If you're like me, you spent too much of your low-budget
filmmaking career soldiering on with no one in the specialized
position of Art Director. Oh, you might have had a producer
or props person who tried to cover this position along with
about three other ones, but there is something truly magical
about having someone whose sole job is to oversee the sculpting
of the world that the actors breathe life into and which
the cinematographer captures.
I was reminded of this as we were shooting Depleted:
Day 419, in which we brought on Sarah Jane Gray as our
Art Director. While artistic personalities can be flighty,
Sarah Jane's a combination of the true artist and the responsible
individual that's learned how to make deadlines. She had
never Art Directed a film before, so she was at first concerned
that she might not be up to the task. However, once she
came on board and saw how well the job complimented her
sensibilities, she rose to the challenge like a champ.
Depleted: Day 419 is definitely the most challenging
film I've ever directed, as it required a fully sculpted
sci-fi world to be filmed in only four days, including major
action components like a complex slo-mo gun fight. As such,
the art direction was extremely important, since the buildings
and interiors had to look as though they were left over
after general scavenging had gutted out most of the valuable
items. This required massive amounts of work from Sarah
Jane and her team of helpers, but, in the end, was extremely
effective. (Additionally, the creation of a forging studio
for the film's heroine was a work of genius.)
With the elaborate shots required of an action film in
so short a period of time, the art direction had to dovetail
perfectly into the choreography, as well as into the cinematography
and lighting. Because of the hard work of the folks in all
of these areas, it all came together amazingly well, especially
considering how exhausted everyone was.
While, obviously, most low-budget films don't require as
many elements as we put in Depleted: Day 419, it's
still something to consider when setting up your crew list,
even if your film is a "slice-of-life" or a romantic
comedy. If you can find a reliable artistic person who can
oversee the world you're wanting to create as Art Director,
you're far more likely to come up with a film you'll be
proud of in the long run! And, if you've already found someone
who does this job well for you, be sure to be extra nice
to them, as they probably get a lot less recognition than
they deserve!
Just something to think about!
God Bless,
Jeremy Hanke
Editor
Microfilmmaker Magazine
