Los Angeles is home to countless creative visionaries, and Swiss-Turkish filmmaker Michelle Kunzler is among its emerging talents. A New York Film Academy graduate, Kunzler has made her mark in production design, contributing to award-winning short films like The Ally (2024), Kool-Aid Stand (2024), and Sequoia (2024) and working with promising production companies like LORE Productions (Hunter) and MVPSTYLN Productions (White Coat).
Originally from Switzerland, Kunzler is recognized for her creativity, resourcefulness, and attention to detail. Her problem-solving skills have been crucial to successful productions. On White Coat, a biographical medical drama directed by renowned Persian director Roozbeh Kalabasi, she innovatively resolved the challenge of unavailable food for a dinner scene by creating fake soup using tea bags and creamer from the crafty table. Similarly, on Beyond Doubt (2024), Kunzler repurposed paper waste and wrapping paper to create modern wall art, effectively transforming a blank wall into a visually engaging backdrop with minimal resources.
Beyond short films, Kunzler’s versatility extends to commercial work. She collaborated with Ragland Reign Productions on Right on Top of That, a branded content ad for Almost Anything Inc., one of Los Angeles’ premier elite errand and personal assistant services.
Passionate about meaningful storytelling, Kunzler sees production design as more than just aesthetics. “For me, production design is where storytelling truly comes alive visually,” she explains. “It’s about more than creating beautiful sets—it’s about giving the story a soul, developing the characters, and immersing the audience.”
Yet, Kunzler can’t deny the joy in crafting visually stunning sets. She strives to one day design environments as breathtaking and imaginative as those in Poor Things, Barbie, or Wicked. With her own unique vision, Kunzler dreams of bringing to life whimsical, playful, and highly stylized sets filled with vibrant colors, contrasting textures, and intricate details.
Follow Michelle Kunzler on Instagram (@mck_movies) to stay updated on her work and upcoming projects.
