designs

"Designs," my thesis film for Modern Culture and Media Production at Brown University, is a culmination of my skills as a set designer, a filmmaker, and a compassionate storyteller.

Built on a 1':1" scale, the film follows Emily (voiced by Nicole Martinez), a young scenic designer who struggles to create a set for a devised play, that is, a play without a script. The film is an exploration of depression, anxiety, expectations, and expression. I set out to tell a story about mental illness as it pertains to creativity, but also to work.

The use of the scale was extremely important and necessary for the telling of the story, both as it relates to the model-making of scenic design, as well as its use as a storytelling device. As Emily tries to articulate her designs, and as those ideas along with her motivation fails her, the world around her shifts and degrades.

"Designs" was inspired by the work of Todd Haynes, Jan Švankmajer, the Brothers Quay, and Narcissa Niblack Thorne.

The film runs 20 minutes and was completed with the help of an exquisite cast and crew, my two advisors, Tony Cokes and Renée Surprenant, as well as the support of the MCM department and the Brown Arts Initiative.