For filmmakers, the words production value often bring to mind big, expensive, CGI-infused studio productions. As a more general concept, however, production value can be applied to any form of visual content, big and small. Production value, in its broadest sense, can be defined as the perceived value and quality of your film’s on-screen, visual assets – from your locations to your lighting, to set decorations and costumes. Good production value is a result of strong communication across creative and technical departments; when each stagecraft works together to tell your story, magic happens: the sum is greater than its parts and you captivate your audience through a believable story world.
We sat down with Production Designer and Art Director Tom Obed (The Invitation, Hunter Gatherer) to discuss tips for increasing your film’s production value – no matter the size of your budget.
Maddie: What inspired you to become a Production Designer and Art Director?
Tom: I studied both architecture and film in school, so there was always this desire to do both. Once I took certain jobs within the art department in the film world, I started to see that there was actually a spot for my architectural desire. So, I just sort of naturally gravitated towards production design and art directing as it filled both my interests.
Maddie: When scouting locations, what are some of the things to look out for that will instantly add value to your production?
Tom: Start by looking for a location that has a sense of history and lived-in quality to it. If you’re going to shoot an old, abandoned theater, and if you can find an old, abandoned theater – that’s going to be more than half the battle. Even if you don’t see the whole location on the screen, just being present in that space can affect the production value greatly. The actors, for instance, will feel it more, and that will come out in their performance. If people want to go off script and improv, you have the freedom to follow them. If you’re working with a new theater, it’s going to take time to age it down and create that layer of dust and grime. Finding a location that fits your story should be the priority, however, also being willing to compromise is really important.
Maddie: Can you talk more about being willing to compromise on locations?
Tom: Compromise has to do with communication – finding out what the director and the producers really need. For instance, if the shot takes place in a restaurant, you need to ask: what is the audience really seeing in the shot? Are we seeing a table? Is there a wall behind the actors? What do we truly need in the shot to tell that story? If you can’t find the perfect fancy restaurant, then bring in the key elements that will sell it and quickly convey we are in a fancy restaurant.
Maddie: Say for financial reasons you have to settle for shooting in your friend’s apartment. What are some ways to make the most out of this type of location?
Tom: I utilize portions of the person’s furniture or art, or anything that is readily available. Then I work on editing out what doesn’t quite fit with the story and supplementing with things that I bring in. It’s always good to get the broad strokes taken care of. Look for bigger set pieces that you don’t have to bring in yourself because that takes time and money. Once you have a few of those bigger set pieces, you can start to build the world around that, as long as it fits the story.
Maddie: Our community creates a lot of branded content. Do you have any advice for filmmakers who have to build creative and visual content around the needs of a brand?
Tom: Nowadays, branded content is capable of holding a storyline on its own where the brand becomes almost secondary to the story. Working on branded content commercials is slightly trickier, in my opinion, because you have a lot of tastes that you have to accommodate for. But if you have a brand or client that is willing to take a chance, that’s probably the best-case scenario. The best commercials are when you feel like you’re not being sold anything - that what you’re watching is just part of the lifestyle that goes along with the brand.
Maddie: One of the many challenges facing low-budget productions is creating a consistent atmosphere across multiple locations. What can filmmakers do to help maintain the look and feel of their film?
Tom: While the directors and producers are steering the ship, it’s helpful to start talking to the DP, gaffer, and wardrobe to begin building a style around each character. For instance, if you wanted to assign color to a character, you can show the change in their emotion over time. If a character is becoming bolder, then maybe the colors around them become bolder, the lighting becomes more stark and maybe the wardrobe choices become more provocative. By communicating with other departments, you are ensuring that the lighting matches the set dressings, matches the wardrobe, and there are no conflicts in those areas. This will help create a unified tone or mood and build the digital roadmap of what colors and textures are critical to your story.
Maddie: What are some things to watch for that can take the audience out of the story?
Tom: If it’s a period piece and somebody has an object that doesn’t quite fit the time period, then that might take me out of it for a second. Something that I’ve been seeing a lot recently is product placement where people orient the product and logo to the camera and you see it over and over again. If you’re going to use a product placement maybe make it not so overt and perhaps if you’re worried about upsetting the people who own the product, just give them a heads up and let them know it’s not going to be the focal point of the story.
We hope you learned a thing or two about the importance of production design. Feel free to comment and share your own tips and advice for increasing production value. To see more of Tom's work, check out his IMBD page here: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3798071/.
