Q. For those that might not be in the video production or film industry, can you tell us what production design is and what it entails?
A. Production Design, in short, is the creation of the physical environment on a set. A Production Designer works closely with the Director, Writer, and Producer in imagining up and organizing the world that is to be portrayed on camera. That world includes locations, props, wardrobe, hair and makeup.
Everything that will be seen on camera must be accounted for by the Production Designer through extensive research to establish the overall mood and tone of the project. If it’s a period piece, the locations, props, and wardrobe must all fit into that time period in order to make it believable.
Even if it’s a commercial piece, the Production Designer must decide what colors, props and settings best portray the product or business being represented. The design of a production is crucial in executing a visual story.
Q. Where did you get your degree and what are some of the positives and negatives of your film school experience?
A. I graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) with my Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in 2018. I chose UTA because its Film Department is placed within the Arts Department instead of being “communications” focused.
Being able to communicate is the first step in telling a story, but transforming that story into something visual and tangible for the receiver is an art.
Because of how small the film department was, we were able to work with our instructors on even the most minute of details. As much as we were submerged in the importance of developing a strong story through screenwriting, cinematography, editing and directing, there were several important focuses that didn’t have classes dedicated to them.
Production Design wasn’t even offered until my last year, so I ended up having to learn on my own. Apart from the technical aspects of production, film school acted as a built-in networking sphere. Through the entirety of film school, you rely on your peers. They’re your crew. The people I started Freshman year with are the people I would trust most to work with today.
As much curriculum as we went through, we also taught each other. Streaming countless YouTube videos and watching a plethora of movies, we finessed ways of making things work on a set. Even if it wasn’t the “technical” way of doing things.
Q. How can production design elevate a project?
A. Not only does production design make a world believable to the viewer, it also makes it believable to the talent working on that set. Everything within the frame of the camera will influence the viewer. There is scientific evidence that even certain colors can change people’s moods. So the color scheme chosen for a set can take someone from excited to melancholy with one decision.
Having a design for your production means creating an environment that your viewers can be pulled into. It’s the difference between talking with your audience versus talking at them. Everything within the design of a set will influence the talent.
When the Production Designer researches and executes the creation of the story’s environment, an actor can be even further submerged into the world of their character.
When a set is staged with just the right props in the perfect location, a product is displayed to its fullest potential and a speaker can feel comfortable to utilize the space at a new level.
Q. What is one of your favorite projects to work on?
A. I recently worked on a narrative short film about a little girl learning to cope with the loss of her father. I carefully sketched out each location of the character’s home to make sure each room portrayed a piece of the story. Even if the viewer doesn’t understand the tiny sentiments of backstory, the talent will. When I drew up the ideas for the girl’s room, I thought of how the actors might move around it in each scene. “In scene 5, her mom will be coming in to talk with her before bed. I should give her a prop that allows her to feel more organic in the space.” So I placed a pair of socks on the floor that the actress could go in, pick up, and roll into a fold as a mother might when she notices something out of order. Even though it isn’t written in the script, the actor might benefit from having something to do with her hands. Most of the room was a “hot set”, meaning that no one is allowed to touch or move anything for continuity purposes, but there were a few items scattered that could be moved or broken if talent felt it added to their performance. Some of my favorite projects have been creating spaces that allow actors to feel as though they’re immersed in the worlds of their characters.