Production designer Ruth de Jong, costume designer Amy Roth and editor Sarah Broshar shared insights into their creative processes during IndieWire’s “Behind Their Lens” artisans panel at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival. The discussion focused on how seemingly subtle choices can give a film greater authenticity and emotional force.
De Jong described the practical challenges involved in creating the Trojan Horse for “The Odyssey.” The design had to accommodate the actors, an IMAX camera, cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema and director Christopher Nolan. The production built several versions of the horse, including a separate section for a scene in which it was lowered into a tank near the film’s city of Troy set.
The horse also acquired some of its battle-worn appearance through the filming process itself. Mounted to a large trench plate and placed in the waves with the help of a dredger, it endured several tests before falling and requiring an overnight rebuild. De Jong said the physical process contributed to the finished look, emphasizing that natural elements can be difficult to control.
For De Jong, production design should ultimately recede from the audience’s attention. She said that if sets appear too obvious, they have not fulfilled their purpose: the actors should remain immersed in their world while viewers become absorbed in it as well.
Roth discussed a similarly understated approach to costume design on “I Play Rocky” and “Paper Tiger.” For “I Play Rocky,” she used clothing to suggest the development of the character played by Anthony, drawing connections to a future version of Sylvester Stallone while reflecting the character’s focus on his body. Layering the clothes helped shape his silhouette and limited the actor’s ability to appear more physically developed too early in the story.
On “Paper Tiger,” Roth coordinated the costumes with the beige interiors to reflect the changing position of the characters within the story. She explained that the mother gradually begins to blend into the walls, with both parents fading into the background as the narrative progresses.
Broshar spoke about the intuitive relationship she has developed with director Steven Spielberg through their repeated collaborations. Spending long periods together in the editing room has created a shorthand in which reactions and small gestures can communicate ideas without extensive explanation. She also described watching cuts while monitoring her own attention, since tension, distraction or thoughts unrelated to the scene can signal that something is not working.
Sound became another tool for creating surprise in the train chase from “Disclosure Day.” Broshar said the editing team repeatedly refined the timing, volume and distance of the train’s sound, asking her assistants to continue developing the sequence before Gary Rydstrom, Bryan Chomier and their team completed the final sound work.
Across production design, costume and editing, the panelists emphasized that unexpected details and carefully judged flourishes can make each filmmaking department feel active and responsive to the story.
Sources: IndieWire.