Art Direction
Detour, 2019
Short Film
Role: Art Director, Costume Designer
Detour is the story of two teens, Shama and Claire, looking for adventure in a road trip through rural Michigan after hitting a mid-semester lull. While encountering car troubles and relationship troubles, Shama ruminates on her sexuality after a pivotal experience.
PROCESS:
After reading the script, I collected an inspiration board.
Inspirations include: The Green Ray (Marc Rohmer 1986), Paris, Texas (Wim Wenders 1984), Photographer Alex Prager, Photographer Elaine Constantine, Photographer Gregory Crewdson, and Mark Rothko.
I collaborated with the director to plan the color transitions between scenes to parallel Shama’s energy and emotions. I then scouted locations around the University of Michigan.
Once locations were set and I better understood the characters through additional communication with Director/Screenwriter, I researched depictions of the “effortless, colorful cool girl.” I found inspiration in Assassination Nation (Sam Levinson 2018), Spring Breakers (Harmony Korine 2012), The Green Ray (Eric Rohmer 1986) and teen instagram style influencers.
Sketches of the shots next to their outcomes.
Water Scene
Initial expectation to shoot during warm weather and allow Shama to float/swim in the lake with aerial shots.
Kitchen Scene
White kitchen wall set up
Claire’s Bedroom
While weather changed and Shama could not go in the water, to depict sublimeness, I chose a set in between seasons as a symbol of the character’s liminality and contemplation through transition.
Set for a morning scene in the kitchen.
Artificially made light reflection
“Morning light” set up.
Messy teen bedroom in the 2010s.
My work focused on depicting the different spheres in which Shama’s comfort regarding her sexuality and gender changes.
In a liberating head-shaving scene, I choose to use a pastel pink-tiled bathroom to reference a loss of innocence and conformity as she leaves behind what had made her feel out of body.
Throughout the film, I dress Shama in earth tones and place her in natural imagery to emphasize her groundings to her own nature and search for the outward expression of such.
Stills from Film:
