masterwork
I won't open my eyes
Visual design experiment
My masterwork is a production design experiment where I explore how I can create sets with different atmospheres, using a given set of tools. In my work as a production designer, it is common that due to certain factors (budget, time, permits) the possibilities are very limited when designing and creating a set. In such cases, the set has to be created by exploiting the potential of the chosen location. Options are sometimes so limited that the furnishings of the given location must be used to make the most of the space. This is often not ideal, but there are more possibilities than you might think. The layout, the colour of the furnishing textiles and the tone of the light bulb in a lamp are all key factors that can shape the end result. In my masterwork, I present the same space in six different forms through a video clip — set to the music of L.A. Suzi’s “Ki se nyitom a szemem (I won’t open my eyes)”. By varying the arrangement of the furniture, changing textiles and objects, time of the day, lighting and camera positions, I create different visual worlds. The aim of my work is to show how much the designer can shape the visual world of the film, despite the limitations.
thesis
Analysis of films shot on location from the aspect of the production designer
In my thesis, I discuss production design in film to bring it closer to the readers. As I describe the visual world of films shot on location, I analyse the factors that make a set look authentic, alive and real to the viewers. I am intrigued by the question whether we can clearly define what makes the visual world of a film good. In my thesis I describe the tools the production designer can use when creating the set on location, and the ways these tools can be used. I provide a brief but comprehensive overview of the tasks of the production designer, their work process, and the creative team they work with. Based on a set of criteria I defined, I explain, through films shot on location, the main tasks of the production designer, the key elements of production design, how the production designer prepares for a film, where they find inspiration and how important colours and textures are. This is an extremely broad topic, and I focus on the parts I personally find the most interesting. My discussion of these areas is substantiated with examples.