Cathy Whitlock, a film journalist who works for Architectural Digest and the Hollywood Reporter, joined WKU students in Jody Richards Hall Auditorium to speak about her new book, “Designs on Film: A Century of Hollywood Art Direction.”

One of the highlights of her career was getting her book published, something that she dedicated nearly 10 years of research to, Whitlock said.

“Probably one of my favorite interviews was Alfred Hitchcock’s designer, who lived to be about 100, I think it was 97 at the time I interviewed him,” Whitlock said. “I spent the afternoon in his house, just looking at all the sketches he and Hitchcock did together; North by Northwest and The Birds… just phenomenal.”

Whitlow said has had the opportunity to speak with big names in Hollywood through her career, including the likes of Syndey Poitier, Richard Gere, Robert Redford, and others.

The message she hopes her lecture encourages people who are interested in film and architecture to become involved in production design, and for others to support theaters.

“Support the theaters, let’s get back to going into movies again,” Whitlock said.  “There’s nothing like seeing a movie in the theater.  I saw the James Bond movie recently in the theater and it was just spectacular. Had I sat there and watched it at home on Netflix, that would never have been the same.”

Natalie Cushman, a Senior in the BFA program at WKU, said she enjoyed the lecture and that it is closely related to what she’d learned in her time at WKU.

“I’m a Production Design Specialist in thesis, and so the dream is to eventually—mostly work on independent films—but be a production designer and work in an art department full time,” Cushman said. 

Whitlock’s book is now available on Amazon.

Michael Dylan Payne can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @mdpayne_.