EXPERIENCE

AWARD WINNING

COCA-COLA REFRESHING FILMS SHORT

RIT was selected to create a film for COCA-COLA refreshing films. This film is the first COCA-COLA short to feature deaf/hard of hearing individuals.

What made this set so special was that we had several key crew members that were also deaf or hard of hearing, including members of the camera team and sound, as well as the producer.

We followed set protocols and followed proper etiquette to communicate and collaborate with our deaf and hard of hearing members, whether that be through practicing sign or getting aid from interpreters.

I worked in the art department for this production. I worked as an art assistant. This consisted of creating and sourcing props in pre-production, and lots of running around during the two overnight shoots during production.

Our job as the art team was to dress the theater by putting up original posters, covering logos, as well as strategically placing and manipulating Coca-Cola products in the frame.

CAPSTONE FILM: A BUS TO NOWHERE

A Bus to Nowhere tells the story of a young Dominican woman who travels to her aunts failing motel. She debates her dreams and family ties. It was directed by Lidmercy Marrero, shot by Dallas Calkins, and produced by Kimberly Mac for their Senior Year Capstone Film.

On this project I served as the Production Designer. Pre-production lasted several months as the script went through many revisions and tonal changes. Throughout this process, I would do break downs on every version of the script, and then move on to creating color palettes and establishing the aesthetic of the film in relation to the tone.

This film was shot entirely in one of the soundstages at RIT, meaning that every set had be constructed out of flats. There were five different rooms that needed to be designed and built all over the course of a few days, making this a very large undertaking.

Luckily, I had an incredible art team to support the construction of the sets, as well as makeup and wardrobe.

To dress the sets, I would create diagrams with the director and DP, and from there, I would begin the process of desiring the set. Our budget was quite limited as this was a student production, but this really allowed for the crew to come together and think creatively about solutions on how to best shoot the film with the resources that we had.

For this script, I was able to experiment lots with color and vibrant props to dress the set. Artwork was sourced from open source art galleries, props were scavenged at thrift stores, the school theater program, as well as some online purchases. The paint and wardrobe went through several phases of trial and error before we found a pallet that we truly loved.