Production Design

Production design is an essential component of every movie and it is comprised of various elements combined into one large umbrella term. Almost every aspect of what the viewer sees is a part of production design. Production design covers such topics such as color, use of space, props, outfits, and architecture. Some prime examples of these particular subjects can be seen in Moonrise Kingdom which I will use to discuss these topics of production design. The use of color in production design is a very prolific part that many viewers might not even notice. Color can set the mood for the audience, make people, areas, or objects stand out, or show a transition in a character’s personality. In Moonrise Kingdom all these uses can be recognized, such as the overwhelming use of yellow in the beginning, but as the mood intensifies and the storm gets worse the scenes take on a darker color scheme. This takes the viewer from a blissful mood to a tense mood as the kids are on the verge of being caught by the authorities. The use of color to create discord between objects or people can be seen when it is used on Suzy throughout the movie. Her outfit is one of the only uses of pink in the movie as well as her blue eyeshadow being one of the few uses of blue. This is done to make her look out of place which is the way she feels about herself. Suzy’s outfit is also used to show a transition, because as she becomes comfortable with her surroundings she wears a beret that is not pink which makes her color stand out less among all the others. The other major part of production design employed in Moonrise Kingdom was the use of space. Use of space can be divided into three main elements, those being architecture, size and scale, and geography. Geography is where the movie takes place in the world, and is the least important element in Moonrise Kingdom because the exact part of the world the movie takes place in is not given. Architecture is the way sets and buildings are layed out to provide information without directly telling the audience. In Moonrise Kingdom architecture is utilized more than geography. One such example is Camp Ivanhoe. The camp is layed out with very straight and orderly rows of tents, illustrating to the viewer how strict the lives of the Khaki Scouts are. The use of size and scale are not major parts of the movie. The most essential areas of production design are the use of props and outfits. Which are used intricately in Moonrise Kingdom. Every single outfit provides insight into the character, or tells the audience something without speaking out loud. Suzy’s outfit and Sunday shoes show her inexperience with the woods while Sam’s raccoon cap and scout outfit display his wilderness expertise. We can see the strictness of the camp leader by his perfectly groomed scout outfit as well as the coldness of the Child Services Lady by her outfit. The selection of props are essential. They can advance the plot or provide additional information to the watcher.  These props can provide obvious information, or be more passive about what they are telling the audience. An example of a less obvious use of props was observed in the Scout Master’s tent. Towards the end of the movie the Scoutmaster now has a picture of the female phone operator he met during the movie thus showing their relationship that we would not have noticed otherwise. A more noticeable use of props occurs when Sam and Suzy take inventory of their belongings. Suzy brings several items that express her character. She brings a music player exemplifying her naivety for surviving in the woods. She also brings several books displaying her love of reading, sense of adventure, and her kleptomania. Her love of books and troubled nature are combined when she takes a book from her parents about dealing with a very troubled child. Overall there are many different parts of production design that must come together to make a good movie.