Blog Post – Nadia Saboba – Nadia Saboba / Film and TV 1C: Introduction to a Film Set (2023-2024)[SEM2]

The Introductions and Reasonings for Choosing my Roles:

(I am working for Derealisation by ANASTASIA WANG and have prepared research for Echoes by CLAIRE)

To begin with, I would like to briefly outline the roles that I will be filling in to support of the 4th year’s films as well as discuss the reasons behind why these are some of the roles I am interested in when working in a production on set.

Over the course of this semester, I will have the opportunity to work on two films in which I will be assisting both in set design and makeup work on both films during this course. I will be working on this set design for the second time and itwill be my second time actually designing and making my own set.

Here is an example of a set I have worked on where we had to have it look like it had been spent on a balcony during an afternoon, as shown in the picture below:

During the last three or four years, I have developed an interest in learning more about the set design of a film so that I can discover how to manipulate a space into a set that encloses the meaning of the story that is behind the film as well as its setting. It is important for me as a beginner to fully comprehend the importance of this process and how often it is overlooked in a beginner’s set; therefore, I have to hone my skills so that I can bring the film to life visually, especially through the underrated art of set design, which is an important aspect of film making.

In the case of makeup, I have made a number of bruised looks on friends on different occasions for film sets but nothing as big as that of the set I will work on. Therefore, I would like to be able to improve these skills as well so that they can be used in assisting in the creation of the visual narrative for the film.

My interest in makeup has also been a hobby since I was a child, watching YouTube tutorials on how to create a specific look and I am enthusiastic about the prospect of putting that knowledge into practice on a film set to hopefully produce some visually enticing films.

How I Prepared for my Role:

In the first few weeks I spent the majority of my time communicating with other members of the crew via email in order to find out when filming will be taking place as well as to get an understanding of what the directors are looking for in terms of visual trajectory. My seminars and masterclasses have always focused on the importance of both communication as well as a collaborative effort, regardless of whether it was a 1st AD, or a director – they would still emphasize the importance of both a collaborative effort and the need to be able to communicate effectively. The importance of obtaining a thorough understanding of my role in the film, and how to best achieve the director’s requirements, is also something I believe to be of the utmost importance, as well as why I prioritize asking questions to the different departments of the film.

I’ve also offered ideas to directors, (Director Claire, for Echoes) in terms of set and lighting:

The way this relates especially to set design is that this effect can be achieved in the set of the character Chloe’s room – with a lamp giving the character a chiascuro effect.

In addition to that, I have been in contact with the Director of Photography of one of the films that I am working on, a film called “Echoes”, in regards to one of the projects. Having attended my weekly seminars, I have learned that the art department that works on a film has to have a very close relationship with the camera department. In terms of the visual aspects of the film, I felt that it was very important to relay some of the ideas that I had and to have a collaborative input into some of the aspects.

Additionally, I have learned from both the masterclasses and the seminars that I have taken this semester that a crucial part of preproduction is a document that is known as a Script Breakdown, a document which lists out all the production elements that will be involved in producing the film, which is an integral part of the preproduction process.

As part of my research for the film Echoes, I specifically looked at what visual narratives and look the director Claire wanted, and I particularly wondered where I could source these items. My first step was to read through the script a few times and highlight those parts that I felt were most important in terms of visual means based on my interpretation of the script. This meant things like props and types of rooms/ sets. This was part of the script breakdown that I myself had done.

Here are some examples of me highlighting:

With respect to the film I am currently working on with the Director Joselyn, called Derealisation, I have also established which aspects of the production I believe will be intertwined with the art department, and have formulated a list of both the sets and props that I will be working on and sourcing throughout this semester for the project.

Here is both the list and some of the highlighting of the script:

Communicating with Directors:

I also had the opportunity to attend crew meetings for the film and work collaboratively with the art department on the production of the film Derealisation. I talked with the Gaffer about my ideas and how practical lighting could possibly be used, and heard some other ideas of the art department that inspired me too. It was also our responsibility as the art department to take a look at the rooms that the director was renting out in order to determine how we could transform those rooms to match the visual narrative that he had envisioned for the film in order to provide a seamless visual narrative.

It was the Director of the film, as well as the person responsible for the costume design, who had suggested that one of the characters needed a more feminine bedroom, and a more ‘yellow’ toned affair as the person working on costume design had put it. And as you can see from the photo below; the room is very darkly coloured and is blue toned.

It was my idea to suggest to the head of the art department and the director that perhaps we could decorate the walls with stickers, like sunflower stickers to emulate that atmosphere, and I do hope that we will keep that idea in mind as we proceed with the project. Furthermore, we plan to stick posters on the wall, as well as framed photos of the actors and actresses, when the photos are going to be taken (The director still needs to find actors), we are planning to stick posters on the wall.

