Set Design Research

One Week Until Filming

As we get closer to the filming date we need to finalize our set and gather our props. On top of that we need to gather the props that we wanted to write the credits on. Before finalizing any set designs, we wanted to compile some research. We specifically researched movies that had to showcase poverty/ low class families through set design.

Examples of Low Class through Set Design

Joker (2019)

This film showcases the Joker as someone who is poor and struggling. In order to showcase that his living conditions are not the best, he is shown in an old styled apartment. Many dull colors such as beige, orange, and yellow are used throughout. Additionally 70s florals and worn out furniture give the impression that the family cannot afford new things.

The Hunger Games (2012)

This film portrays a whole district that is poor. One of the tactics used to have this idea come across is by playing with the set design. Again very dull colors are used throughout such as whites, beiges, and browns. This time we see a lack of items to show that they cannot afford many things. The furniture and walls also appear to be dirty which can be associated with poverty.

The Blind Side (2009)

This film is about a homeless teen who gets taken in by a rich family and eventually becomes an NFL player. In the scenes where the audience sees his home town, it is evident that he is/ was in a low income family. His mother's house appears to be filled with trash and is very cluttered. This gives the appearance that she is distressed or has no time to clean which many poor people deal with. Again dull colors and low lighting are used to give the place a gloomy and poor look.

Overall we see that poverty/ low income status can be shown in various ways. To portray that our homeless man is living in his car, we will take some of these well-produced movies into consideration. We want to incorporate dull colors as well as having a cluttered/ dirty space. However, we also need to remember that poor/ homeless people cannot afford much so we don't want to overdo it.