Set Design

For a Full Sail production, each student is given a specific job on the crew. After my interview, I was chosen as director for “Love Heist”. I wrote the short film and had a very clear vision of what I wanted in a set; a large circular vault door, preferably one with moving parts but the circle being the most important part. 

When I pitched my idea to my classmates and instructors they were not on board at first. They said it should just be square because it would be easier to build, but I was adamant about the circular shape of the door. My Production Designer didn’t have a lot of experience building or using power tools, so I told them all that I would lead the door build.

I sat down with an experienced art instructor to talk about practicality and function. Originally, I wanted the door to be able to lock into the wall, like a real vault door, but time and money wouldn’t allow for that level of detail. We settled on a good design that would look the part and function as a door. The multi-step design has two levels that needed to pass through the door frame to close. 

This was my first set as a production designer. This is a teenage boy's bedroom who recently took his own life and the film revolves around his sister mourning in his room. I wanted the room to feel lived in, but also play into the somber aspects of the film, which is why I chose this specific color palette. This set taught me that the little things make the biggest difference, such as making sure the room had a light switch. 

"Ping" is a horror short film that I worked on towards the end of my time at Full Sail. The horror element comes from a demon character, but the setting is just a regular unassuming living room. 

The director wanted the room to feel like any other living room, but still evoke an eerie feeling when properly lit. I achieved this after talking with the director of photography and choosing specific colors that would blend well with the lighting setup. 

We converted the "See You in a Minute" bedroom into the "Ping" living room and added the hallway to the other side of the doorway. I was able to give the camera team a lot to play with by adding various set pieces that created visual interest in all areas of the room.