When I first started studying film, my vision for how I was going to make my creative voice was entirely different to where I find myself now. Through my experience on the Just Ask Daisy set, I discovered when my future creative journey could look like. When I began thinking of how I could collaborate within this production, the subtle performance of production design became like a neon light pointing me towards what I was meant to do and this production ended up being my first major opportunity to explore what that role entails.
In this role, I gained responsibility through leading the full art department and developing the visual look of the Just Ask Daisy universe from words on a page to the live action set. It challenged my creativity whilst teaching me lessons on how the department and role experiences collaboration, adaptability and leadership. I found my main role as production designer was to create and maintain one cohesive visual identity of Just Ask Daisy. From the early stages of pre-production, I was collaboratively working with the Director, Producers and DOP to create a singular aesthetic that supported and subtly reinforces the story and its themes.
It all started with me reading the script and imagining how their world would become a reality. Once I had my base idea, I began researching the period and working out how to put a futuristic twist on it as the story is set within a retro futuristic 70s Australia. This setting ended up strangely being both very specific and very broad at the same time. I created colour pallets and mood boards to help portray my vision to the wider production team. Once my basic vision was communicated, I moved onto developing floor plans and digital 3D models that department heads could interact with before we had the physical space.
During this time, I also attended several location scouting sessions to get an understanding of the space we would be working within. Once my visual concepts were approved, my team and I began sourcing furniture, props and costumes. During this time, I was also managing the production design budget so that each sub-department had the resources they needed. Bump in went somewhat smoothly. On our first official bump in day, we moved in our original order from our prop and set source. It quickly became clear that we didn’t have enough things and the space felt empty. So, I got back in contact with our provider and organised a time for us to go back and pick out more. With approval from them, we went back, picked an abundance of things and moved the last lot into the space. Once bump in was complete, the other departments were able to come in and look around the interactive space in preparation for the start of shooting.
One of the only major challenges I faced during my time on Just Ask Daisy was our first day of shoot. We had to bump in any changes we were making to the kitchen location, the day of shooting. The kitchen, whilst it fit the needs of the shoot structurally, didn’t fit with the colour palette and aesthetic of the film. The most noticeable issue was that the cabinetry that ran the full length of the room was blue. This seriously conflicted with the warm and carefully chosen colour scheme I wanted to create.
In the initial schedule there was time allocated for the complete kitchen transformation. This however, upon the commencement of filming, became practically unusable. Because filming was taking place very close by, the set up would have caused excessive noise and disruption for the shoot. This prompted a need for me to work out a different approach so we could complete the set up without affecting production. After a discussion with the team, we decided to adjust our break time to create an uninterrupted window of time when the other departments weren’t filming. Rather than taking a lunch break with the rest of the crew, we worked through that period right up until the first shot in the kitchen was called. This adjustment allowed us to maximise any available time.
The main issue with this bump in was the fact that we needed to change the colour of the cabinets. To do that I decided that we would temporarily cover the cabinets with wallpaper. Whilst, in the planning stages, this seemed like a smooth solution to our problem, the application proved more difficult than anticipated. To put more pressure on our time crunch, the wallpaper kept tearing during installation, forcing us to take more time and care as we went. Despite these setbacks, our department pulled through and the set ended up looking great when the camera and lighting crews came in to set up.
The challenge of this shoot day unfortunately didn’t end at the set up. Due to scheduling, we only had eight hours in this location and thus at the end of the day, we had to carefully remove everything we had installed earlier. While physically demanding, the art department efficiently and effectively restored the kitchen to its original condition. This experience really showed me how production design exists beyond just the creative theoretical parts of the role.
Looking back at my time on the Just Ask Daisy production, the experience has provided me with an interesting insight into the role of a Production Designer. From the visual development in pre-production to managing the art department through our production week, I feel like I have strengthened my confidence and understanding of what I want to do with my future. It taught me how to balance my creative ambition with practical limitation while also collaborating with all departments in a film crew. I would like to say that my time of Just Ask Daisy has confirmed where my creative interests really lie and has motivated me to pursue opportunities within this creative field.
Thank you,
Lily.
