In this episode of the Geektown Behind The Scenes podcast, we go behind the curtain of the Emmy-winning comedy-drama ‘Hacks‘, speaking with production designer Rob Tokarz about how he crafted the show’s unique visual style — from recreating Las Vegas glitz to building late-night talk show sets and taking Deborah Vance to Singapore.
Rob’s route into production design wasn’t a straight line. “I was going to teach painting. That was my plan,” he explains. “I was gonna get my MFA, I was gonna be a fine artist… and then the second weekend of school a third-year student came and said, ‘I’m working on a student film. Is anyone interested?’”
That student film led him into TV and film work, including Parks and Recreation, Ray Donovan, Ford v Ferrari, and Bumblebee. He joined ‘Hacks’ as an art director for season two, before becoming production designer partway through season three. “It’s one of those rare moments where you get to work on a show that you really are a fan of,” Rob says.
Designing Singapore for Deborah Vance in Hacks Season 4
Season four saw Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) travel to Singapore, presenting unique challenges for the production design team. “We were in Singapore, I think a total of 12 days,” Rob recalls. “It felt like this East Asian fever dream at times… We were just there in these strange places at odd hours, completely flipped around on the clock.”
The theatre for Deborah’s stand-up gig was particularly memorable. “We needed it to feel like a Deborah Vance show, but in Singapore. I found this reference of a Chinese model in front of all this red on red with lanterns… I loved the idea of using red — it’s lucky, it’s culturally significant. So we built this half-circle backing behind her, covered in fabric. It was spectacular.”
Creating Deborah’s Late-Night Talk Show Stage
One of Rob’s biggest achievements was designing Deborah’s late-night talk show set. “We have to nod to the institution. It has to feel like a late-night show… but it also has to feel like our show, it has to be Hacks, and it has to be Deborah Vance.”
The set included a skyline representing Deborah’s journey: “We created a skyline behind her that shows Las Vegas moving into Los Angeles,” Rob says. “The header traces the top of the stage, which nods to Johnny Carson’s 1972 set. We even ran almost a thousand feet of LEDs through the set. It needed that Vegas sparkle.”
Rebuilding After the Altadena Wildfires
The Altadena mansion used for Deborah’s home was tragically destroyed in the California wildfires. “We’d been there for seasons. You really get to know people — their grandkids, their dogs. Luckily, they were safe, but it was a really sad loss.”
From that devastation came something positive: ScoutPhotos.org, a resource created by production teams to provide homeowners with photos and floor plans for insurance claims. “It feels minor,” Rob says, “but it helps.”
The Craft of Production Design on Hacks
From turning Jimmy and Kayla’s office into a believable modular space to building a 24-by-16-foot pool for just two shots, Rob shares the demanding reality of TV production design. “You don’t always get to make the perfect thing,” he admits. “You have to find the best acceptable. I try to do as close to the A-plus every single time.”
This is a must-listen for fans of ‘Hacks’ and anyone fascinated by the work behind the camera.
Listen to the full interview below on the Geektown Behind The Scenes podcast. Also available on all major platforms.
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