Visual Design
Production Team
Producer
Director
Production Designer
Cinematographer
Costumer
The goal of the production team is to create a master
plan for a consistent visual texture or style that is
artistically suited to the film story to be told.
“You cannot impose a style on a film. It must grow
out of a vision arising from the script and a
knowledge of how to form the various scenes into
a whole, and it should, like the film itself, have its
own movement.
Style in film results from every part of it, and those
parts must cohere, and they must be directed at
some effective result.
Design is not self-expression.
It is an expressive use of objects, forms, and colors
in the service of the script.”
Color vs. Black-and-White
Forty years ago, choosing
between black-and-white
and color was a critical
design decision. Many
filmmakers held on to
black-and-white as an
artistic choice because they
felt it allowed the focus of
a movie to be on the
characters and storyline.
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Members of the design team will
often establish a color palette to
subtly communicate various
aspects of character and story to
the viewer.
1. Standard Screen
(1.33 times its height)
More suitable for an intimate
love story set in a small
apartment, requiring the
frequent use of tight
close-ups and very little
movement of subjects in
space.
2. Wide Screen
(1.85-2.55 times its height)
 For panoramic view of a vast landscape or large number
of people, as well as to the rapid motion characteristic of
westerns, war dramas, historical pageants, and fastpaced action/adventure dramas.
 Wide-screen formats can contribute significantly to the
effectiveness of horror or suspense films - however, it
will distort the image and detract from the film’s visual
effectiveness if the physical set is too narrow for its
field of view.
Film Stock
1. Smooth Grain: Produces an image that is
extremely smooth, or slick. This film also
registers a wide range of subtle differences
between light and dark, enabling the
director to create fine tones, artistic
shadows, and contrasts. The images often
have a more powerful visual impact than
does reality.
2. Rough Grain: Produces a rough, grainy textured image with harsh contrasts
between blacks and whites and almost no
subtle contrasts. Because newspaper
pictures and newsreels have this coarse,
rough-grain look, this type of film is
associated with a documentary here-andnow quality, as though reality had to be
captured quickly, with little concern for
clarity and artistic perfection.
Studio vs. Location Shooting
The single most important reason directors
prefer to shoot a film in a studio - the
completely controlled environment.
The script dictates the decision to go on
location. The location of filming is often
not the location stated in the script.
Responsibilities of the Production Team:
Producer - Funds the film project.
Participation in film varies based
on contracts and expected
outcomes. It is common for the
director to also be listed as one of
the producers.
Director – Responsible for all aspects of
the film making process. Has final say
on design elements. Producers can
override directors.
Production Design & Art Direction
 Responsible for the visual aspects
of the film:
• set design
• location choices
 Create elaborate sketches of the set/s
Working in conjunction with the
production team, pinpoints the
“look” of the film.
 Supervises achieving the “look”:
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Construction
Painting
Furnishing
Decoration
Cinematographer
 Responsible for capturing the film on camera.
 Chooses camera angles, lenses, & shots that
best service the intentions of the production
team.
 Begins bulk of work once the design elements
are completed.
Costume and Makeup Design
 Responsible for creating the illusion of changing an actor
or actress into someone else.
 Real life - clothing is worn for function and image.
 Film life – clothing helps the audience envision the
performer as the character, supports logistic aspects (time,
place, socioeconomics), & heightens visual impact.
 Costume and makeup - sketched or “mocked-up” for
approval before construction begins.
Lighting
The Director uses lighting
techniques to control:
• Intensity
• Direction
• Diffusion
Lighting that is well
controlled creates:
•The impression of spatial depth
•Delineates the continuous and
planes of the subject (separates the
ocean & the sky)
•Conveys emotional mood &
atmosphere
•Creates special dramatic effects.
The Budget’s Effect on the Film’s Look
 More $$$ = More Freedom
 Extra Time and $$$ for inventive camera angels,
subtle lighting effects, authentic costuming, and
detailed settings.
 Who Gets Paid? Everyone involved in the
creation process.
 Lower Budget = Challenge to develop unified
look. True Low-budget films are often made
without a distinctive visual style.
The 30 Most
Expensive Movies
Ever Made
Visual Design
The Bourne Identity
Color
1. What is the color palette for the film?
Production Design/Art Direction
2. Select a scene from the film. Explain what is happening in the scene
and then describe the look of the scene.
3. How does the setting make us believe what it wants us to believe about
the location of the story?
4. Which factors or details present in the set contribute to its convincing
effect?
5. How does the film’s setting contribute to the overall emotional
atmosphere?
6. Is the setting symbolic in any way? Explain.
Costume and Makeup Design
7. What details of costuming and makeup help the actors be “in
character”?
8. Select a character from the film and describe his/her costume and
makeup.
Visual Design
The Illusionist
Color
1.What is the color palate of the film?
2.What do you think the visual designer was going for by using
these colors?
Production Design/Art Direction
3.This is a “time period” piece. How important is the look of the
set?
4.Which aspects of the set design help you establish the time
period?
5.How does the look of the film change to tell you that you are
watching a flashback?
6.Describe the Crown Prince’s hallway.
7.What information does the look of this hallway give to help us
better understand the Crown Prince?
Visual Design
Some Like It Hot
1. What is the time period of the film?
2. How is the time period established in the first few minutes of the film?
3. Describe the look of the three main sets of the film:
a. Chicago –
b. The train –
c. Florida –
4. How does the film’s setting contribute to the overall emotional atmosphere?
5. Is the setting symbolic in any way? Explain
6. Is the lighting of the film as a whole :
a. direct, harsh, and hard
b. medium and balanced
c. soft and diffused?
7. How is lighting used to create depth in the picture?
8. How does the lighting contribute to the overall emotional attitude or tone of the
film?
9. The two main characters dress as women for most of the movie. What did the
costumer need to do to create a believable look for them?
10.Marilyn Monroe is an important character in the film What does the costumer do
to keep her from fading in with the other characters in the film?