Arrival (2016) with Debbie Millman, then the arrival of special guest Zipeng Zhu

In this bonus episode, designer, author, educator, curator, artist, and pioneering podcast host Debbie Millman talks about Arrival (2016). And then, special guest Zipeng Zhu joins the show to talk about creativity, and why trust is an important part of learning, growing, and improving. Plus, learn about the roles that communication and romance play in Arrival.

Arrival (2016) with Debbie Millman

Debbie Millman, designer, author, educator, curator, artist, and pioneering podcast host, joins Designers On Film to talk about Arrival (2016), a movie that has all the ingredients to keep you engaged and make you curious about life on this planet, or life beyond this planet. Amy Adams is Louise Banks, Jeremy Renner is Ian Donnelly, and together they’re brought into a government operation to understand, analyze, and hopefully communicate with visitors from another planet. In addition to sharing everything about the movie that she loves, Debbie also talks about how science has been an integral part of her own life, why she believes in alien lifeforms, and ponders big questions about language, love, and time.

Amélie (2001) with Zipeng Zhu [more thoughts]

In this bonus episode, hear more from Zipeng Zhu who talks about his design philosophy and methodology, the importance of sprinkling magic dust on top of things, and why swiping up and down and hoping for the best isn’t the best design approach. We also talk about manga and manifestation, creating work that you can touch or work that touches people, and be sure to listen to the end, you’ll hear us planning a Zoom Drop-In to surprise an upcoming guest.

RE-RELEASE: Pretty in Pink (1986) with Nikki Villagomez

Nikki Villagomez knows a thing or two about fonts, not only because she’s a designer but also because she’s a published author and historian who loves typography. In addition to learning about her books Culture+Typography: Examples in Font Pairings and also the sold out Culture+Typography: How Culture Affects Typography, hear why Pretty in Pink means so much to her. Plus, we touch on Miami Vice, the Brat Pack documentary called Brats (2024), Mondrian, and hair gel. This episode appeared on Season 1 of the show in 2024.

Amélie (2001) with Zipeng Zhu

Zipeng Zhu talks about his time studying design in New York and learning from Debbie Millman. He also gives thanks to all the amazing people who helped him on his creative journey, including Jessica Walsh who loves the movie Amélie as much as Zipeng. Amélie lives in a world unto herself, full of imagination and creativity, but she’s kind and gives back to others, creating joy in a variety of ways.

Miracle (2004) with Sam Potts

Sam Potts talks about his comfort movie, Miracle starring Kurt Russell and Patricia Clarkson. Based on real life events, Miracle tells the story of the American hockey team and the 1980 Olympics Miracle on Ice. Russell plays Coach Herb Brooks, who leads the underdog American hockey team on a challenging journey and through rigorous training and a series of wins, they eventually face the seemingly invincible Soviet Union team. We also discuss the Cold War backdrop looming over the characters and events in the movie, teamwork on and off the ice, and how teamwork and accountability are a part of the design world.

Blade Runner (1982) with Kevin Finn

Brand expert, author, internationally recognized designer, and TEDx speaker Kevin Finn joins the show to talk about Blade Runner starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos, M. Emmet Walsh, Daryl Hannah, Brion James, and Joanna Cassidy. Deckard, played by Harrison Ford, is brought back to an elite unit that hunts and retires rogue Replicants, bioengineered beings virtually identical to humans but often used for slave labor. We also discuss the movies Alien and Aliens, as well as Blade Runner 2049 and Barry Lyndon.

Her (2013) with Weber Wong

The 2013 movie Her, written and directed by Spike Jonze, stars Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson, and Rooney Mara. We see Phoenix as Theodore living an isolated life, occasionally recalling his marriage to Catherine played by Mara. The movie explores loneliness, love, and divorce, as well as technology. When Theodore acquires a new, advanced operating system that is able to relate to him and communicate with him, the Samantha artificial intelligence changes his life. Weber Wong joins the show to talk about the 2013 movie, and we also discuss FLORA, a professional creative tool with all the best text, image, and video AI models on one infinite canvas. Weber started building FLORA to help him make his own art projects at NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program, a graduate program focused on using technology to make art.

Tron: Ares (2025) with Tim Lapetino

Greetings, Programs! Designer, writer, curator, and historian Tim Lapetino, who’s the Creative Director at Atari, shares insights about Tron: Ares, which tells the story of two tech giants battling for digital dominance. We also talk about video games, the fantastic Nine Inch Nails music, Disney, Star Wars, Marvel comics, Alien, and artificial intelligence.

RE-RELEASE: Tron (1982) with Tim Lapetino

Greetings, Programs! Meet designer, writer, curator, and historian Tim Lapetino, who’s the Creative Director at Atari. Armed with a passion for digital and visual culture, Tim shares insights about 1982’s Tron, its production, sequels, and video games. We also discuss WarGames, classic sci-fi, artificial intelligence, and The Big Lebowski. This episode was originally released for our 1st Season in July 2024 and during this recording, Tim was working on a Visual History of Tron book, in mid-pitch mode.

