product design
Production Design
set design / storytelling
Chekka Chivantha Vaanam (2018)
(Bright Red Sky)
Project
Chekka Chivantha Vaanam (Indian feature film)
Team
Sharmishta Roy, Krithika Balasubramanian,
Shrimathy Karthikeyan, Shoumini Roy, Shalvika Prakash
Role
Set Dresser
Chekka Chivantha Vaanam (bright red sky) is an Indian feature film directed and produced by Mani Ratnam. The story is about sibling rivalry between three brothers and how they are vying to take over the family business. I joined the team as a set dresser. It was an exhilarating experience assisting the award-winning production designer, Sharmishta Roy. I worked closely with the designer, designing and constructing all the sets, putting together the mood board of the film, and dressing the scenes.
Check out the official trailer below!
Process
We went through several design steps to achieve what we see on the big screen. It involved us working with the director's vision, the writer's story, and the producer's budget - to showcase the characters' personality and the mood of the scenes to help tell the story at its best.
Study / Analyze
We study the main characters and the scenes involving them to create a one-line breakdown capturing the key attributes.
Mood board
A color scheme is evolved to reflect the mood of the film.
Script Reading
Empathizing with the characters, we understand the envisioned mood and setting of the film
We put together a somber tone of colors to reflect the mood of rivalry, rage, and vengeance involved in the film's plot
Color Palette
Share
We share the design ideas with the director and improve it based on his insights and comments
Design Layout
Based on the given locations and existing space, we design a layout for every set
Location Recce
For every set, the managers find us locations where we can manipulate the space to our needs
Layout of Sena's house
Sena - lead character. He is portrayed to be the head of the largest mafia in the city of Chennai. He lives a luxurious and classy life while keeping his traditional and cultural practices close.
Dress
After all the construction, the sets are dressed and accessorized to make it look lived-in using the sourced props
Build
The dummy walls, cladding, and furniture that needs to be made are constructed based on the approved designs
Source
Respecting the budget of the sets, the required furniture, props, and fabrics are either rented/bought/made subject to local availability
Sena's Bedroom
This is a still from the movie reflecting Sena's personality, interests, and beliefs. The image also expresses his emotions and the mood of the scene through the somber color palette.
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jaroka-styled head board
contemporary art
grey-brown walls
south indian wall hanging motifs
lord krishna's painting
SENA
grey-brown pillow cases
burnt umber toned sheets
Play the clip to see more of Sena's house from the movie!
© madras talkies
Parvathy's house
Another major set of the movie is the house of a journalist who is involved in an affair with Sena's eldest son. This space is designed to reflect the young girl's quirky lifestyle who lives alone in a studio apartment in the city.
© madras talkies
© madras talkies
Concept sketch
Still from the movie reflecting the mistress/journalist's character and lifestyle in the background
Parvathy's veranda
PARVATHY
Play the clip to see more of Parvathy's house from the movie!
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More sets and stills from the movie
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Note : All content on this page is owned by madras talkies. All images and video clips are used only to present my experiences of the set design process for the sole purpose of my portfolio website and no other reasons.