Production Design and Architecture: Two Parallels?

Contents

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01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09

Preface & Introduction pg. 04

The Art of Story-telling pg. 08

Architectural Skill Sets pg. 18

Skill Sets of a Production Designer pg. 24

Swinging into Production Design pg. 30

What’s an Architect’s USP? pg. 34

Conclusion pg. 40

Individual Reflection pg. 42

Bibliography pg. 44

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01. Preface

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Fig. 1: The Ultra-Modern House featured in the movie Parasite Source:(Wallace, 2020)

“How did we get here and where are we going?”

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete” - R. Buckminster Fuller, Architect

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would like to approach this question by considering the variety of choice that architecture profession offers. Since it comes under the huge umbrella of creative professions. We find a lot of places where one creative professional’s roles overlap with that of other professional. The reason, for me, is very straightforward. Architects are responsible for one of the main necessities of survival i.e SHELTER. We see a similar diversity and overlap with all professional working in the food and clothing field.

With providing Shelter as a main necessity, there comes a lot of potential for creative exploration due to the demands of various users. With time, there has been a massive demand for architects outside of the mainstream, traditional practice of architecture (McDowell, 2020).

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Business Administration

Architectural Business and Management

Construction Management

Building Engineering and Management

Regional Planning

Traffic and Transport Planning

Environmental Planning

Urban Planning

Building Information Modelling

Architects

Housing

als

Urban Design

sion

Architectural Conservation

rofe s

Landscape Architecture

nP

Architecture

sig

Interior Design

Exhibition Design

Production & Set Design

Furniture Design

Product Design

Graphic Design and Visual Communications

CGI and Animation

VFX and Software Programming

De ce ien nals c S io g, erin rofess e n i Eng ess P in & Bus

Fig. 2: Pendulum Effect of Architecture

(Pvpcoapuneblog.blogspot.com, 2015)

Fig. 3: A still from the movie ‘The Irishman’ Source:(Whitlock, 2020)

Author’s Note

T “Architecture is the picture frame and not the picture itself” - William Wurster, Architect

he diagram alongside explains the position of Architecture in the Design profession and the scope of architects to swing into other professions which may seem to be parallel to each other but can be said to be converging at the same point i.e. the focus of the pendulum string. Production Design has evolved tremendously due to increase in platforms of visual representation and also due to radical demands from a variety of audiences. According to the magazine Inside Design, Production Design is now one of the highest paid design fields with an advantage of offering almost maximum use of the professional’s creative potential (Rein, 2018).

This essay talks about the similarities between production design and architecture and suggests why it can be a future potential specialization career for architects.

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02. The Art of Story Telling

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Fig. 4: A still from the set of Sherlock Holmes Source:(Spencer, 2009)

provide an anecdote of how much the community was influenced by these media. With a deeper understanding of technology, surroundings and environment, the knowledge of architecture, painting and literature evolved. These became a way of expression of thought processes that could influences masses. (Fig 5 shows the origins of various media and their evolution). Growth occurred in the ways in which the theatre and drama performances were designed. Large scale painting backdrops, beginning of detailed set design and well-defined scripts became highly regarded.

Introduction

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ll forms of communication media today, such as art, theatre, literature, cinema, etc. all began due to the idea of story telling.

In pre-historical times, sign language and broken voice imitations were the basic forms of communication. Slowly, oral communication through languages developed. And as man’s knowledge of its culture, civilization and way of life improved, humans started the process of documenting and cherishing their life through various media.

Post industrial revolution, there was a boom in the cinema, literature and architecture fields. With the invention of television, a new door opened towards experimentation of arts and architecture. This led to further development in the production of design of these stories came into existence. Production design became an important component of films as importance of detailing the scenes evolved.

