Building the Wizarding World

How production designer Mara LePere-Schloop brings TV scripts to life

December 2026/January 2027

by Kim Tranell

Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for IMDb

Mara LePere-Schloop

A specific soap from 1991. Lollipops shaped like slugs. An entire forest of ancient-looking trees. What do these things have in common?

They all had to be found—or created—to bring HBO’s new Harry Potter TV show to life. And Mara LePere-Schloop is the person in charge.

Mara is a production designer for film and TV. It’s her job to take a script and figure out how the story should look and feel on-screen. This includes everything from choosing props to building sets. We talked to her about how she gets it done.

A set is the place where a show is filmed. It can be real or built.

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Mara’s first step was to dig into the scripts and the books they were based on.

This sounds like a BIG job. How do you do it all?

Luckily, it’s not just me! As production designer, I oversee a show’s entire art department. On Harry Potter, that includes more than 1,200 people. There are artists who draw out our plans. There are construction workers, painters, and set decorators. There are people who find props. There are graphic designers who create books and banners for sets. There are people who make furniture. I have to rely on my many different teams.

What’s the first thing you do when you’re hired for a show or movie?

I spend several weeks doing research. Harry Potter takes place in Scotland and England in the 1990s. So, for example, I had to figure out: What did everyday buildings look like at the time? What would Hogwarts (the young wizards’ boarding school) look like since it was built in 990 a.d.?

What does a typical day look like for you?

No two days are ever the same! I might start the day with the construction team, looking at what they’re building. Then I might visit a set before filming starts to make sure everything is in place. From there I might go back to my office for meetings about upcoming sets and scenes.

Did you always want to do this work?

Growing up, I was part of the Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit. It had a technical theater program. Starting at 11, I was designing sets and learning about lighting design. I later studied architecture in school. But before long, I found my way back to set design. I can’t imagine a job that would make me happier.