Meet four from Maryland making 'House of Cards,' 'Veep' come to life

When Emmy Award nominations were announced last month, two Maryland-made series were front and center in the news.

HBOs Veep and the Netflix drama House of Cards made the short list for best comedy and drama, respectively, with a pack of other nominations for writers, directors and stars. Almost all the coverage mine included was about Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright.

But there were other nominations announced at the same time in the creative arts category nominations that didnt get nearly as much attention.

Yet they tell a more important story, at least in a local sense. They show what a talented, experienced and largely unheralded production community Maryland has, with some of the most accomplished people in film and TV calling this area home.

We talked to four Maryland residents working on House of Cards and Veep who are nominated for the creative arts Emmys that will be handed out this Saturday in Los Angeles. The Emmy Awards telecast will be broadcast live Aug. 25 on NBC.

Tiffany Zappulla, set decorator, House of Cards

This is not TV, Tiffany Zappulla, the set decorator on House of Cards, says of the political thriller set in Washington. We do make a movie every 20 days. And any single chapter if you put it on the big screen would hold its own against any cinematic production.

Zappulla, a Baltimore native and graduate of Garrison Forest School, has worked on prestigious productions before. She was also set decorator for the second season of Veep, which won an Art Directors Guild award for an episode set in Finland that was largely filmed at the Engineers Club in Baltimore.

But this is her first Emmy nomination, and she says its exciting.

It really is, and part of that is the fact that this is truly, certainly from my standpoint, a Maryland-made nomination, she says. Im a native Marylander. My crew is primarily all native to Maryland. My vendors, my local craftsmen are all Maryland. Im really proud to say that, and I think people dont always recognize the level and scope of the talent here in the state.

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Meet four from Maryland making 'House of Cards,' 'Veep' come to life