My One & Only Love - Callnoir Productions
Film: My One & Only Love
Director: Lana Luchka
Producer: Dar Williams
My main role this semester was production designer/art director for the film My One and Only Love, directed by Lana Luchka.
During preproduction Lana and I have discussed color palettes, locations and costumes. I shared her vision in many things, disagreed in some. We have discussed many possibilities. I have done research into music composition competitions that Alfred could have potentionally won and made diplomas for his Bachelor and Masters degree in music composition. I have made 3 medals (from the competitions) that were supposed to be on display in his apartment, but in the end I didn’t figure out where to place them on location as I have filled the space with other different props. Most of the props used in the film were bought on Amazon, baby (a doll) and baby carrier wrap were from a store near Brent Cross shopping centre. On first shooting location, the diner, there was an empty wall that needed to be filled with a couple of images, which I’m not sure appeared in the film, but it had been done. Before the start of production I have discussed the costumes with the actors and we decided to use their own clothes, out of comfort for the elderly people as well as to try cutting down the budget. I did the make-up of the actress with hers or my own make up kit, which worked out quite decent in my opinion.
While choosing and discussing locations there seemed to be a slight issues in Douglas’s attitude towards me as a production designer. Douglas’s role was camera operator and assistant DoP as far as I remember. We were looking at pictures of places we have gone location scouting and I was deciding between a white-furnished Victorian house with a white piano in it. I knew that it would look quite flat on camera, but our other option was (also) a Victorian house with quite badly matched green drapes and bare walls with mirrors on them - which doesn’t make them bare but difficult to film in because of reflections. I was discussing the options’ pros and cons with Lana and Dar and I have to say I was slightly biased towards the white Victorian house rather than the green one. Douglas seemed to not like it and started opposing rather strongly, to the point where I didn’t feel comfortable in his presence. At that point Dar said we need a break and Lana went for a cigarette, Dar and Douglas joining her. Douglas did not return after the break and I have been told that if we keep that white-furnished Victorian house, he will leave the group and the film. Might sound ridiculous to someone, who doesn’t know him well, but I knew this was his attitude to solving problems. I dared to crack a joke at this moment saying if we went with the green drapes, I would be leaving the group, which didn’t seem like a joke to Lana as she with all seriousness said that there is no way she is doing this film without me and she would rather drop Douglas. In the end none of this happened because we found out that the rental price of the white-furnished house would be much higher and it wasn’t quite worth it, since I had known I could try something with the other house, to make it look slightly better.
During the shoot the only problems we really ran into were weather problems, due to which some shots had to be cut and that logically doesn’t leave any director too happy. The atmosphere on set was good, problems that have arisen (like in any other production) had been solved in a logical (adult) way and now the film has moved into post production and I hope Adelina, the music composer, will make some amazing music as this film deserves it (with the budget it had).
