“We Need It Tomorrow.”

Film and television sets move fast. Faster than most people realize.
We spoke with Monica, a New York–based set decorator whose recent credits include Tow, Daredevil: Born Again, and New Amsterdam, about how she approaches artwork sourcing, why art clearance can make or break a production day, and what she actually looks for in a film and TV art rental partner.

On the Reality of Production Right Now

How has the industry shifted in recent years?

“It’s been up and down and up and down. Around the strike and post-streaming, productions want more. What used to be done with five people, we have to do with three now. What we used to do with that amount of money, we have to do less. And it still has to look great.”

For the art department, that pressure is constant.
“Every single time it’s a discussion. If we do it practically or if we do it in VFX. Practical takes labor. VFX feels fast, but it costs more. There’s always that balance.”

And yet, she is clear about one thing.
“When there’s so much computer-generated work, it’s nice to have real things. Practical elements ground the show.”
Art is one of those grounding elements.

What a Set Decorator Actually Does

For those outside the industry, Monica explains the art department structure simply.
“The production designer works with the director and cinematographer to establish the visual language of a project. The art director manages construction, fabrication, paint, the drawings, the floor plans.”

And the set decorator?
“The decorator deals with everything you see and you don’t touch.”
Floors. Walls. Lighting. Furniture. Environmental details. And critically, artwork.
“You start with the bones. What’s the floor? What’s the wall finish? What’s the hardware? That takes weeks of sampling and back and forth.”

Only after the structural layer is approved does the storytelling layer begin.
“Then you get into “what’s the art?” What are we adding for the character? It’s the snapshots that tell you who this person is in their environment.”
For a set decorator, artwork is narrative architecture.

Why Artwork Is the Most Complicated Layer

Furniture is functional. Wallpaper is aesthetic. But artwork carries authorship.
“Art is always a really complicated conversation. It’s personal to the production designer. It becomes personal to the decorator. And you’re trying to make a lot of people happy.”

Then there’s clearance. For film and TV art rentals, clearance is not optional. It is structural.
“With art, you get into the tricky part. The clearances. You have to have permission to use it. That’s very unique to art.”

And the timeline shifts everything.
“When we have time, we can send things back and forth to legal. But once we’re shooting, there’s no time. It has to be right away.”
“We are filming and preparing at the same time. Your prep time gets cut in half. That’s when you end up saying, ‘We need a piece there tomorrow.’”
For anyone in artwork sourcing, that sentence is familiar.

Working with Curina on Daredevil: Born Again

When the Daredevil Set Decoration team first reached out to Curina, it was exploratory. Monica had seen the platform while sourcing art for another show and decided to test it under real production conditions.
“At first I was like, I don’t know. Are they really going to come through?”

Then the responses started coming in.
“You guys were getting back to us at seven at night. We were like, okay, this is great.”

The turning point was clearance.
“We were like, but will they sign? And then it was like, here it is. Signed. I was like, okay.”

For a set decorator, that moment changes everything.
“It means we could just start using the website without hesitation. Like, that’s a vendor. Good to go.”

The Power of Digital Files in Film & TV Art Rentals

One of the most critical parts of a set decorator’s workflow is access to high resolution digital files.
“If we can get the file, we can replicate the piece pretty quickly in house. Our production team can print on canvas. Resize it. Frame it. Quickly.”

But the flexibility goes beyond speed.
“If we have the high resolution file, I can use it anywhere. If we’re shooting in New York, great. If we’re shooting in London, great. If we’re shooting somewhere else entirely, it doesn’t matter. I’m not limited by geography.”

As production increasingly shifts overseas, access to licensed digital artwork fundamentally changes the equation for set decorators.

How Set Decorators Actually Search for Art

Yes,  set decorators can use Curina’s platform for artwork sourcing.
But searching for art is rarely linear.
“You’re looking for something so personal. You need a lot of keywords. A lot of tags. Sometimes I just scroll through everything so I don’t miss something. If I’m in pre-production, I’ll scroll all day.”

Once filming starts, the equation changes.
“If we need something right away and everybody’s swamped, we can’t scroll forever. Sometimes it’s easier to say, ‘We need something like this,’ and have the vendor suggest options.”

“Curina is willing to move quickly on your end when we ask for help. Minutes after reaching out about a new project, you quickly connected with our team about having a chat and reached out to artists for more samples–all within an afternoon! That is such a strong part of your business.”
For film and TV art rentals, curation can be as important as inventory.

Final Thoughts for Set Decorators and Designers

At the end of our conversation, Monica distilled what matters most in long-term vendor relationships.
“It’s the shorthand. We appreciate the service. We appreciate the hustle.”

And about working with Curina specifically:
“It was such a weight off my shoulder. I was like, okay, we can do this. And then I can move on to the next thing.”

In film and television production, that feeling is everything. When the schedule is tight and the clearance has to be signed, you do not need more options. You need a partner who understands production.