Directors started acknowledging the importance of ‘the fake-real’ ambience created by production design of a film. The 1960 released Bollywood

Theatre and Visual Arts are amongst the oldest forms of communication media that humans developed. Theatre and Drama usually depicted the beliefs, traditions and mythological stories of the tribes. The earliest forms such as community acts, street acts in Indus valley, Greek civilizations 9

Architecture

ARCHITECT

VR Theatre

DIRECTOR

Mythology

Cinema

Painting

TRIBE Metaphor

Photography Visual Arts

AUTEUR ARTIST DESIGNER AUTHOR

Literature

Immersive Theatre Post Cinematic

Interactive Arts GLOBAL NARRATIVE

Linear

Holistic 1440 1827

1878

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER

AR

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TRIBAL STORYTELLING

WORLD BUILDING

Holistic

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1962 1988

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Fig. 5: McDowell’s Diagram of Evolution of Media of Story-telling

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film Mughal-e-Azam based on the historic love story of the Mughal Prince Salim (later known as Emperor Jahangir) and Anarkali (a court dancer) which leads to a dramatic war between them and the Emperor Akbar (Prince Salim’s father) was a milestone in Indian cinema. The sets for the Mughal palace, shish mahal(palace of mirrors), the palace gardens, etc. took almost a total 2 years to complete and another 2 years for the filming to be completed. The production design of the film was done by M. K. Syed and the budget was roughly 1.5 million rupees (valued at about US$314,000 in 1960).

“We need to examine the impact of the developments in medical or mobility, fashion or architecture, military or politics, art or engineering and consider their potential influence on one another as a necessary evolution towards the new tools for storytelling.”

- Alex McDowell, Production Designer

Marriage of Figaro and Zaha Hadid designed Così fan tutte at the same venue. In addition, Herzog & de Meuron did Verdi’s Attila at the Met in New York and Daniel Libeskind has been known to look far more comfortable on the opera stage than he does on the construction site (Heathcote, 2019)”.

The stage or the backdrop was once known as a sanctuary meant for dreamlands, fairies, toy towns and everything utopian, bearing an extravagant take on life. With increase in the competence of contemporary architecture to explore and contruct, in reality, the far-out, unimaginable and eccentric building forms, the boundaries between the reel and real started diminishing (Heathcote, 2019).

But, all of them still have a firm/ architecture practice as their mainstream career. There are some professionals having a degree or some educational background in architecture but are now full time Production Designers. With the increase in demand for more Production Designers in the future, due to increase in visual content demand from audience, it is an opportunity in disguise for current architecture students to dive into the world of Production Design.

Through time, numerous architects have become involved in set designs for plays, drama, musicals and events. “Frank Gehry has designed crumpled paper sets for Don Giovanni inside his own Walt Disney Hall in LA; Jean Nouvel took on The

Fig. 6: A still from the film Mughal-e-Azam Source:(Mughal-e-Azam, The Magnificent Moghul, 2015)

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Story Characters Narrative Themes

Sketches Illustrations Photographs Models Storyboards

INTERPRETATION

DEPICTION

MANAGEMENT

MEDIUM

Architecture Tonality Decor Texture Physical space

Art department Carpenters Craftsmen Painters Set decorators Property masters

Fig. 7: Role of a Production Designer

Source: Author (created from gathering information from various sources)

about the “fake-real” world that is to be portrayed in the film and install a sense of authenticity into the project.

What is Production Design?

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Earliest traces of production design work can be traced back to The Lumiere brothers in France who recorded the documentary reality in their motion picture camera (LoBrutto, 2002). Art direction in those days only functioned as an additional component to the story on the screen. It was a rather a too expensive craft to be afforded by all. Art direction transformed during the 1920s-1930s where the classic Hollywood studio system was responsible for mass production of art departments and developing it into an organized and disciplined art form. Production designer’s job emerged in 1939 when producer David O. Selznick gave the role to William Cameron Menzies for his work on ‘Gone with the Wind’. Menzies’ work on ‘Gone with the Wind’ incorporated every component of production design which makes the film memorable colour and style, scene structuring, framing and composition and creating detailed storyboards essential for camera movements (LoBrutto, 2002).

roduction design is the visual art of cinematic story-telling. The look and the style of the motion picture is created by the imagination, artistry and collaboration of the director, production designer and the director of photography. The job of a production designer is to is to interpret the script and the director’s vision for the film and transform that into physical environments in which the actors can develop their characters and present the story (LoBrutto, 2002).

