MHT – Production Design (2)

“The eye of the director” – that’s how Ken Adams succinctly described of the role of the production designer (also known as a set designer, scenographer, or set decorator, depending on the type of production, country, or era), who is responsible for a wide range of tasks, from the conceptual visualization of the screenplay and the design of the cinematic universe to the creation and implementation of the film’s interiors and exteriors. The work of the production designer doesn’t just significantly shape the look of a film, but also its atmosphere and mood – and not just in design-intensive genre films. Despite being impossible to overlook, the central contribution of production design to the “total work of art” that is film is rarely acknowledged. Following last month’s look at minimalist set design, this second part now focuses on some of the grandest undertakings in cinematic worldbuilding. (Milena Gregor)