What's your background and why do you want to work in film?I was born and raised in suburban Pennsylvania about an hour outside of Philadelphia. With little to do and not much around, movies quickly became a source of everlasting joy. It wasn't until later that it occured to me that film was an actual industry. Movies as a job. Fantastic. Before that moment came I had been preparing for a career in the fine arts, but when it came time to pick a college and a major and a life -- I knew charcoal wasn't going to cut it. The best part about film for me is the world -- the setting, the costumes, the fantasy. That's why when learning about the different aspects of film, I was inherently drawn in the artistic direction -- to production design.
Explain what a production designer does and what they bring to a film.
The production designer is responsible for the visual look of the film. They head the art department, which includes sets, costumes, props, visual effects -- basically everything within the world of the script. They are there to ensure that the director's vision comes to life and is fully created for the screen. A production designer should have a strong sense of design, color theory, practical construction knowledge, and some art and architectural history background. Production design supports a film in the authenticity of the world, its character and story arcs, and ultimately the production designer brings a more style-driven approach to the collaboration.
Why did you want to do production design for Inspiration?
Inspiration is a wonderful opportunity to create the personal spaces of characters whom I feel I know and care about. The people in this story are themselves studiers and makers of art. Their environment is unique in that everything around them is literally up for grabs... for inspiration : ) The world each of them creates is both highly personal and also highly visual. It's exciting to play with color and texture and the personal styles of each character. It's also fun to think of how Claire would put her room together -- nothing is more sacred to a 10 year old girl than her bedroom. The story is so thoughtful in its portrayal of these relationships that it pushes the design to be equally expressive.
What would be your dream film or story to design for?
The most exciting films to design for are ones that take the audience out of their ordinary environment. Period pieces, epics, fantasy worlds -- things that are stylized in such a way that you can really let your imagination run wild. Needlees to say my dream story for the perfect production design situation would probably involve a change in scenery.
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