Designing Indie Horror: The Production Design of '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 treatments, and set dressing The highest-impact production design choices for micro-budget filmmakers Vivian’s advice for aspiring production designers Memorable Quotes: “My job basically is I'm in charge of the visual design of the film and the visual world.” “Because they have nothing to shoot until there's something to shoot, right?” “Everything has to have a texture.” “I think it is color and texture. It's going to make the biggest impacts in your film, from my experience.” Guests: Vivian Gray Resources: Obsession on IMDb Universal Studios Prop House & Drapery The Hand Prop Room Find No Film School everywhere: On the Web: No Film School Facebook: No Film School on Facebook Twitter: No Film School on Twitter YouTube: No Film School on YouTube Instagram: No Film School on Instagram 📩 Send us an email with questions or feedback: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices