Final Evaluation
When I started the unit I had absolutely no experience in designing or supervising for film, having previously done strictly theatre and dance. While there are, of course, similarities between the different specialties, they all come with their own unique challenges and opportunities for growth.
During this unit I put together a theoretical design based off of a painting from a given selection, and had to come up with the story, research the time period and context, and design for a main character with fabric swatches included. This project was unique and challenging in that I normally work from an already existing script, or from a choreographed piece. The theoretical design portion allowed me the freedom and control of creating the entire world of my chosen character. I enjoyed creating a story around Picasso’s Portrait of Bibi la Purée, and being in control of how he would come to life.
Bunny had us assist another designer on their film as well as design our own film because it was such a tight shooting schedule. It was a useful experience for everyone to have a chance to assist, and helpful to the main designers. I assisted Carlota on her film In the Hall, which filmed only 5 days after the pitch was chosen. It was in this experience I found out what it was like to work on set for films, and learned that while I enjoy designing and assistant designing, supervising for film is not something that I would excel at.
I did, however, thoroughly enjoy the process of designing for my assigned film, The Woman Whose Daughters Were Shits. The entire production team was very good at communicating and sharing ideas during the pre-production process. The practical part of the design happened toward the very end due to lack of a cast until less than a week before shooting. I enjoyed the “heightened reality” style of the film, and was able to source costume pieces from the actors, production members, and charity shops, which kept me under budget. I think the vibrant color scheme will really pop on screen, and the stylized nature of the film will really come across well.
Some of my work was a bit out of order, finishing my film bible after the shoot, etc. However, given the tight timeline, I think that I managed my time effectively, and this is reflected in my time table. The one thing that I did not really excel at was keeping up with the blog. It has always been a difficult thing for me to do, and while I even had it scheduled in, there were times when I forgot to get it done right away. I think I also combined entries into longer ones instead of several short ones, but all of the information is there at any rate. Overall I think I did well in this unit, and enjoyed the work.