As well as this, I have also been in contact with the head of the art department about the possibility of using a shared notes system in order to be able to collaborate and communicate more effectively, highlighting the next steps I need to take to move forward.

Furthermore, I have been working on creating a mood-board for the film Derealisation so that I will be able to capture the entire atmosphere that the director is hoping to convey in the film. The photos in this collection include a variety of design choices like makeup, lighting, and allusions in general. Considering that Mullholand Drive’s cinematography provides the inspiration for this film:

Having created the moodboard, I believe that I will be able to determine what type of props I will need on set, as well as the practical lighting that will need to be incorporated into the film.

In regards to Claire’s film ‘Echoes’, I have compiled a few screenshots from her sample film (that is intended to help showcase the variety of aesthetics and allusions of her film) – which will also contribute to my own ability to best match what she intended to depict artistically.

A few of these photos are as shown below:

Regarding Echoes, it is important to note the following: In consideration of the set design as well as the makeup aspect of the movie, I believe it is also vitally important to pinpoint Claire’s own inspirations in order to fully embody her intentions and deliver to my best ability.

Here are some visuals from P.S I Love You, that I believe will help me in creating a scene that best encapsulates the nostalgic and rich tones:

I have been in contact with Claire about specific props that she belives are necessary too, in addition to the painting scene / easels needed. She also requires a bouquet of flowers and the decaying version of these flowers too.

The Masterclasses:

As a result of attending five different masterclasses over the last few weeks, I have been able to gather the most important takeaways from each one in order to support me in helping the 4th year’s in the most efficient way I can.

In the course of Stuart Cadenhead’s presentation, he emphasized the importance of taking notes and maintaining an organised filing system to keep all your papers in one place or, better yet, on a computer. I have kept all my notes and must-be-remembered items on my phone to keep track of everything that needs to be kept in mind throughout the process to make things much easier to remember. Organisation is an essential aspect to creating a film whether you are the first Assistant Director or someone on set design. This comes in all aspects of the film, in the pre production, in production and in post production. I believe that I have been on top of my organisation, as I’ve been on time to the crew meetings as well as have met my deadlines with the directors and head of departments in order to help the progress in both of the films I am working on.

I have also learned a lot from the other masterclasses I have attended – that it is essential to establish a good relationship with your crew members in order to be able to work together. In order to succeed on set, I have learned that it is also important to keep myself happy and communicate with my colleagues and crew members in a positive and friendly manner. Stuart specifically highlighted the importance of feeding your crew, providing fuel to your crew members and even extra jackets will allow for a stronger relationship between them and an overall positive atmosphere created on set. Positivity and overall agreeable-ness will ultimately make other crew members more willing to be hardworking and also more collaborative as they feel comfortable. Therefore I will prioritise making an effort to befriend my crew members and make them feel comfortable in the space that they are working in.

As well as communication and effort into trying to make the space a comfortable one for crew and cast members. The masterclasses highlighted for me, the significance of putting in the work. Each masterclass presenter had emphasized their humble beginnings and had mentioned that if they had not put in the hard work they did, then they would not have been in the position they are in today. This has inspired me in making myself put in extra hard work, I believe I have done this by actually almost “over-communicating” with the directors of the projects I will be working on. I have really made myself try and understand the director’s artistic vision and have used my free time to carefully interpret what props and types of sets I am going to be making when I am on set/ before set.

The Prep Behind the Props used:

As production assistant, as part of the preparations for Anastasia’s set, I was accompanied by the Production Director Raaida for both the purpose of collecting prop items that were going to be used for the set through purchases, borrowings, and even by making the props myself.

As part of the props that Derealisation needed, there was clutter that was specific to the character ‘Albert’. We therefore needed to buy boy’s clothes in order to mess up the room in order to create the atmosphere of a messy young adult by making the room look like a messy apartment. Raaida and I therefore went on a shopping spree, looking at many different thrift shops in order to determine which clothing were more suitable and also to appropriately fit the price range of the director who was funding our transactions.

Additionally, as part of our effort to make this experience more realistic, we had to collect multiple bottles of alcohol from people who had empty bottles on set, in order to further emulate the experience. During my time as a production assistant, it was part of my role to ensure that whatever I could borrow would be borrowed in order to help the director to save some money as much as possible. In order to achieve this, it was necessary to ask around for certain props, other than the vodka and wine bottles. Also, I was able to get some carpets, bookshelves, even some bed sheets from a friend, which allowed me to save money on the set design work and make sure the entire process was as sustainable as possible.

I’ve learnt in seminars from both teachers and fellow film students – that set design can be awfully unsustainable, often making purchases that are not necessary as well as not going to be used anymore after the shoot. Therefore I made an effort to really try and emphasize the sustainability of the whole process, only buying items that I had really need to e.g picture frames and identical mugs. Otherwise I would mostly borrow, whether from the people around me or from the university, in order to make sure I wasn’t doing any unneeded spending.

The other part of the job included booking out multiple books from the Evolution House Library (EDINBURGH COLLEGE OF ART LIBRARY) for the purpose of again using them as props in the room layout for Abigail (the main character of Desrealisation) as well as styling the living room. I had to pick books that best matched the atmosphere that Anastasia (director) was trying to convey – selectively seeking out books that had a lighter colour and more pastel look to infer the feminine character of Abigail. Some of these books can be seen in the photo below next to the photo frame:

It was also necessary for me and Raaida to purchase flowers so that the room could be styled as Anastasia had desired and communicated.

During the course of making the props, Anastasia had communicated to me that she wanted one specific can that was crumpled, but in order not to draw attention to the brand of the can itself, I had to purchase a spray paint to spray over the can in order to not draw attention to it. It took me two attempts to spray paint the can as the first attempt just did not work because the paint simply slipped off the can when it was sprayed. In order to combat this, I decided that the most effective way to combat it would be to cover the surface of the can with masking tape so that it would become less slippery and have some texture on the surface so that the paint could stick to it more easily. Keeping the mess to a minimum, I used plastic to cover the can and keep it wrapped around it, preventing messes from occurring.

This is a photo of this process.

As part of my work, I also had to find and collate a bunch of posters for both Albert and Abigail as well as posters for the living room that would serve as decor for both of them. After I found these posters through online sources such as Pinterest, I had communicated with Anastasia (the director) before getting the green light to go ahead with printing them out physically.

Here is an album I made for the character Albert that I printed out using ECA’s printers:

One of the other things that I had to do to prepare for Anastasia’s film in terms of for props was to break a mug and break a photo frame. To do this without breaking continuity in her film I was to make two purchases of the same identical item and break one from each set whilst keeping the other item of the set intact. I found the easiest and safest way to do this to get the effect that Anastasia had wanted was to place each item in a seperate plastic bag and to hit a concrete wall or floor with it. That way it would not break into many pieces and also stay in the same bag.

Working on Set for Derealisation as a whole:

As production assistant I was sometimes made to leave set to retrieve items such as a hairdryer for the actress. I found that the best way to communicate and understand the directors needs was through communicating directly to the 1st AD and the producers who would give me exact details of what was needed on set as well as prevent any miscommunication with the director. From this experience, it is apparent to me that the director of the set is often going to be too busy to make smaller requests, having direct the actor, so I would try my best each day on set to ensure I only ask the director questions when urgently necessary, to make sure things would move as quickly and as efficiently as they could be.

As for communicating with the producers directly and also just overall making purchases for props to be used in the film – one of the key things that I had learnt was to always keep the receipt of anything and everything you bought that went towards the film. Overall this would remove any of the confusion of who bought what, how much it was exactly, where the purchases were made, and ultimately meant that everyone who had bought something for the film would get reimbursed appropriately and individually.

My work on set consisted of many different roles, some of the roles I had were runner jobs such as going out buying items, or even cleaning up after the sets. Around day 3, I had to also organise the rooms properly. This meant taking the belongings of people and placing it into a separate room to hopefully avoid excess clutter. On set, I realised the utter importance of being organised and carefully placing things into selective spaces. There were a few times that things would get lost, meaning we would lose time out of the day thus shoot, looking for the lost items instead of actually making progress by filming. I understand through this experience that time is the most valuable thing, and each second counts – as things can either go wrong, or unexpected and for both you need extra time to recollect and reorganise.

The focus of my work, as a production assistant, was mostly focused on dressing the rooms in order to match the Director’s vision of what they should look like. The other aspect of this was that it meant that after each process in which me and Raaida dressed the room, we would have to make sure that we had at the very least a photo of how the room had looked, so that we would be able to recreate the look after changing the set again. By doing this, we were able to figure out exactly how and where the props needed to be placed in the same way in order to make sure that continuity was maintained throughout the shoot.

Interestingly, I also worked closely with both the gaffer and cinematographer – helping them match their needs. Through working on Anastasia’s set, I’ve understood something I had not really fully realised prior and that was that set design was intertwined with many different roles on a set. With gaffing, it is specifically intertwined with the use of practical lighting or overall the effect of the lighting on the set, and with cinematography there are many layers, but one of them as an example, is making sure there are spaces in which the cinematographer can do her or his job without trampling on anything.