A production designer renders the screenplay in a visual form, understands the play of colour palettes, studies the architectural and periodic aspect of the film, advises on location decisions, and most importantly, designs and executes the sets. He/She is responsible for creating an overall cohesive pictorial scheme that aids the storyline and the message it wants to convey. The role of a production designer also includes researching 12

Fig. 8: A still from the film Metropolis Source:(Hwang, 2016)

city. This coupling between architecture of the 20th century and film art fostered many aspirations. For the daring futuristic architects, it proved to be a medium for promotion of modernism (Neumann and Albrecht, 1996). 20th century marked a shift from the extensive use of decorous, painted backdrops and the architectural movements gave filmmakers an impression of the future ahead.

Relevance of Architecture in Production Design

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rchitecture was impact-fully introduced to cinema in 1910 by the Italian production od ‘Cabaria’. The film was designed in a all-round architectural implementation of the construction of stairways, platforms, walls built out of wood and then using plastering techniques to acquire the textures.

Architects have been steadily influencing the film and theatre industry since the late 1940s.

Professional who began their careers as an architect, later transitioned towards production design. Architecture graduates Stephen Goosoon, Robert Boyle, Ken Adam and Lawrence Paull are well-known for their work on ‘The Lady from Shanghai’, ‘North by Northwest’, ‘James Bond series’ and ‘Back to the Future’ trilogy respectively.

‘Metropolis’ (1927) and ‘Dr. Mabuse der Spieler’ (1922) both directed by Fritz Lang utilized the architectural representations of the city to convey the social and political ideas, and to conjure a deeper state of emotion in the viewers.

‘Metropolis’ Extensively used production design to establish boundaries of the contradictory lives of rich, powerful upper class controlling the city with the poor lower class that runs Metropolis with their efforts and work. The city of ‘Metropolis’ explored a rich, vibrant, futuristic, skyscraper overground city and the filthy, dull, rigid, industrial underground

The Bauhaus and German Expressionism movements were inspirational for production design of sets by architects back in the 20th century.

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Fig. 9: Chart showing Spendings of Netflix on Original Content in the last 6 years

Fig. 10: Chart showing Spendings of online streaming platforms on Original Content Creation

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Fig. 11: Laura Jean’s room from the Netflix original movie ‘To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before

This explains that there are a lot of part one qualifiers who are not practising in the traditional architecture field anymore. This means that they are occupying a number of prominent positions within client and contractor organisations as well as in policy units and the press and media (Jamieson and Robinson, 2011).

Demand and Supply?

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esign industry is such where the demands are considerably dependent on the user audience. The demand trends tend to change over a period of time and hence, design processes evolve. According to ‘The Future Architects’ report (Jamieson and Robinson, 2011), of the average students entering UK Universities to study architecture at Part 1, only around 55% continue to Part 2 - with a further 17% drop between in those entering Part 2 and those finally registering as an architect.

Throughout the 20th century, the visions of cities and spaces shown in films have been certainly memorable than any created on a drafting board or a construction site. However, despite its significant role in the history of both architecture and film, screen architecture still remains largely undiscovered (Neumann and Albrecht, 1996).

Over the last 10-15 years, with the development in digital technology, the film industry and visual streaming services have undergone a massive transformation. With the emergence of online streaming platforms and an increasing demand of a variety of storyline choices from a new, radical audience, there is a demand for more original content from platforms like films, television and especially, online streaming platforms.

“We may see an increasing number of graduates doing things other than RIBA stages A-L.” - The Future of Architects, RIBA (2011) 15

Fig. 12: Few renderings by the Production Design team for finalizing the design of the houses in the movie ‘Parasite’ Source:(Woodward, 2020)

Sub-basement Window

Road Level

Raised Platform for Toilet Requi

red Sl

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r Solid

Waste

Sub-basement Floor Level

Main Drainage Line

Fig. 13: Architectural Detail so as to explain why the set of the toilet in the Kim family house in ‘Parasite’ had a raised floor platform Source:(Woodward, 2020) 16

Looking at the case of Netflix, which once used to be a platform for exclusive cinematic content, it is now seen that in 2019, Netflix invested more on original content than movie or television partnerships (Etan Vlessing, 2020). It is projected that Netflix’s content investment will grow to $26.3 billion by 2028 to keep pace with rivals as it goes international beyond the U.S. market.

