Designing Emotion: How Production Design Shapes the Story

When I’m working on production design, I’m not just putting random pretty things into a frame.

I’m usually thinking: what kind of space would this character actually live in?

Even if it’s just a short scene or a commercial, I like to imagine their life — what kind of mess they leave behind, what they’ve owned for years, what they forgot to throw out.

I enjoy that part the most. Trying to make a space feel real.

Not clean and perfect, but full of small details that say something about the person inside it.

I always ask: “Who lives here?”

That’s my starting point. Always. Because the space is part of the story. Before I source props or furniture, I sit and imagine: What kind of life does this person live? What would they keep? What would they throw away?

When I’m doing that, I feel like I’m building a little world — not a fancy set, but a life.

Messy, layered, emotional

My style isn’t clean or minimal. I like when things feel layered, maybe even a bit chaotic — but still thoughtful.

I love playing with color and texture to shape how a scene feels.

Soft tones make things feel nostalgic or calm. Bright, clashing colors bring tension or energy.

Sometimes I don’t plan it too deeply — I just follow my gut and adjust things until the space feels right.

I also love finding props that just feel right. Not perfect decoration, but signs of life — a tissue box that looks familiar, a fan that hums in the background, a bowl that’s a bit too old but still used every day.

Why this matters

I feel like production design adds the emotional layer underneath everything.

The audience might not always notice it directly, but it affects how they feel. It helps them understand: Who this person is? What kind of world they live in? What’s going on inside them?

And for me — I really enjoy telling a story through production design. From pre-pro to post, it’s one of my favorite parts of filmmaking.

Thanks for reading :)

Well, I’m still learning and experimenting every project, but I hope you enjoyed this little look into my process.

If you ever wanna talk props, colors, or anything really — I’m always down!

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