Groove (2000) with Michael Sinanan

Designing a rave requires planning and patience, it also requires a vision. Get the proper space, the best DJs, and electronic dance music (EDM) that gets people dancing all night and into the early morning, until the last record spins. It’s all captured in the movie Groove (2000) which Michael Sinanan fell in love with after the first viewing, not only because EDM has the beats that keep his design process going, but the movie also inspired him to become a DJ himself. Michael talks about what makes the movie so iconic, and touches on the current club and dance culture, from musical tastes, to ticketing and admission, to people being distracted by their phones.

Die Hard (1988) with handfellas

Omar Diaz and Manny Colon, who work together as handfellas, bring iconic movie moments to life with custom-made puppets, cardboard props, creature designs, and special effects magic. Their puppet-powered parodies include The Matrix, Pulp Fiction, Jaws, and just in time for the holidays, Die Hard. The team brings unapologetic comedy, vintage puppet vibes, and handcrafted absurdity right to your eyeballs, through painstaking craft and an insatiable curiosity.

RE-RELEASE: Die Hard (1988) with Sean McCaul

What’s the best book-to-film adaptation, and could it be Die Hard? Sean McCaul, of Citizen By Design, calls the Bruce Willis action flick his favorite movie. And Sean is in great company, James Cameron has called Die Hard HIS favorite action movie. We also discuss Frank Lloyd Wright, terrorism, Moonlighting and Blind Date, plus 1994’s The Crow. For good measure, we get into Batman and Robin and how the comic book detectives connect to Die Hard with a Vengeance, as well as Se7en. Plus, because villains are fun, we touch on Wicked and Cruella. This episode was originally released for Season 1, in July 2024.

RE-RELEASE: The Princess Bride (1987) with Mónica Malavé

This episode is dedicated to Michele Singer Reiner and Rob Reiner, and was originally released for our 1st Season in February 2025. The Princess Bride, based on William Goldman’s book with a screenplay by William Goldman, is directed by Rob Reiner. “Romance, comedy, suspense, pirates, mystery, and a quest all blended into a single, action-packed movie? Inconceivable!” No, Vizzini, it exists, and it’s The Princess Bride.

Mortal Sin (2025) with Dr. George Ellis

Dr. George Ellis, who in addition to being a urologist, is a producer making films, getting them into festivals where he’s won plenty of awards. We talk about filmmaking as equal parts design thinking and social experimentation, and why as a producer it’s important to have a methodical approach. We discuss his new film Mortal Sin, why theaters matter, and we touch on the Warner Brothers and Netflix deal.

Predator (1987) with Jesse Shoffstall

“It came for the thrill of the hunt. It picked the wrong man to hunt.” Predator (1987) features Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Bill Duke, Sonny Landham, and was directed by John McTiernan (who also directed Die Hard). One by one, the predator hunts and massacres soldiers, and eventually kills a rescue team led by Schwarzenegger’s Dutch. Today’s guest was so fascinated by the movie that watching it wasn’t enough, he had to bring it into the real world, as a playable table-top game. Jesse Shoffstall is a graphic designer who received his design degree from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina. When he’s not doing design work, playing games, or re-watching 1987’s Predator, you’ll find Jesse sitting quietly, listening to death metal through his AirPods.

RE-RELEASE: Prey (2022) with Diane Faye Zerr

What am I thankful for this holiday season? Dan Trachtenberg’s Prey from 2022. Diane Faye Zerr, who has never been a Predator fan, talks about how much she enjoyed 2022’s Prey, savoring every minute of Naru in action, “She doesn’t have assault rifles, she doesn’t have grenades,” says Diane. We also talk about the next movie in the saga, the recently released Predator: Badlands, starring Elle Fanning. Plus, dogs in movies, rights of passage for heroes, sequels as pure money makers, 1979’s Alien, the erstwhile smoking sections in theaters, and Alien: Earth. This episode was recorded in October 2024, released last year for Season 1.

Predator: Badlands (2025) with makeup designer Susie Glass

The 2025 Predator: Badlands movie takes the Predator and Yautja mythology into a new, unforeseen realm. Dek, who’s ridiculed, persecuted, and then banished from his family, winds up on a strange planet where he befriends a synthetic organism played by Elle Fanning, known as Thia. She has a punk look with a new wave, futuristic charm. Thia and Dek team up to battle monsters and the greedy, evil Weyland-Yutani Corporation, with Elle playing a second synthetic organism known as Tessa. Susie Glass, makeup designer on Badlands, talks about the concepts behind the characters, early mornings on set, the importance of teamwork, and why caring for the actors is of the utmost importance.

The Happy Film (2016) with Stefan Sagmeister

In the 2016 documentary The Happy Film, designer Stefan Sagmeister started the film’s creative process with one set of expectations and ultimately became a co-director who took multiple risks, and suffered a tremendous loss. During the filmmaking, co-director Hillman Curtis passed away. Stefan’s movie about happiness not only forces us to look at his life but also our own lives with a fresh perspective, and it teaches us the importance of coping with harsh, tragic, and unforeseen realities.

Wrapping Up 2025

Movies and guests coming soon! Stefan Sagmeister who talks about his documentary The Happy Film (2006), plus plenty of other awesome guests COMING SOON! Visit us on Amazon or Apple or Spotify, and SUBSCRIBE to get our latest episodes!