Final Evaluation

During the SDP unit I wanted to achieve some of the aspects that my CIC unit lacked, therefore I started by looking at my marking sheets from CIC to see how I could improve. The Mother Courage half of my CIC was closer to this unit than Battle for the Winds, however, something this lacked was considering the audience enough, which applies to film as the little details are definitely what matter. Having done a lot of set building for theatre I jumped at the chance to do production design for the Vampyr film. I worked on a graduate film earlier this year assisting with costumes, but was in awe of the work done by the art department; this was a perfect opportunity to try it myself.

I knew this unit was going to be a massive learning curve as this hasn’t been a project available for a costume student before, however I was determined to pull it off. I found working with the film department brilliant, the technicians were so helpful and were willing to collect props for me and spare some time to explain a few starting points. At times I felt I struggled during this project as the costume department doesn't specialise in production design, therefore I felt I didn’t have much guidance on how I could go about starting to build the set as I had never done anything like this before. I know this unit is titled self directed; however it seemed at times I was working with the film department not the costume department. However costume tutors did show their interest when they saw me and were on set, and when I did approach them with questions they were very willing to answer and help as much as they could.

I was very lucky and appreciative of two second year production designers on the film course who offered to help me during my build, having built sets before, they were able to show me how to erect the flats correctly and safely. It was also an awkward time to find a team to help me with the build as everyone I asked either had hand-ins, an extension with a lot of work to do, or were leaving to go home for summer. I managed to get a small team together, mainly consisting of film students and we got the work done, a few people did let me down, and it became clear how much longer work takes on your own to complete.

During this unit I have definitely picked up many new skills including being able to set up film flats, wallpapering and making items look real for the shot needed instead of spending a lot of money for the real item, the prime example being the four poster bed. Being on set allowed me to appreciate how much time is needed to set up lighting and frame the shot before shooting, patience is key in film, as the camera team don’t like to be rushed. Working along side a Director is also crucial in film; they are the person who makes all the final decisions above everyone else. I learnt this as the director took out the coffin from the vampire’s lair as he thought it gave a comical look to the set, this made me realise sometimes you have to take a step back and see their point of view in order to get a better result.  A moment of panic was when the extra room was added a week before filming and I had to work out how to convert the 18^th century bedroom into a 2012 bedroom in a short period of time. This made me think on my feet and I had to get it right as a colour scheme was given to me and I knew the director had a certain image in his head. The director was very reassuring that he was confident in my ability to create the new set in the time given; this helped me to deliver what was asked of me.

Something which I have learnt is that you have to create a space and be aware that all of your work may not be in shot, but it is important that it is available for the camera team to use if the shot list gets changed. Continuity on set is similar to costume especially where drapes and fabric are concerned, I just remembered to always have my camera on me, and be quick to take photos in-between takes. This was also the biggest budget I have been in control of spending, I managed to keep on top of thing, and ended the project under budget, which I am proud of.

Overall this project has been so exciting I loved working as production designer on this film shoot, it was an educational experience and I have learnt so much. Working with the film department was great practice for me as they were very helpful and understanding. I would love to do a project like this again, and this has confirmed my incling that I want to work in set design and building over costume.

Striking

Today was very demanding especially in the 24 degree heat, all the same , the set had to be taken down, and the studio cleared. We started with the floor tiles, and pealed off the plastic sheeting, next we took off any loose pieces of wallpaper so the flats had a cleaner feel to them. We moved onto taking tht flats apart and stacking the braces and weights. Finally all the furniture was stored into one courner, the bed dismantled and taken away and the lino rolled up. Props and materials were taken up to the costume store, and sourced props were loaded into my car. The studio was left looking clean and the remaining furniture for the Acting prop store was left in the courner ready for collected on monday.

