Designing Indie Horror: The Production Design of 'Obsession'
About this episode
GG Hawkins interviews production designer Vivian Gray about her work on the indie horror film 'Obsession'.
GG Hawkins speaks with production designer Vivian Gray about building the visual world of Obsession, from Southern Gothic references and texture-heavy interiors to practical blood gags and micro-budget problem-solving. They discuss what a production designer actually does, how Gray collaborated with the director, cinematographer, costume designer, and art team, and why color, texture, aging, and window treatments can make a major difference on an indie horror film. In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guest Vivian Gray discuss... What a production designer does and how the role shapes the visual world of a film How Vivian Gray landed the job on Obsession through a recommendation and visual pitch deck Building the film’s Southern Gothic and Midwestern Gothic-inspired visual language Why production designers should come onto a project as early as possible Collaborating with cinematography, costumes, props, set decoration, lighting, and graphic design How a small indie crew used hands-on collaboration to make the film’s world feel cohesive Designing horror environments through texture, color, maximalism, and unease Practical lessons from blood gags, aging props, window…
People in this episode
Host: GG Hawkins
Guest: Vivian Gray
Topics covered
- production design
- indie horror
- collaboration
- visual storytelling
- micro-budget filmmaking
- Southern Gothic
Keywords
- production designer
- indie film
- horror environments
- visual pitch deck
- collaboration
- set dressing
- blood gags
- micro-budget
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Obsession
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- How Microbudget ‘Sour Party’ Became a Steven Soderbergh Presents
- Secrets to an Oscar Short Film Campaign with Julia Aks and Steve Pinder
- The Assistant Route: Networking, Mentorship, and Building a Film Career & Community
- How a $7K, 7-Day Movie Built Around One Extraordinary Person Became a Festival Hit
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