PRODUCTION DESIGN

I am a Wellington based production designer and art director with a strong creative vision, keen eye for detail and a penchant for problem solving. I enjoy working on productions that support women in film and raise up the voices of those not commonly heard. 

With over ten years experience in set design for theatre, film and television, I have worked with an array of different genre styles, transforming the imaginary world of a script into a multi-layered environment that reflects the lives and histories of the characters that inhabit it.

In addition to production design I have also worked on and off set as a scenic artist, set dresser, sign writer and digital artist. Working on both larger and smaller scale productions has given me valuable insights and skills that have enhanced my resourcefulness and efficiency, whilst opening my eyes to the boundless possibilities of what can be created.

Please click here to see a full list of my Art Department Credits and Biography or scroll down to read more about the film and television productions I have designed. 

FILMS DESIGNED

Albularyo
MHM Productions Ltd

It was a pleasure to go to Auckland and be part of making this Filipino Horror episode Albularyo, for the TVNZ 2 series Beyond the Veil – an exciting new anthology series from six diverse groups of storytellers, exploring supernatural stories of Māori, Pasifika, and Filipino cultures in Aotearoa.

Working with a great team of (predominantly) woman from the pan-asian community was such an enriching experience and it was great to learn more about the prevalence of horror in the Philippines!

My favourite part of working on this production was getting to develop my creature design skills and working with the talented team at Scale Studios to bring these horrific components to life. 

If you would like to see some of the examples of the creature design I did for this production please click here – But if you'd prefer to check out the show first before looking at any spoilers click here!
Duration: 23mins       Production Year: 2022      Festivals/Awards :

Poppy
Poppy Pictures Ltd

Poppy movie was a really great film to work on, it was bright and light and colourful –  and spending some time up in Kāpiti during the production was a real treat.

The inital COVID level four lock down happened a week before we wrapped which created some strange times towards the end and a rather hurried premature wrap out  for the art department from a set in someone's house. 

I got to attend my very first burn out which was quite something behold and inhale. 

I really enjoyed having the oppotunity to help bring this story of independence to life, as the voice of a young feminist women with Down's Syndrome is not one we often get the chance to hear.  

Watch an interview with  actor Libby here or read more about Poppy on NZ OnScreen
Duration: 98mins       Production Year: 2021      Festivals/Awards :

Cousins
Miss Whenua Films

 I feel so priviledged to have had the opportunity to work on this remarkable film. It is a true testiment to all the mana wahine who were involved in bringing this heartfelt story to the screen.

Cousins is a tale of three girls connected by blood but separated by circumstances, and the film spans muliptle generations and different eras of this whanau as we watch the three cousins grow into women and spend a lifetime in search of each other.

Based on the 1992 novel by Patricia Grace, this film is a benchmark in indigenous women's film making that once again reveals the long reaching effects of colonisation and institutionalised religion. Cousins received high acclaim in the media when it came out, did incredibly well at the box office and was a very moving piece for those who watched it. 

You can read more about Cousins at  NZfilm
Or read some reviews at  Stuff, Flicks or Rotten Toms
Or better still watch the featurette!
Duration: 98mins       Production Year: 2021      Festivals/Award : Māoriland Film Festival, Hawaii International Film Festival

Coming Home In The Dark
Home Coming Productions

This was a very gritty and harrowing film to work on. It tells the story of a teacher who is forced to confront a secret from his past when a pair of ruthless drifters take his family on a nightmare roadtrip. It had me on the edge of my seat as I initially read the script and the film has succeeded in being an absolutely unrelenting, nail-biting thriller.

As the name of the film would suggest, Coming Home in the Dark is set at night – and as such it was a month of long, cold nights in the middle of winter witnessing some magnificently terrifying performances from the actors involved. 

The design and execution of the art on this film took me to a number of remote and chilling locations in the lower north Island and allowed me to explore the destructive nature of teenage angst on a number of occasions. 

See more about the film in the Sundance Festival guide, Flicks or NZfilm
Duration: 92mins       Production Year: 2021      Festivals/Award :  Sundance Film Festival, Imagine Film Festival Amsterdam, Cleveland International Film Festival, Calgary Underground Film Festival, Milwaukee Film Festival, Monster Fest

Reunion
Miss Conception Films

In late 2018 / early 2019 I designed my second feature film REUNION. Conveniently, the film was shot in one location, Balgownie house, and, though the story was set in present day, we redeorated the house to resemble more closely it's former years. The design of the film was rich with patterns and colours and layers of memories spanning generations of a family's presence within the house. A sense of claustrophobia was created through the clutter and chaos of objects surrounding the characters. It was a stunning historical place to work within and I feel proud to have contributed to a moment in time upon it's walls.
Check out the facebook page for more details.
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Duration: 95mins       Production Year: 2020 
​Festivals/Award :  Nightstream Film Festival, Telluride Horror Show, Montclair Film Festival, Terror-Fi Film Festival.

Daniel
Candlelit Productions Ltd

This project was a beautiful labour of love with a fantastically talented crew. Set in the picturesque back blocks of the Wairarapa in an old disheveled boarding house, this film was an absolute joy to production design. 
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Check out the website for more details.

Duration: 19min 13secs        Production Year: 2019
Festivals/Awards: Melbourne, International Film Festival, Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival 2020

How to Meet Girls From a Distance
Traces of Nut Ltd

This was my first feature film and it was made as part of the 'Make My Movie' competition. With a very limited budget, small crew and many locations it definitely had it's challenges  – but certainly it's rewards as well.

Check out the website for more details.

Duration: 84min        Production Year: 2012
Festival/Awards: New Zealand International Film Festival (NZ); Festival des Antipodes - Grand Prix du Jury (Best Film), (France); Beijing International Film Festival (China); Hola AUNZ Film Festival (Mexico); Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Awards (China);

Double Happy
Parapraxis Ltd

This short film was set in 1995 so all props and set dressing had to be of the era. Components included converting the exterior of a Chinese takeaway store into a dairy and making a fire station look like a primary school - including installing a usable children's playground of the era.
Click here to see full short.

Duration: 15min         Production Year: 2010
Festival/Awards: 2010 - Montreal World Film Festival, Internationale Hofer Filmtage, Show Me Shorts Film Festival, Interfilm Berlin. 2011 - Giffoni Film Festival.

Cub
Rain Jacket Producitons


A story about a mother and her son, this short film was set in current day suburbia with all the wicker tack one could hope for.

Click here to see the trailer

Duration: 15min         Production Year: 2014
Festival/Awards: 2015 -  Internationale Hofer Filmtage, Show Me Shorts Film Festival

Actually Alex
Hand in the Jar Productions


Production design on this short film was fairly easy as it had an aesthetic not too dissimilar from my own – full of retro charm and vintage chic!

Check out the trailer here.
Duration: 12min        Production Year: 2014