Shooting Exterior

 Today my job was slightly less demanding however still it was crucial I did the work. I was racking sand inbetween shots to make sure footprints were covered over, and also removing any modern debree from the sand for the 18th century shots. Shells also had to be moved from a large part of the beach as the vampires had to run bare footed down to the water. I also blocked off certain areas of the beach so that we could use them later to film, I did this by simply strategically placing deck chairs and parasols where we later wanted to be.  I had a team of helpers and I felt the day went very well.

Shooting Interiors

We started with the 18th century bedroom. I had to check for continuity of the bed sheets inbetween takes and make sure the drapes were in the correct place. Pillows also had to be moved a lot and the covers were changed in each scene to the final shot where Babooshka was dead.

Next we shot the contemporary bedroom, I managed to do the change over in under 40 minutes which was great, and allowed the camera crew and director more time for shooting. I am really pleased with how the bedroom turned out, it was just as the Director had explainned to me, and I stuck to the colour scheme well. It transformed the space completely but the bed was the incling of the same room which the Director also wanted.

Finally we ended this day with shooting the Lair, this was always going to be a demanding few hours and a patient few at that. However what we could never have predicted was the weather, and it was a scorching 24 degrees. The priortiy was to keep the actors hydrated and feeling well, and to get the ideal shots in the quickest amount of time possible. I was to watch continuity of the burning candles, and also when furniture was moved I had to mark where it needed to go back to. A key scene in the Lair was with the perfume girls, where they tipped scented oil onto Babooshka's letters, the Director was very keen on this scene being perfect, understanabley so, therefore I had to go and print some more copies of the letters for the girls to rehearse with.

Today was a massive learning curve for me, I have been on film shoots before but never doing the continuity of the set. I thouroughly enjoyed it all and am excited for tomorrow at the beach!

2 Days before shooting

Today I concentrated on getting in all the main props from the Acting prop store.

• Fireplace
• Chair
• Writing desk
• Old Books
• Candel holders
• Boxes to make chaise - longue

This is what the set looked like a day before rehearsals

Sourcing

Today I went and bought all the new props for the 2012 bedroom :

• 8 perfume bottles
• Drapes to diguise the walls
• Black vase
• White fake flowers
• Grey/ black bedding
• Timbre to support the drapes

Building - DAY 2

Making the bed

The image below taken from my sketchbook explains how I made the bed.

The image above is how I made the courner drapes for the bed, rouching the fabric and then staple gunning it in place.

This image shows what stage the bed had got to by the end of building day 2.

continued..

These are the floor tiles, the first year costume students previously made them, however as you can see in the first image they were very bright, I therefore dulled them down with a black glaze.

Building DAY 1

As the Lair flats were up from last night, I decided we should start papering it straight away, this was a learning curve, as I had never wall papered before, however, two friends from film who are on production design taught me the easiest way, and I was soon confident and happy with the result. During papering floor tiles were being put down with double sided tape and then washed over with a black glaze to dull down the bright colours a bit.

These images show the 3 stages of making the wall texture, first was a mid grey tone painted all over, next a lighter and darker tone were applied using cut out rollers, so a dappled sponge effect was seen. Finally an off yellow/grey tone was used in certain areas, to hightlight the room and make it look more like concrete. 

 

 

We then moved on to the other room, we errected the flats and started wallpering and painting.

Changes made

The director made some changes to the set by adding a modern 2012 bedroom, he decided when polishing the script that this was key and it was needed to explain the storyline better. I therefore had to find ways to convert this wallpapered 18th century bedroom into a modern day room, also the time frame in which I will have to do this is not very long.

Will Young's view is the style of bedroom the director suggested I looked at, also the colour scheme as well. I need to over the weekend look for a grey bed set, modern props, maybe a vase and fake flowers, and also a way to diguise the green wallpaper. This is going to be a push for time as I am building tomorrow and only have 4 working days until shooting.