As an example that is relative to the work I did on the set, for the gaffer, I would put mesh lining on the windows to help emulate a brighter light while still matching the feminine attributes of Abigail’s character. I would also use this reflective material on the windows blocking out the light in order to make sure the set was as dark as possible to make it look like we were shooting in the night. An example of this is shown in the photo below:

The Sets that I had Designed in more Detail:

On the very first day (pre-production), Anastasia had asked me to come in, in order to make sure the set was designed purposefully for the next day. This had made things much easier for when the time came to actually film and shoot – as there was minimal things we had to do in order to change the set afterward, meaning I had more time to help around other than changing the sets, which I believe was useful to the crew members. The first set me and Raaida had designed was actually the main character’s bedroom (Abigail’s bedroom). In order to fit the Director’s brief – we had to feminize the room. The main difficulty was making the room look more feminine whilst having the walls be dark blue. We first questioned whether or not the best thing to do was to actually cover up the walls, but then realised that we didn’t want to mess up the airbnb’s walls so that was not the most full proof idea. The easiest and most efficient thing we could do was decided and was to place feminine posters on the wall as well as the use of flowers. The sheets were also changed into pink sheets and photo frames of the characters were put up to emulate some realism. Additionally, books were placed to line the window. I believe that this bare boned look also matched the brief Director Anastasia gave us as she highlighted the fact that Abigail’s character was an imaginative person therefore the director did not want the room to be cluttered with items but rather have a more simplistic atmosphere – emitting the idea that Abigail was not really interested in the material world, but rather the creative one.

Here is a photo of what the setup looked like one day before the shoot.

On the other days; I had to design the bathroom’s set. I was given three seperate briefs for the bathroom therefore I had to change it a couple of times during the week of the shoot. The first brief was short and simple: and that was to make the bathroom look like it had simply never been used. Anastasia had described what she wanted to look like a ‘mental’ bathroom – or rather a place that did not exist, except in for the character’s own mind. This lead Raaida and I to remove of all the items in the bathroom: handwash, towels, tissues and shampoo were all removed from the bathroom, making it look both vulnerable and empty.

The second brief was to essentially in Anastasia’s words “make this bathroom look like one of an alcoholic”, and really mess up the room to match the character of Albert (who was a messy and disorganised man). I had placed all of the empty bottles of alcohol lining the bathtub, the sink, next to the bathtub on the floor and also took a bunch of tissue and had really dampen them up placing them everywhere too. I had wet the floors, and used the soles of dirty shoes to dirty up the floor and had placed a dirty towel next to the sink too. The look ended up being perfect as it did fulfill the brief of looking disgusting.

Here are some photos:

The third and final bathroom brief was to make for Abigail and the brief was relatively simple. It was again to keep thing feminine and simple, not having clutter around and clearly making the bathroom look like it is owned by a woman at the very least. I had just reused the same flowers from her bedroom as well as put in some clean and organised towels, shampoo products and even my own hair dryer near the sink to give the full effect.

The other main focus of set design was the living room. The living room also had to be changed a couple times, to fit Anastasia’s wishes. Half of the time, the living room had to look like it was owned by Abigail; which meant the feminine and clean attributes had to be applied. I lined the windows with the bookshelves, and helped the gaffer put the mesh curtains to make the room feel lighter and ‘prettier’. There were fresh flowers also laid on the centre table and a white fluffy throw blanket on the couch to feminise the area even further. The carpet also followed in cohesion being of a lighter colour as me and Raaida tried to keep everything relatively of a pastel colour.

The living room also had to be set for Albert. This is when I had to use the reflective material to block in any of the sunlight coming from the windows, to make it look especially dark. Doing this, saved us time in the night so that we could focus on more shots that were more specific, or just more complex to take and even just so we had time to change the sets again. Albert’s living room’s brief was to make it look as messy as possible and almost like a teenager’s room with lots of clutter. I believe this was thoroughly achieved by me and Raaida. The clothes that we had gotten and borrowed were placed all over the place – giving the effect of dirty laundry and of a messy personality. We also used the same bottles of alcohol, placing it on the table, couch, floors to really emphasise the alcoholism of this character. Other empty trash from food and drink of the cast and crewmembers from the night before were used to further clutter the space. The physical posters that were shared by me and printed out, were also put up by me and Raaida. We decided to slant a few of the posters to present just how messy Albert’s character was. The costume design part of the production team also managed to borrow a pair of grubby sneakers that were just perfect for this set too. We also finally decided to tip over the table in the living room, really underlining the complete disorder of Albert’s character.

Here are a few photos:

The Conclusion and Overall Lesson:

To conclude with, I learnt of lot of lessons on the set, both specific to my role as the production designer and also as a working crew member helping make a film. The time I spent on Anastasia’s set will serve as a valuable experience for me especially in terms of learning how to communicate to crew members, and making sure to preserve kindness and humility in those conversations too. I believe that our crew worked efficiently together and we also earned a respect for each other too in the time spent together. This is due to the communication style that we chose to adopt. This is something I will definitely take on forward with me working on other sets.