As more traditional TV users are also catching up with the online streaming market, Netflix and other streaming platforms are slowly catching an eye of the Hollywood film market (Etan Vlessing, 2020).

“‘I have a lot of friends who’re architects, so I met and talk[ed] with them to get inspiration.

Because the set accounts for 80 per cent of the whole film,I had a strong belief that it should not look like a set when designing it. So I tried very hard to not miss any details.”

- Lee Ha-Jun, Production Designer, Parasite Source:(Woodward, 2020)

Parasite, the first ever foreign language film to win an Oscar for the Best Film in 2020, surprised everyone with the design of an ultra-modern house as well as the sub-basement flat featured in the entire film. The film also received a Nomination for Best Production Design due to it’s authenticity of detail. Production Designer Lee Ha-Jun closely discussed a lot of minute detailing with his architect friends to retain the realistic portrayal of the film (Woodward, 2020). Considering the example of Parasite, one can say that demand for architectural interventions in Production Design are not only needed in Hollywood but is now also in demand in international films.

With films like ‘The Irishman’ casting eminent actors like Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, directly releasing on Netflix (Whitlock, 2020) and then in limited theatres, this is an open window for architects interested in designing as well as having a keen eye towards the film-making process.

While cinema and online content has now taken a turn towards showcasing realistic and accurate detailing of the surrounding context as well as interior, it is easier for architects to take up this role as it is similar to the skill sets they learn in their university life. This will be further discussed in Chapter 05.

Fig. 14: The Toilet located in the sub-basement flat of the Kim family in the movie ‘Parasite’ Source:(Woodward, 2020)

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03. Architectural Skill sets

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Fig. 15: Round table Discussion amongst students Source:(Goldsmiths, University of London, 2017)

smallest mistakes to avoid the long run mishaps.

In profession, what may seem like a small error on a printed sheet, might result in serious problems on latter stages like redesign of the entire column grids or structural faults. Hence, architecture students are subconsciously trained to develop what professionals call a “laser-like vision” (Amaya, 2017). This skill of being extremely attentive to the smallest details of a project, makes specification writing easier, construction work faster and limits risks.

Essential skills that students learn in architectural education

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rchitectural education trains students in a lot of creative, theoretical and practical skills essential to perform well as a professional. Although teaching methods vary from university to university and also depends on the type of course, following are the skills generally found in an individual having an architectural education.

• Adaptability/Flexibility Working on projects in architecture schools means resolving and generating tens and perhaps thousands of iterations of one idea, concept or an architectural layout. Sometimes, there are points when students have to completely scrap a developed idea because of its limits for a new idea that would prove to be more efficient and a more suitable solution to that problem. The process of adaptability is true beyond the boundaries of physical form of architecture. Being adaptable as a professional allows an individual to masters multiple skill sets at once. It provides the freedom

• Attention to Detail It is one of the first key skills any architecture student picks up in the maiden years of education. What may seem as a curse in school as developing this skill means tons of re-work, retouches, redo of assignments, reprinting everything and sometimes, going through the stress of resubmissions, it is actually a blessing in disguise that trains your brain to notice the 19

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Fig. 16: Skills learnt in an architectural education Source:(Author, 2020)

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of exploration and widens the individual’s vision to exploit the project and its opportunities. Being adaptable makes one open to changes. Changes in industry, technology, professional skills, levels of complexity, work flow patterns, etc. Once an individual is used to these changes, change is what excites a person and urges to do better.

students to work autonomously. Unlike some other teaching courses where students wait for the workload or for assignments to be allotted, architectural education provides a continuous thread of learning, whether at university or on their own. Architecture students are real self-starters, both by instinct and by training (Amaya, 2017).