Errecting the Flats

Today I went to Film Studio 2, and started errecting the flats in preparation for the build tomorrow. It was a struggle at first to get to grips with it, however it became easier as it went on, and with the help of two second year Film students, it was done in no time. We only managed to get the Lair up today, as we are waiting for more flats from studio 3 to be brought over tomorrow. I also had to do a risk assesment form and hand it into the Film department to make sure it was all alright for building, especially with burning candels and smoke alarms.

Buying

This week I went shopping for all the materials I needed to start the build, this included:

• Paint for bedroom Sage Green
• Embossed wallpaper
• Lining paper for Lair
• Black paint
• White paint
• Paste
• Paste Brushes
• Paint Brushes
• Rollers
• Black Fur for rugs
• Black drape fabric for curtains
• Sanding block for rough edges on flats
• Cushions for the Lair

I will also need to get a few more tihngs during building.

Designs in the Making

The 18th Century Bedroom

The Lair

Plan view

Meeting with the Director

After meeting with the Director a few alterations were made to my design, he informed me that most shots would be from mid to tight therefore I decided to cut the dressing table from my design as it wouldn't be seen and it would be a waste of my budget for very little screen time if any. Originally I had the writing desk to the left hand side of my Lair, the director liked the idea of fake windows with big black drapes infront, withthe desk there, to excentuate the fact vampires can't be in day light. He also mentioned he wanted a boudoir area, so I moved the fireplace to the left hand side where the desk originally was and then I have designed an area with rugs and cushions for the vampires to lie down. Around the bed the director suggested having a see through, chiffon or organza fabric so that some shots could be taken through this. Overall he seemed pleased with the way my work was heading, and he trusted my opinion. I am now happy to carry on and the I understand why the changes were made, they will make the set look better, and the shots will be more asthetically pleasing.

Props List

I need to pinpoint exactly what I want to source for both interior locations so I am not just buying random items, and I can keep tabs on what I have and need to purchase:-

Vampire's Lair:

Furniture                                                                            

• Victorian Writing Desk                                          
• Chaise-longue
• Fireplace
• Chair
• Large mirror
• Babooshka's chair
• Coffins x2
• Rugs x6

Handheld

• Quill
• Letters
• Candels
• Candelabras
• Drapes
• Netting
• Old books

Victorian Bedroom:

Furniture

• Four poster bed
• Upholstered chair
• Dressing table
• Bedside table
• Paintings x2
• Wallpaper
• Lino Flooring

Handheld

• Mirror box
• China trinkets
• Organza drapes
• Bedding - make sure it doesn't drown costume colour

I need to start sourcing these items, I am going to start by looking in AUCB's Film and Acting prop stores, as the less I have to pay for the more of my budget I can use on wallpaper and fabric for draping which will be expensive.

What to take forward from my research....

I need to find the key items first and try to spend as little money as possible will a budget of £500 and having to find some authentic items, e.g writing desk and four poster bed. I have learnt so far that wallpaper and paint are far more expensive than I expected and also that I think the majority of my budget will go on these two things as well as draping fabric.

Wallpaper Research

I went to several hardware stores to see what period wallpaper they had and their prices.

These wallpaper's are all of a cream and gold colour scheme, however none are quite suited to my brief, also they are all too distracting with several colours and also the gold glitter on the last one is too over powering. I need to look for a plain paper I can then paint to the colour I prefer.

These two prints are ideal, I tested both colours to see which I prefered and I loved the large leaf print with the Fern Green paint, also the Easter Morn colour was nice and would tie in well with the gold and cream theme of the room. However I decided on the Fern Green and the large leaf embossed wallpaper. Later meeting with the Costume Designer she suggested I took the tone of the paint down a notch so it was slightly less bright. I took her advice on board and when buying I decided to get the Sage Green instead.

Colour Scheme

Victorian Bedroom - I want this to be more natural, pure, neutral, pastel and calm. Using my research I decided on light colours and these are some swatches I've found.

Vampire's Lair - The lair is to be dark, gothic and rich in colour, here are some colour swatches I want to try.

