Iconic Production Designs: A Look Back at History's Finest

Production Design can make or break your experience of how you view a movie! Swipe to see some of the greatest production designs in history.

1. Titanic, 1997

The production design involved making a replica of the ship that was 10% smaller than the original. The sinking scenes were shot in an 800-foot-wide water tank.  

2. The Grand Budapest Hotel, 2014

The main setting of this movie involved transforming an abandoned departmental store into the hotel's whimsical setting. Miniature models were used for the elevation shots.  

Source: Reddit

3. Harry Potter, 2001-2011

588 sets were built by a team of 86 artists at Leavesden Studios to create the forbidden forest, the great hall, platform 9 ¾, and diagon alley, in which the movie series was filmed.  

4. Ben Hur,1959

For this movie, 300 sets were created for this using 1 million pounds of plaster scattered over 148 acres and 9 soundstages. A second chariot race set was built to train and stage the shots.

Source: www.technicolor.com

5. Cleopatra, 1963

Following a winter storm that destroyed the earlier set, the newer set for this movie was rebuilt In Rome.  The execution was so massive that Italy almost ran out of building materials.  

Source: The Magnificent Set of the Magnificent Film, Cleopatra 1963

A set and production designer creates the style, theme, and look of a film set through the various elements such as costumes, location, and props thus enabling us to dive into an alternate reality.

Are you interested in showcasing your work on the big screen? Become a Set and Production Designer today! Join our most effective one-day masterclass.

FAQs

Q1. What were some notable aspects of the production design for Titanic?

A1. The production design for Titanic included building a replica of the ship 10% smaller than the original and shooting sinking scenes in an 800-foot-wide water tank.

Q2. How was The Grand Budapest Hotel's main setting created?

A2. The main setting of The Grand Budapest Hotel was created by transforming an abandoned department store into the hotel's whimsical setting, with miniature models used for elevation shots.

Q3. What was the scale of the production design for Harry Potter?

A3. The production design for Harry Potter involved building 588 sets at Leavesden Studios, including iconic locations like the forbidden forest, the great hall, platform 9 ¾, and diagon alley.

Q4. How was the production design for Ben Hur executed?

A4. The production design for Ben Hur involved creating 300 sets using 1 million pounds of plaster spread over 148 acres and 9 soundstages, with a second chariot race set built for training and staging shots.

Q5. What challenges were faced during the production design of Cleopatra?

A5. Challenges during the production design of Cleopatra included rebuilding the set in Rome after a winter storm destroyed the original, leading to a massive execution that almost depleted Italy's building materials.