Position: Art director. In collaboration with Production Designer: Mark Mulcahy

Story description: A 9-1-1 operator receives a frantic call from her son who has caused a horrific accident. Every word matters when the call is being recorded.

My objective: Design and build a 911 call center. Budget: $800. Materials, 2×4’s, 1×4’s, and fabric.

My first step was to transfer a concept drawing into a sketchup model. Considering the dimensions of the sound stage and the 6 overhead rigging pods.

I designed a modular system that could be moved around to accommodate the direction the camera was shooting. This system left 20 percent of the structure open for people to freely walk through.

Overhead plan fit within the sound stage. light gray floor, medium gray catwalk, dark gray overhead pods12 wood modules, 3 specifc sections, a window, and 7 panels. Arrangeable to camera direction.

Built several 6′ x 8′ structure out of 2×4’s, and a hand full of 6′ x 8′ panels made of 1×4’s and wrapped in fabric (stapled). 4 single units were then bolted together to make one long wall. This was done so a wall could easily be unbolted and removed if needed for production.

1 wall module, one wall panel, then bolted together as a system

Considering time constraints, panels were attached with a slip knot, that would be easily undone, so the panel could be moved.

built wall module, bolted to adjacent wall module fabric panel, connection to wall module

A series of images to show construction and the completed set.

set construction set construction set construction production on stage, using set design production inside set design production in set design

 

The modular system fully taken apart and stored.

modular system taken apart and stored

Images from final film.

Screenshot from film

Screen Shot from film

screen shot from film

screen shot from film

screen shot from film

 

9-1-1

Director: Andrew Fairbanks

Producer: Gerrad Wilson

Production Designer: Mark Mulcahy