legendary television producer and director, Mark Tinker, to discuss Mark’s career working on episodic television and the relationship between director and set decorator.
GUEST BIO:
After graduating from Syracuse University in 1973, Mark Tinker secured an entry
level position as a production assistant at Lorimar Productions where he worked on
such shows as THE WALTONS and APPLE’S WAY His next opportunity was as
associate producer at MTM Productions on various programs including THE BOB
NEWHART SHOW where he was given his first shot at directing. In 1978, Bruce
Paltrow offered Tinker the job of producer on THE WHITE SHADOW. That
pairing led to a decade-long producing relationship highlighted by the long running
medical drama ST. ELSWHERE. Tinker wrote, produced and directed episodes for
both series.
In 1990, Tinker began his first working relationship with the inestimable David
Milch, producing and directing CAPITAL NEWS. Following a fifteen-year run at
MTM, Tinker directed several pilots and movies-of-the-week before landing at
20th Century Fox as executive producer for Steven Bochco’s acclaimed divorce
attorney series CIVIL WARS. He then executive produced and directed the final
season of L.A. LAW before rejoining Milch for nearly twelve years as executive
producer and frequent director of NYPD BLUE.
Executive producing and directing HBO’s DEADWOOD and JOHN FROM
CINCINNATI were followed by six years doing similar double duty on Shonda
Rhimes’ ABC medical drama, PRIVATE PRACTICE and four years as Executive
Producer/Director on NBC’s CHICAGO P.D.. Most recently he served in the same
capacity on the final season of AMERICAN GODS from Starz.
During his nearly fifty year career in television, Tinker has been nominated for the
Emmy Award sixteen times, taking home four — one for producing (NYPD BLUE,
1995) and three for directing (ST. ELSEWHERE, 1993; NYPD BLUE, 1997;
BROOKLYN SOUTH (Pilot), 1998). Additionally, he has been nominated seven
times for the DGA Award and has three George Foster Peabody Awards and three
Humanities Awards.
Follow Mark on Twitter at @MarkCTinker and Instagram at @wrongcoast!
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For over 35 years, Beth Kushnick has created character-driven settings for countless award-winning television series and feature films. As a Set Decorator, she’s composed visuals that both capture and enhance any story. Now, she wants to help you capture and enhance YOUR story.
Join Beth and her co-host, Caroline Daley, each week as they go behind the scenes of Hollywood’s magic, and give you approachable, yet sophisticated tips to realize the space that best expresses who you are.
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Credits:
“Giraffes” by Harrison Amer, licensed by Pod Clubhouse.
This is an original production of Pod Clubhouse Productions, LLC. Produced, engineered and edited at Pod Clubhouse Studios. For more information, visit our Website.