Critical Evaluation

As Art Director for ‘A Matter of Life and Rent’ I was trying to create a perception of a very grimy, dull unpleasant world within the aesthetics of the story. Even though the story is set in modern day I wanted to create a very industrial eighties appearance, a setting of filthy factories, dull grey smoke clouds, dirty bricked terrace houses, colours that reflect rust, grittiness and gloominess. This is because I believed this look for the film would work well with the dark storyline and tone along with its dry and bleak humour used from the characters.

The location used for the kitchen scenes in many ways helped me achieve this task as it had features that fit in with my plans for the set design. The house had a bland decoration design with no defining features or characteristics. It had plain dark cream walls, unpainted, unvarnished wooden doors, a wooden stable door as a backdoor and a fireplace wall with original brick walls painted over in white. All this helped me plan the location around my art design rather than have to set-up my art direction around the house. However the kitchen did contain modern cupboards but I do feel that it didn’t ruin the tone I was trying to achieve.

I used a number retro, unattractive clay pots, mugs and kitchen accessories with different shades of grey and brown to clutter the kitchen counters to make the impression of a dirty untidy appearance. There were student notice boards on the walls which I covered with dull coloured rugs, I thought this would help along with the props to defend the grimy design. However watching the film back I believe the rugs don’t create this effect at all but it does however I feel create an effect of a student ‘hippy’ house which also works well with the dirty student house look without looking like unaesthetically appealing student house.

I planned the costumes of the characters Adam, Max and Tony the landlord from their personality and characteristics portrayed in the script. Adam, who is very nerdy, guarded and shy I planned his costume to be very over hanging (wearing clothes to big) washed out bland colours. I created Max’s costume for him to be wearing a smart black shirt and tie to reflect his confidence, coldness and selfishness and his actions towards the dark dilemma within the storyline.  Tony’s costume was straightforward to create as the film was a follow on from the 2min film exercise earlier in the year that focused on Tony only giving him more story and emotion to Tonys character, who is killed at the very beginning of the ten minute film. I used his costume used in the 2min film to work with his character that is dark, cruel and idle.