They have a passion for their work

• Presentation Whether its the first mid-term review or a moderation review which is going to be judging by tutors, visiting architects or renowned academics, students are trained since the beginning of education to be able to communicate their ideas verbally and in brief, before the judging panel.

Presenting one’s work helps develop a cognitive sense of responsibility of owning one’s work and putting it forward in the simplest way possible so that the public can understand it, acclimatize it and then provide feedback. Professionally, graduates who have the ability to deliver a sound and clear presentation of the work they have produced,

• Stakeholder Management Juries and reviews help students develop a skill of defending their designs in front of a diverse range of panel members. We learn to understand our audience, people coming from various backgrounds. This nurtures a balance between defending one’s design and accepting a citric as a design guideline. This establishes a base to further understand the role in professional client meetings, stakeholder presentations and balanced design decisions • 3D Visualization & Representation 3D visualizations is one of the main representation mediums students learn at university. Transforming the set of drawings from plans, elevations to digital 3D models, physical scaled models, sketches and renderings is what aids a user to visualize the space and its quality.

“Review after review, we evolve[d] from bashful novices to assertive professionals.”

- Colin Seaburgh, Production Designer and Art Director

• Organization Design inspiration can come from a number of sources. Rem Koolhaas suggests, “Architecture’s greatest value in the future might not even be architecture… but [may come] in the form of knowledge or organization.” (Amaya, 2017). The competence of organizing complex work benefits a better functioning of inter-disciplinary work.

are looked upon having a bonus skill set. Since professionally, architects have to immerse themselves in tons of presentations in front of various stake holder groups, having a strong presentation skill makes an individual stand out.

• Cognitive learning Developing a cognitive learning ability requires working on 3 things - comprehension, memory and application. Architecture students are benefited by cognitive learning as it helps in understanding the ‘why’ behind every subject, the technique of knowledge recall and the application strategies for improved problem-solving.

• Networking Networking proves to be one of the skills that, if developed well, opens a door to multiple opportunities. It is easier for architecture students to transcend from university to professional life using networking as an asset.

• Communication Effective communication is vital in conveying one’s design ideas transparently. A good command over speaking and writing enables an individual to

• Entrepreneurship The design of most architectural courses suggests 21

express their ideas.

• Problem solving Architects are masters in turning problems into future opportunities. This problem solving attitude helps architects to find creative solutions to practical design problems and sometimes to develop innovative methods for the same problem.

“The designer does not begin with a preconceived idea. An idea is a result of careful study and observation, and the design is the product of that idea ” - Paul Rand, Graphic Designer and Art Director

• Hard work The ethic of hard work runs in every student’s system. Architectural courses require continuous efforts, sleepless nights for deadlines and rigorous work schedules. Design ideas take time to develop from concepts to detailed outputs and hard work is what makes it possible.

• Collaboration Learning to work with a group of people from diverse backgrounds, culture and field of practice.

Effective collaboration can result in more engaging work and its detailed outputs. A collaboration thrives when all individuals collaborating are able to bring their strengths to the table. For some practices, collaborations are a key part of the business model, accounting for around 70% of turnover (RIBA, 2017). Collaborative work is often a mutually beneficial relationship for anyone who participates.

• Feedback and Critique Research and design analysis helps develop the skill of critiquing other academics and scholar’s work and put forth one’s own position on a topic.

A critical eye towards design and constructive acceptance of feedbacks helps improve design process.

Fig. 17: Representation of collaborative work Source:(Openarchcollab, 2017)

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“Anytime you talk about the look of the film, it’s not just the director and the director of photography, you have to include the architects behind it - the costume designer and the production designer” - Spike Lee, Director

Fig. 18

Source:(Range, 2018) 23

04. Skill sets of a Production Designer

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Fig. 19: Production Render from the movie Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) Source:(Anshuman Prasad, 2016)

• Historical, contemporary and futuristic research The type of film to be produced dictates the depth of understanding required in the timeline in which the film is conducted in. A production designer is expected to have a decent understanding of various timelines of historic and contemporary world and should have a creative vision towards future possibilities

Skills required by a Production Designer

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roduction designers and filmmakers involved with the design of their film, benefit from an overview of the study of architecture (LoBrutto, 2002). Similarly, architects intending to get into the profession of production design can benefit by understanding the roles involved.

