The art of production design

One of the most important elements to the success of a movie is the production design. How many times have you watched a film and marveled at how authentic it feels, how true it is to the milieu in which the story takes place?

All of that is the job of the production designer. A production designer is particularly challenging in costume and period movies and in films where the setting is integral to the story. “Isa sa pinaka-importanteng elemento ng pelikula ay ang production design, kasi ito ang nagbibigay ng buhay at kulay na ikagaganda ng pelikula,” says production designer Ben Payumo, who has worked alongside some of the top directors in the industry, including Tikoy Aguiluz, Joel Lamangan and Celso Ad Castillo. On the small screen, his work has been seen in shows like Kung Ako’y Iiwan Mo and Mara Clara. He also handled the production design for Mano Po 6: A Mother’s Love. On his shelf at home sit trophies from various award-giving bodies, like the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), the FAMAS, URIAN and Star Awards, given in recognition of his work. It has been a long journey for this AB Political Science and History graduate who has found a rewarding career as a production designer.

In addition to creating the atmosphere for a film or TV show, production design works together with cinematography, direction and editing — and a good story and script — to make a hit.

Payumo says that good production design helps make a TV show more truthful and realistic. But it is not a matter of simply finding the elements and bringing them together onscreen. It is actually a long process that begins with research. A good production designer also has to be very creative and able to work within his budget. It is easy to go overboard in creating an authentic look for a film or TV show, but if the production designer is careful, the result is always a well-crafted film.

In his latest film, Intoy Syokoy ng Kalye Marino (for which he won the Best Production Design award at the Cinemalaya 2012 filmfest), the process of creating the look began with thorough research into the tahong culture. That is because the title character of Intoy, played by JM de Guzman, is a magtatahong who falls in love with a prostitute. He had to study even how to grow tahong, from the time it sprouts to the time it is ready to be harvested.

Payumo also made several trips to Cavite to check out Kalye Marino, which is now C. Dones Street. Some of the information he had was culled from visiting the place over a period of 20 years. This, he says was important. He had to imbibe the culture to be able to re-create it. This often meant spending long hours immersed in water, and under the heat of the sun for them to know what tahong farmers felt like. “Lahat ng elemento ng tahong culture, pinag-aralan ko with the help of the people of Kalye Marino,” he explains.

Research began with the time after the Americans left Cavite. “There was a nose dive in business and great economic changes during that time,” he says. “I was fortunate enough to see what Sangley Point was like before and after the US Navy left. That helped me create a visual look of Kalye Marino.”

But production design is not just in the grand gestures. Even the small things matter: Little touches like decorative items on the set, flags, even the colors of the props used. A production designer looks at everything, right down to the smallest detail. Because if even one element is out of place, it can ruin the whole look of a film and affect its credibility. “Itong mga detalye na ito yung nagpapatingkad ng pelikula,” explains Payumo, who has been a production designer for nearly two decades. His first film was Hula, which was directed by Maning Borlaza, and starring Niño Muhlach and Hero Bautista. “Yung mga maliliit na bagay, gaya dito sa Intoy Syokoy, mga lumang US flags and Navy and Marine seals, old photos ng Seventh Fleet, mga American Navy at Marines, at ang bago sa paningin ng tao, ang tahong culture, na unang makikita dito.”

A production designer is trained to always look at the bigger picture while staying faithful to the small details. Some production designers have gone on to become directors, such as Dante Nico “Ga” Garcia, who directed Judy Ann Santos in Ploning. Asked if he would want to branch out into directing one day, Payumo says: “Maligaya na ako sa pagiging isang Production Designer. Pero hindi ko isinasara ang pinto sa pagdi-direk, kung may magandang story at script, why not?”