Production<\/strong> design<\/strong> is a huge component of the filmmaking or video production process. There’s a lot that you can convey to your audience through great production<\/strong> design<\/strong>. With this in mind, we’re going to rely on the experience and knowledge of\u00a0Colin Gibson<\/a> (Mad Max: Fury Road<\/a><\/em>), Grant Major<\/a> (Lord of the Rings: Return of the King<\/a><\/em>),\u00a0Rick Carter<\/a>\u00a0(Star Wars: The Force Awakens<\/a><\/span><\/em>), and the legendary Stuart Craig<\/a> (Harry Potter Series<\/a><\/em>).<\/p>\n Through each one of these Academy<\/strong> Award-winning<\/strong> Production<\/strong> Designers<\/strong>, we’ll learn what we need to do to take our productions to the next level.<\/p>\n Production<\/strong> design<\/strong>\u00a0is the process of developing and creating the “look” of a film or video environment. This includes creating the initial concepts, building sets, fabricating costumes, developing makeup effects, and working with the VFX team. In the end, all of these sections come together to present the audience with visual information that establishes a sense of place and conveys an emotional response\u00a0through the background elements, costumes, and props.<\/p>\n At the head of production<\/strong> design<\/strong> is the production designer<\/strong> or PD. The PD will work closely with the director and cinematographer to set the overall look of the film and to bring the director’s vision to life. They also oversee all aspects of the production<\/strong> design<\/strong> from concept to construction. However, they do not do this alone; there are several key crew members that work alongside the PD.<\/p>\n Production Design Team:<\/strong><\/p>\n As mentioned above, this is the\u00a0process of building the physical look of the film<\/strong>. The set, costuming, and makeup design all need to be reflections of one another. If one of these aspects is off, then you run the risk of pulling your audience out of the experience.<\/p>\n One worrisome issue that production<\/strong> designers<\/strong> face in today’s industry is they must fight to retain control over the look of the film due to the reliance on\u00a0CGI visual effects, as Grant Major mentioned<\/a> in 2014.<\/p>\n You often have to fight for control of the look of the film when you have the production sub-contract out to digital companies these virtual environments. \u2014 Grant Major<\/p><\/blockquote>\n In an\u00a0interview with Deadline<\/a>, production designer Colin Gibson stated that PDs\u00a0need to push for practical sets and effects. He mentions that audiences today are far more impressed when a set is practical and crafted by an amazing production design team<\/strong>, which was the approach he took when designing Mad Max: Fury Road<\/em>.<\/p>\n You still need to get the hair up on the back of people\u2019s necks. You still need real physics. \u2014\u00a0Colin Gibson<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Of course, there’s no stopping the advance of digital filmmaking.\u00a0While some production<\/strong> designers<\/strong> see this as a possible issue, PD\u00a0Rick Carter sees it as a natural progression<\/a>\u00a0toward a new era of hybrid filmmaking. These are the principles he employed when designing practical and digital elements for Star Wars: The Force Awakens<\/em>.<\/p>\n There\u2019s something that\u2019s going on with the computer and with hybrid moviemaking… Just a lot that\u2019s physical and a lot that\u2019s digital, and it\u2019s all part of the new vernacular. \u2014\u00a0Rick Carter<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n So, as you can see from the words of these Oscar-winning designers, production<\/strong> design<\/strong> is absolutely crucial to a film or video’s success. Let’s look at the collaborative process of designing a film or video.<\/p>\n 1. Concept<\/strong><\/p>\n Each production<\/strong> design<\/strong> begins with the\u00a0production<\/strong> designer<\/strong>\u00a0reading the script\u00a0to determine the initial visual style. Once this is done, meetings with the director and cinematographer take place to solidify the design. To make this happen, concept illustrations and mock-ups are researched, produced, and sent to the director and producer for approvals. These concepts and mock-up designs cover set architecture, costumes, props, VFX design, and makeup.<\/p>\n Here’s a video from The Gnomon Workshop<\/a>\u00a0that features the legendary concept designer Syd Mead<\/a> (Blade Runner<\/a>, Tron<\/a>, Aliens<\/a><\/em>). In the video, Mead offers crucial design advice and demonstrates some of his storied talent and technique.<\/p>\nWhat Is Production Design?<\/h3>\n
![\"Set](\"https:\/\/pbblogassets.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Set-Design.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nWho Runs the Design Team?<\/h3>\n
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Why Is Production Design so Important?<\/h3>\n
Production Design: the Three-Part Process<\/h3>\n