Project Spotlight

Project Description 

• Little Birds is an AFI Thesis film about two young girls and the dangers of fantasy. This was the culmination of my work with Production Designer Kaleena Perez. I consistently worked with her as an Art Director during her first year at AFI and returned as her Set Decorator for her thesis. This was my first time truly set decorating and managing a team. I worked with Kaleena through a huge location and layout change and had the pleasure of hiring several students from my set dressing 1 class!

• We worked on multiple locations, but our biggest one was an empty school house that we transformed into a hallway and breakfast nook with flats, rented furniture, and smalls.

Project Description 

• CIA: BPE: LA is a TV pilot proof of concept. It's a comedic, mockumentary-style series about an overzealous meter maid who uncovers a criminal conspiracy. After starting as an assistant I took over for the original  Set Decorator, Dorit Hurst. I had the amazing opportunity to work closely with Lucifer Production Designer Alex Hajdu, as well as several other crew members from the show. This was my first Set Decorator credit! We transformed an empty garage into the main character's overgrown crash pad.

Project Description 

• A Heartbeat is  a tech-infused thriller about an audiophile obsessed with capturing death. Up until this point I'd been dreaming of doing a sci-fi set so I went all out. I scoured the internet and Los Angeles for a whole room's worth of retro technology on a TINY budget. This project really stretched my creativity when it came to maximalism on a budget, and it was my first time working with graphic designers to fulfill the vision. I sourced from FB Marketplace, APEX Surplus, local E-Waste vendors, and my own garage of course!

• This was also my first project with location scouts. Checking out the various locations and vetting them depending on what they offer or don't offer was very interesting and opened my mind to design options.

Project Description 

• Adult Sitters is a short comedy/drama about a couple's weekend without parents in their shared house. They start off excited, but soon see how lost they are in life. This was my first Production Designer gig that I was hired for. It was an incredible experience working with a mostly Asian and POC crew. I learned so much on this project about working with a director and actors, organization, and adjusting my ideas on the fly. This was one of my dream projects. A home that's lived in, authentic, and reminded me of home. 

Project Description 

• Flutter is a short romance with elements of magical realism about a girl who gets real butterflies around her crush. This was the film I made with my Academy Gold Rising cohort! I had only done a few shorts with friends previously. This was my first time specifically doing Props and working with a big team.  Me and the 4 other girls in the Production Design Track got a crash course on how to function as an art department from industry professionals, how to source and pick up rentals, and how to coordinate dress and wrap. I also worked as a Set Dresser on the film.

Project Description 

• Cannibal is a dark fantasy music video with themes of power and lust. Although this project was through a production company, the budget and crew were very limited. I was the Director, Production Designer, and Editor. I sourced all of our set dressing and was able to hire CPR students Natalie Campbel and Karina Esperano on this project. This was my first time directing for a client and I learned a lot about crewing, trusting others, and interpersonal relationships.

Project Description 

• What's Your Favorite Scary Movie? is a fun short horror film about a young girl who loves horror movies and is inspired to create her own. It was part of the director Xanthe Pajarillo's dissertation about horror films and childhood. I sourced for and decorated a full room and built a set piece for the exterior scene. I was inspired by childhood textures and "gateway" horror as the main character is in a transition period from childhood media  to more mature films. 

Project Description 

• Yokai is a fantasy period piece set in the time of the Japanese internment, but with wizards! I worked as the Art Director and Set Dresser for long time collaborator Destiny Valles. We worked with multiple locations and dressed with flats and rented furniture. Working on a period piece was challenging but also so interesting. Researching the history of the time period was a huge part of pre-production and I learned a lot about conveying authenticity through textures and set decoration. 

Project Description 

• Flower Garden is a surreal music video about a couple entering a dream world together. This is one of many projects I did with production company Crimson Edge Entertainment at the start of my film career, and is still one of my favorites. The team drove up to Joshua Tree and dressed a room to be fully covered in foliage! This project is important to me because it was the start of my longest standing creative relationship. I started with the company as an Art PA and over the course of a year worked my way up to Art Directing many of their projects. I recently Production Designed a project for the director.

Project Description 

• Ballard is an Amazon Prime series about a demoted detective working in the cold case unit of the LAPD. I worked as the Set Dec PA under Set Decorator Dorit Hurst! I know this isn't technically set dressing, but I learned so much about the department I want to work in. At the office I'm able to see the process of the chain of command, how every position interacts, and their responsibilities. I was even able to shadow our team on location scouts, pickups, and dress days.

• Since Dorit knows I'm committed to this work she trusts me handle art projects for the set and invites me to shadow her often. I've also taken the time to assist props with anything they need, which includes graphics and retouching images.