Furniture for the Lair

The Lair  - Key feature - WRITING DESK

The key shot in this location is when Babooshka is writing letters to her x lover and she is surrounded by all her minion vampire's. I am going for a gothic, dark, ladies boudoir look for the lair. I need to concentrate on the colour scheme as well, and I do not want to reveal the colour red, other than the costumes and then in the final scene on the beach.

I have researched some writing desks which could be suitable in the lair, I think they are good colour wise and are historically accurate.

 The colour of this wood is perfect, I love the dark tone to it and the green marble top compliments it so well. The added draws on top add levels as well which the camera can work well with. The general look of it is sophisticated, but grand as well.

 This piece is much more plain, the colour is slightly lighter, but it has lovely shaped legs, and could add more angles to the lair.  I said before how I wanted the lair to be created into a space not to just look like 4 walls and a room.

 This piece is similar to the first one in colour, and I like the side panels as well.

This piece is lovely too but a bit too light in colour.











I need to look in antique shops for items like this as they will be far too much to buy, so hopefully I can rent them.

The Director also wanted a Chaise - longue in the Lair. I think this is a perfect idea as the actors' can lay across the chaise - longue and use it to show off their costumes from different heights and angles.

I love all of these styles, and  I deliberatley picked the right colours that I am thinking of trying to find. The purple piece in particular stands out to me, I want the rich padded effect that is seen on the one closest above as well. I need look in antique shops but also online as they aren't a common piece of furniture.

The writing desk and chaise-longue are the key pieces of furniture I need in the Lair, however, I do also want to look into a fireplace and handheld props including candelabras, drapes and old books.

Furniture for the Bedroom

I want the Lair to look Gothic and Underworld like, where as the bedroom to look quaint and as Victorian as possible.  This week I started researching the furniture and was able to get an idea of what I want in each set.

The Bedroom - key feature = BED

Here I've just selected a few images that caught my attention online which I may try and find or replicate.

This bed is the key feature of this room, as is crucial that it is authentic and holds some historical accuracy.  The main shot in this room, is when Babooshka has been bitten and is having a ceasure as she turns into a Vampire. I need the bedroom to look calm and neutral, so that the change to the lair is dramatic. However, my concern is that to hire an antique Victorian four poster bed could cost up to as much as £300 excluding transport. Therefore I need to explore other options.

One I thought of was to use an existing bed and build up the four posts and then dress them with fabric so that the timbre would be hidden. Another possibility  would be to use something like this found on the B&Q website, it is usually used as the last pole of a bannister for a stair case but would work perfectly, and could be seen as it's nicely carved.

Along with the bed I will also want other items to make it look like a whole bedroom, for example a dressing table and bedside table. As well as an upholstered chair, maybe a balloon back chair, which was a common chair in the Victorian era. There are some images below:

I then looked into existing chairs to see what fabrics were used to upholster the chairs with as well as the variety in size and shape.

Both these chairs are very different in style, but the over all balloon back shape is similar. Both are a green one paler than the other, I think I am looking for a more pastle fabric to contrast the later rich coloured lair.

These two rose and cream chairs are more the colour pallet I'm looking at. They would fit in well with my pastel Victorian bedroom. So I need to get sourcing!

I also need to show that it is a Victorian bedroom not just a room with a bed, therefore I may include a dressing table and bedside table as well. This will allow the camera to have more intestering shots, and makes the room more homely.

Dressing tables/ Bedside tables

I love this style of dressing table, this is obviously a modern day replica, however if I could find a white painted Victorian style similar to this, it would be perfect. I want the bedroom to look light, clean, pure and natural. The white furniture would complete this look so well.

These two tables are a darker wood and more traditional. However I want the lair furniture to be dark, so want to avoid these if possible for the bedroom.

These are the main pieces of furniture I need to consider. However flooring, painting and ornaments will have to be looked at nearer the time, for now I need to source and locate the key furniture.