How Important Is Production Design In Film?

Let me tell you, production design is very important especially when it comes to film and video today because end viewers are so incredibly critical and observant, now more than ever. From body movement, timing of music, inserts of extra footage (B-roll), the look of the locations, wardrobe, makeup etc. it all matters. If you know deep down something doesn’t make sense, expect for the audience to notice.

It’s six weeks after I sent the trailer footage to the visual effects (VFX) artist. I finally get the footage back, view it, and was amazed at how the final product turned out. Finally, I can breathe out another sigh of relief to release the anxiousness. I was also glad to know that I could finally send off the footage to the colorist who’d been waiting 7 months to get her hands on it. When the colorist got a mini glimpse of the footage and saw the lighting, colors, and shots, her eagerness increased.

But before I did that, I made sure to ask the VFX artist what her honest thoughts were of the trailer? Her response was, “The acting was great, and I fully understood the story, but the environment looked too clean. The clothing and locations all needed to look dirtier since the story takes place in a poverty-stricken environment.”

In my head I’m thinking, “True. That makes complete sense”. Then I showed the trailer to the director (Morgen Whiteman) that I brought on for the full production and I got no response. Based on her detail-oriented personality I knew that her lack of response wasn’t good. So, I followed up with her a week or so later and got the courage to ask what her thoughts were again, and she said, “The acting was solid. She understood everything but the background looked to fancy. But the full production will be much better.” (I respect that and the confidence).

Then, one of the owners of a location (Station North Books) that I intended to rent out for the production did some research on my film and said, “Yeah. I saw your behind-the-scenes video and wasn’t sure if my location was a great fit because it looked like you were in a fancy Barnes & Noble bookstore”. (I respect that also because his location is one of a kind that is literally stuck back in time).

Then, I learned something else that was truly important in film: the presentation of screen credits. When I’d taken a two-week part-time production assistant gig to assist the International African American Museum with recording screen credits for one of their film projects, if anything was out of line it was an immediate rejection. Which further proves true that the design and look of every detail in a film matters.

All in all, getting honest criticism matters. Paying attention to detail matters. But if the look of the trailer was the only criticism I received and that I clearly don’t have a future in production design, then I must say, I was completely satisfied with my progress thus far. Moving forward, I was determined to get it right, postpone if need be until I got it right, or I wasn’t going to do it all. 

Other posts you may be interested in:

• How To Get Through Your First Table Read?
• What To Do When Your Film Shoot Fails?
• What Happens As A Producer During A Film Production?

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The author is not liable for any losses or damages related to actions of failure to act related to the content in this article. If you need specific legal advice, consult with an attorney who specializes in your subject matter and jurisdiction.