Opleiding: Middlebury College, VT; Columbia (English).
Hij ontwierp de kostuums voor vier Alan Parker films voor promoveerde tot art director met zijn stijlvolle psychodrama, Angel Heart (1987). Zea heeft sinds dien gewerkt als production designer aan films bij Jonathan Demme en Martin Scorsese.

Hij heeft meegewerkt aan:
1978 Interiors design coordinator
1980 Fame costume design
1981 Endless Love costume design
1981 Tattoo costume design
1982 Shoot the Moon costume design
1983 Exposed costume design
1983 Lovesick costume design
1983 Terms of Endearment costume design
1984 Beat Street costume design
1984 Best Defense costume design
1984 Birdy costume design
1984 The Little Drummer Girl costume design—Diane Keaton
1984 Unfaithfully Yours costume design
1985 Silverado costume design
1986 Dead End Kids costume design
1986 Lucas associate producer
1987 Angel Heart art director
1987 Broadcast News art director, associate producer
1988 Married to the Mob production designer
1989 Miss Firecracker production designer
1989 New York Stories production designer—"Life Lessons"
1990 Goodfellas production designer
1991 The Silence of the Lambs production designer
1991 The Super production designer
1992 Lorenzo's Oil production designer