C A R M E N N A V I S
“Storytelling starts with space. Design is how we shape a world before anyone says a word.”
Carmen Navis is a production designer known for creating emotionally resonant, character-driven environments across film, television, and commercial work. Her design process is rooted in a deep sensitivity to space, tone, and atmosphere, guided by the belief that environments carry emotional weight and psychological impact.
Carmen’s creative path began in commercial art and creative writing, which laid the groundwork for her storytelling instincts. She attended the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design on scholarship, where she shifted from traditional design to industrial sculpture and performance installation. This exploration of materiality, light, and space ultimately led her to filmmaking. After attending the George Lucas Summer Production Workshop at USC, she went on to earn her BA in Cinema Art and Science from Columbia College Chicago.
Carmen first made her mark in the commercial world as a set decorator on major campaigns such as Beats by Dre, Nike, Samsung and Comcast. These projects helped her develop a streamlined, scalable design process that balances creative vision with the demands of large teams and high-profile clients. In 2017, she received an Art Directors Guild nomination for Nike: Equality in the category of Excellence in Production Design for Short Format Music Videos and Commercials as a set decorator.
Known for her conceptual clarity, attention to detail, and collaborative leadership, Carmen works closely with both creators and producers to realize a project’s vision while staying within practical production parameters. She fosters a respectful, solutions-focused set culture and brings an emotionally intelligent, story-first mindset to every project.
Her recent work includes the A24 feature film If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You, which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival, where Rose Byrne received the Silver Bear for Best Actress, and is also an official selection at both Sundance and TIFF. Carmen also designed Mo Season 2 (Netflix/A24), which received widespread critical acclaim.
Carmen’s work has been featured in Perspective Magazine Indiewire, Architectural Digest and Cleveland Scene and she has appeared on industry podcasts including No Film School. She is represented by Worldwide Production Agency in both the US and UK.
US WPA FEATURES | LOUIZA VICK louiza@wp-a.com
US WPA TELEVISION | BRIAN GOLDBERG brian@wp-a.com
UK WPA FEATURES + TELEVISION | AMBER THOMPSON amber@wp-a.co.uk