Shaping Dreams: Design Ideas and Design Fiction in Movie and Television Production Design

Abstract

The aim of this article is to show how the design process influences the planning and development of moving images, i.e., live-action movies, animation, and television. The paper documents the significance of design in the early stages of film and television production and shows how industry practitioners value the contribution of designers in developing the narrative through visual support. The paper suggests a comparison of design and screenplay research and analysis. In addition, it touches on the subject of design fiction in the case of a project involving collaboration of production design students from The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Design, and screenwriting and producer students from The National Film School of Denmark. Finally, this article provides insight into one of the newer trans-disciplinary developments in design, namely the cross-pollination taking place between the fields of design research and film research. As a result, the paper contributes to our understanding of the expanding concept of design.