• Sketching and Model-making, storyboard writing Preliminary discussions on the script with director drives the creation of first sets of storyboards and starts the process of creating a framework of each scene, each film shot and the detailing of surroundings through sketches, models and illustrations.

• Study of scripts The production designer should have a sound knowledge of the scripting process, it’s study and understanding the key elements. This helps understand the important scenes, turning points, detail level required and also helps develop a scope of works. Script study further leads to discussion of primary design ideas with the director. It creates a framework to decide the mood boards, locations, etc.

• Communicating ideas to other departments Once the framework is finalized, the production designer and his team is responsible for communicating the important design decisions to other creative and technical staff, including the 25

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Fig. 20: Skills required as a Production Designer Source:(Author, 2020)

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construction and wardrobe staff, stage hands, prop makers, scenic artists, and lighting and sound teams.

resolve them as soon as possible to avoid delay in a film’s shoot. The production designer has to be adaptable and creative with a high problem-solving attitude where he can iterate through various possible solutions and finalize the most doable, practical solution for multiple issues.

• Cost Estimation and Budget Analysis Budget Analysis of a film is highly important as it decides the use of materials, labour, locations and other expenses. A production designer has to critically work within the budget of the film to create the necessary spatial output.

• Theatre/ Cinematic Awareness Production designer needs to be fully aware of the cinematic technology being used, the advancements in the field, currents trends,etc to be able to take fully informed decisions.

• On Site Supervision Production design often involves long work, majority dealing with team management. As the head of the team, he/she is supposed to coordinate with the art team and supervise the work. The execution of a set could take days, weeks, sometimes even months and a production designer is expected to carry out necessary supervision for a smooth functioning of the setup.

• Understanding of technical processes Working closely with the director, production designers should have an understanding of the functioning of sound, light, costume, art, and other departments which makes it easier to take immediate decisions after discussions with the director.

• Computer Aided Design (CAD) Skills of 3D visualization, CAD drafting, knowledge of technical detailing and softwares, rendering, etc are highly required as these skills help in creating the first set of built impressions of the film.

“Architects are at the centre of the myriad of consultants required to complete a project. The same is true for Production Design” - Colin Sieburgh, Production Designer and Art Director

• Knowledge of Regulations Similar to building regulations in architecture, production designers should be fully aware of on-site the risk assessments, regulations to be followed, other paperwork and sanctions required to shoot at a location, etc.

• Technical Detailing Just like architects, producing a set of technical, detailed drawings for on-site execution is one of the roles of a production designer. The production team is responsible for detailing of the surroundings, the set and the context of the scene.

This role is an important step which builds the complete look of the film.

• Teamwork Since production design is a collaborative skill, one cannot work on a film set unless they are used to team work. Variety of skill sets of people come together to make the final product which would not be up to the mark if inter-team and intra-team communication fails.

• Collaborative Spirit Production designers work constantly in touch with the directors, director of photography, the costume design team, sound design team. Every improvisation calls for changes and alterations in the set design and props.

• Problem Solving Attitude There can be many instances of impromptu revisions, improvisations and last minute changes on set and a production designer’s job is to help 27

Some production design work exam ‘Midnight in Paris’

Hardwood floor pattern and other antiques common to 1920’s Paris

Source:(Vanity Fair, 2012)

Source:(Vanity Fair, 2012)

Moodboard and Material Palette development

The real Place Pigalle revived for filming Midnight in Paris

Source:(Vanity Fair, 2012) 28

mples-

‘Harry Potter Series’

Weasley House Plans and Elevations

Astronomy Tower - Plan

Source:(Life of An Architect, 2018)

Astronomy Tower Design Render

Diagon Alley drawn by Production Designer Stuart Craig

Source:(SGFA Journal, 2011)

Source:(SGFA Journal, 2011) 29

05. Swinging into Production Design

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Fig. 21: A day in life of Production Designer Colin Sieburgh Source:(Taylor-Hochberg, 2014)

What does the Architect have and more does he/she need?

