A shortfilm production that was on my desk for many years, going through numerous producers and script rewrites, getting down to the last 12 ( out of 10.000 applications) for the BFI Development Fund. And yet it wasn’t actually being made .. . last script titled ‘Lost Hope’ became a filmmaking reality in autumn 2023, scaling it down from studio built and elaborate numerous locations, to a manageable ambition to be made over 3 days on one location.
Throughout this production it became an ambition for me, to refine my creative process, develop my team and communications methods. Only to revert back to quick led on paper sketches to relay to my assistance what needed to be done, for dressing layouts and set design, to communicate story and aesthetics of the film.
I was pleased to see that the location still provided the feel and colour palette to convey the sense of isolation abandonment and depression. A desperate situation to motivate the story arch and story telling in littel time in this short… and despite the ‘small space ‘ and only one location – I was confident to tell the story and create a suitable storyworld.
With location, dates and script set and locked – my ususal mechanism kicked in and props ( some made a couple of years back) and dressing got listed , decided and packed up, given to my trusted assistant and set dec Person Maddy – alongside a manual and the background story, to put it in place and into reality and for the storyworld to evolve.
As production designers are often not on set, it happened so to be that for the first shooting day, I could not be present on set – only to learn that my trusted assistance and communication methods yielded satisfying results- and helped to realise nuances of the story world and storytelling.
And all those preparations in my workshop and on desk paid off. And it was a joy to see it coming together on set – working as a team all on the same page.
Creating a storytelling ‘mess’ ( not much time in a short-film, says a-lot), is not as easy as you think, keeping it authentic and conviencing; with a colour palette set and the mood in place; we had the exterior to style in the same fashion. And it was my time on set to work in Tandem with my team members.
And still in one location and despite chilly weather conditions we utilised the location ( and the props lurking in my workshop) to expand on the storytelling and cover the story arch and intrigue.
Finally shoowcasing the props I had made well over a year earlier.
And if this wasn’t enough – the original elaborate studio set design for the ‘dream sequence’ – was simplified but yet effective to tell the story and realised on location.
But not loosing an eye for detail, no matter how small or big the production. With a sense to communicate and set the mood; finding the right prop or item, to enhance what is already there.
Another huge learning curve as each of these projects is – I am pleased to have learned again to trust the team and the mechanisms of the creative process. And the creative ingenuity of some pratical effects – to be seen once released.
Stay tuned for the release of this creations in the festivals this year. And once again – thanks to the creative warriors and an awesome team.
In the Art-department 