Use Design to Tell a Story?
Many people think of production design as what’s on the surface: the design of various elements we see in movies. But as veteran production designer Alex McDowell notes, it’s more about the “connective tissue” that holds all those design elements— environments, objects, and characters—together. McDowell talks more about using production design to enhance a movie’s story in the interview below. Watch the video and then consider the questions that follow.
After watching the interview with Alex McDowell, consider the questions below. Then submit your response.
1. Why does McDowell say what's off-screen in a movie is just as important as what's on screen?
2. What other movies can you think of that used design elements to tell their stories, and how did they achieve that effect?