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here is a certain force (as I would like to call it) for a person from an architecture background to loosen themselves from the field of architecture and jump into production design. This force is what drives, what I term as, ‘the Pendulum Effect’ of a design professional. The force can be any external factor that makes the individual swing towards the other similar profession. In real life, this force could be an internship, a freelance opportunity, a research programme, a scholarship, a job offer, a motivational video, etc. This force enables the architect to move from his/her ‘state of rest’ and jump into the Pendulum Effect. Bigger swing requires bigger force and more time. For eg: An architect wanting to specialized in Transport Planning, needs a few years of experience and perhaps a specialized degree in the transport field.

The Pendulum Effect provides the individual with the freedom of choice.

?

Fig. 22: What is the force required to swing?

Source:(Author, 2020)

There are 3 ways in which an individual swings into the Pendulum Effect: 1. With enough force, leave the state of rest, attain a new position and swing around that position, but never returning to the original position.

2. With time, swing into newer positions of rest located around the original position.

3. Developing a strong force that triggers to and fro swing from the newly found position of rest and the original position.

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Fig. 23: Skills required as a Production Designer Source: (Author, 2020) 33

06. What is an Architect’s USP?

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Fig. 24: An Architect’s Imagination Source:(Vectorpouch, 2018)

endless. Visualization technologies like Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) have transformed the user spatial experience. these techniques can be creatively used to create digital props and make the other film departments understand the tone of the film.

What new can an architect bring to the table?

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rchitecture encompasses the attributes of many other design and its similar fields. With a training of complex thinking and an understanding of complex layers of functioning involved in various typologies of buildings, architects understand spaces inside out.

This uniqueness of complexity management makes it the top Unique Selling Point (USP) of an architecture graduate.

Computation can be used to create abstract sets or futuristic cities whereas generative design can be widely used to find the optimized solution of a set design. An architect’s understanding of the architectural history and the history of human settlements, allows him/her to explore the freedom of imagining the life in period films in a more detailed way.

An architect’s creative eye towards material palettes and specification writing is a bonus for the film’s design. On a larger platform, the architect’s sense of awareness and a sensitive approach towards any design can provide innovative solutions to the traditional facets in profuction design.

Creativity in construction is booming with introduction of new technologies like 3D printing, Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA), computation and parametricism and modular construction. This technological knowledge can be utilized to design sustainable sets, off site manufacture and modular assembly of production props, energy mapping, etc; the applications are 35

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Fig. 25: Skills an Architect can bring to the table

Source: (Author, 2020)

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Architecture graduates turned Produ

Christian D. Bruun

Works- Film production of movies like ‘Blue Gold American Jeans’, ‘The Man who saved the World’

Clare Floyd DeVries

Works- Production design of theatre dramas like ‘Harvey’, ‘Alabaster’, ‘The Royal Dilemma’

Works- Production design of films like ‘Cindy’s New Boyfriend’, ‘Home’

Colin Sieburgh 38

uction Designers-

Works- Production design of Oscar winning films like ‘The Shape of Water’

Paul Austerberry

Works- A part of the production design teams of movies like ‘The 300’, ‘Captain America: Winter Soldier’, ‘Passengers’

Anshuman Prasad

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07. Conclusion

40

“How did we get here and where are we going?”

T

here certainly is a high demand for production designers in the near future, looking at the growth in visual communication media. As today’s radical audiences will demand more variety in the kind of films, theatre and shows they watch, there will be a demand for creation of such content. This will create a ripple effect resulting in demand for more production designers.

According to Architect Claire Floyd De Vries, she chose to work in production design field as she felt it offers more flexibility, room for creativity than what working at a utilitarian architectural practice could offer. She further says that unlike most architectural projects which could take years to complete, set design and production offers better frequency of newer projects, and also ranging in various scales and sizes.

Fig. 26: REEL-ity

Source: (Macrovector, 2019)

As mentioned in previous Chapter, there are still multiple facets in production design which are still done in a traditional way and an architect’s thought process has the power to change that. In the beginning, fresh graduates can work internships or as an assistant to a production designer to gain relevant experience. Even while at university, collaboration projects between film-making students and architecture students can help them develop an interest in production design.

Through my research, I found out that architecture and production design are two sister fields where the prior focuses on REALITY while the latter depicts the REELITY of the reality, but their union can create a perfect amalgamation of both.

Total word count: 4405 41

09. Bibliography

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2.

Woodward, A. (2020). Go inside the architecture of South Korean film ‘Parasite’ - The Spaces. [online] The Spaces. Available at: https:// thespaces.com/parasite-set-design-lee-ha-jun/ [Accessed Feb. 2020].

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Heathcote, E. (2019). How architecture and set design are blurring the line between city and stage. [online] iconeye. Available at: https:// www.iconeye.com/design/features/item/13358architecture-set-design-theatre-stage-city [Accessed Jan. 2020].

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Rein, R. (2020). Design Career: 7 of the Highest Paid Jobs in the Industry. [online] Invisionapp.com. Available at: https://www. invisionapp.com/inside-design/highest-paiddesign-industry/ [Accessed Feb. 2020].

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Jamieson, C. and Robinson, D. (2011). The Future for Architects. [online] Available at: https:// www.researchgate.net/publication/240916942_ The_future_for_Architects [Accessed Jan. 2020].

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Noe, R. (2018). Architect Wins Oscar for Production Design on “The Shape of Water” Core77. [online] Core77. Available at: https:// www.core77.com/posts/74360/Architect-WinsOscar-for-Production-Design-on-The-Shape-ofWater [Accessed Jan. 2020].

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Wallace, R. (2020). Obsessed with the Oscar-winning movie Parasite? Let’s take a walk inside the home. [online] Architectural Digest India.

Available at: https://www.architecturaldigest.in/ content/obsessed-oscar-winning-movie-parasitelets-take-walk-inside-home/ [Accessed Feb. 2020].

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Inputyouth.co.uk. (2018). Job Guide Set Designer. [online] Available at: https://www.

inputyouth.co.uk/jobguides/job-setdesigner.html [Accessed Feb. 2020].

10. Amaya, L., 2017. 10 Essential Skills For A Life Beyond Architecture. [online] Archinect.

Available at: <https://archinect.com/features/ article/149998885/10-essential-skills-for-alife-beyond-architecture> [Accessed November 2019].

11. Whitlock, C., 2020. Inside This Year’S Oscar-Nominated Movie Sets. [online] Architectural Digest. Available at: <https://www. architecturaldigest.com/story/oscar-nomineesfor-best-set-design-2020-academy-awards> [Accessed January 2020].

12. Spencer, K., 2009. Set Decor / Film Decor Features: Sherlock Holmes. [online] SDSA Set Decorators. Available at: <https:// www.setdecorators.org/?art=film_decor_ features&SHOW=SetDecor_Film_Sherlock_ Holmes> [Accessed 4 February 2020].

13. Oldhindisongsvenkat.blogspot.com.

2015. Mughal-E-Azam, The Magnificent Moghul. [online] Available at: <http://oldhindisongsvenkat. blogspot.com/p/blog-page_24.html> [Accessed 4 November 2019].

14. Hwang, C., 2016. Metropolis: Alloy Orchestra Come To Cornell Cinema. [online] The Cornell Daily Sun. Available at: <https:// cornellsun.com/2016/11/08/metropolis-alloyorchestra-come-to-cornell-cinema/> [Accessed December 2019].

15. Architecture.com. 2017. Collaboration Can Make Great Business Sense. [online] Available at: <https://www.architecture.com/knowledge-andresources/knowledge-landing-page/collaborationcan-make-great-business-sense> [Accessed 16 December 2019].

Books: 16. Neumann, D. and Albrecht, D., 1996. Film Architecture. Munich: Prestel.

17. LoBrutto, V., 2002. The Filmmaker’s Guide To Production Design. 1st ed. New York: Allworth Press.

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