JOHN PAUL KELLY

A HAUNTING IN VENICE

SDM: John, today we talk about a very succesful film, A Haunting in Venice by Kenneth Branagh. The film is based on Agatha Christie’s novel Halloween Party, set in England. Initially, how did you take the news of the change of location, from England to Venice? 

J.P.K: I actually read the script before the book and was very excited by the setting in Venice. A Venetian Palazzo is the perfect world for a haunted house story and was a wonderful opportunity to get to design, to me personally, much more interesting than the original source.

SDM: Several scenes were filmed in different Venetian locations, but the palace has been created at the Pinewood Movie Studios. How was it? What has been the creative process? Were you inspired by a real venetian palace? 

J.P.K: The director and I of course started by visiting Venice and seeing as many beautiful palazzos as possible. We liked the idea of filming in a real house but it quickly became obvious that this would not be practical. Five hundred year old houses do not lend themselves to crashing chandeliers and rain pouring down the artworks! We were inspired by many great palazzos and elements of their designs were incorporated into our build. The Doge’s palace inspired so many of the Venetian merchants' homes and it too played a part in our design. Venice is a wonderful layering of architectural styles and influences, Classical, Byzantine, Arabic, Asian, it has them all and we liked the idea to incorporating this historical layering into our palazzo too.

SDM: The palace during the film becomes a real character. How did you “humanize" it and underline the venetian spectrality and anxious atmosphere that pervades the set? In some ways it seems the figurative interpretation of a sick mind. 

J.P.K: Whilst historical accuracy is one vital aspect of production design, it is not the only consideration. Primarily, as film makers, we are not documentary makers but storytellers. With this in mind we added layers to our build to help create the right atmosphere, drama, tension and deceit within the story. For example, we added a (not impossible) conceit to our palazzo that it was built over the remains of a monastery or church. This allowed us to create secret passageways, the Antiquarium and cloisters that help tell the story. We designed the Piano Secondo (second/bedroom floor) to be labyrinthine and confusing, a contrast to the cathedral like spaces of the Piano Nobile.

SDM: Were you inspired by other films? 

J.P.K: We wanted our film to have its own character and unique take on Venice. That said Don’t Look Now and Death in Venice, were great inspiration for that atmosphere. Venice in Winter is a very different place to Summer, low mists, flooding and so much damp.The Innocents and The Others also helped as reference for the atmosphere and lighting we wanted to evoke.

SDM: From a technical point of view, how did you build the interior of the palace? What have been the construction steps? 

J.P.K: After returning from Venice my team and I had just six weeks to design the set. This started with sketches, simple plans and mood boards. The next stage was to create 3D models of the ideas and concept visuals. These were approved by the director before moving on to the next stage which involved, detailed concepts, technical drawings and detailing as well as large card modelling. To achieve this supervising art director Peter Russell assembled an amazing team of talented set designers and art directors who brought my initial broad stroke designs to life.  Every minute detail needed to be considered. The devil is in the detail as they say!

SDM: How long did it take to build the set? How many people were involved in the creative and technical team? 

J.P.K: Once the six week design process was complete and the director and the studio had approved the designs, the construction could begin. This took place in a number of stages in Pinewood and was completed in just 16 weeks. J Hawthorne  for Plank Construction assembled an incredible team of carpenters, painters, plasterers, sculptors and scenic artists. At our peak there were over 200 on the construction payroll. The art department itself consisted of around 20 people, Art directors, concept artists, 3d designers, assistants. Set Decoration was headed by Celia Bobak and consisted of her team of four supported by Megan Jones' graphics team, a drapes team, a prop make workshop and a large prop department of around 40 people headed by Muffin Green, prop master.

SDM: Alicia’s bedroom is the heart of the palace and of the story, can you describe it? What kind of stylistic choices did you make? 

J.P.K: We wanted it to feel different to the rest of the house, a maze with nods to an enchanted forest where the girl had once been locked in her bedroom, like a bird in a gilded cage. The beautiful murals of trees were painted by Rohan Harris to evoke this sense of confusion and yet a prettiness to separate the room from our other environments.

SDM: What was the biggest challenge of this set design? 

J.P.K: The timescale required to deliver the set on time undoubtably but also to create an environment varied and visually compelling enough to keep an audience entertained for two hours.

SDM: What can you tell about the props of the film? 

J.P.K: Celia Bobak and her team researched the period vigorously and sourced props in of course Italy but also the UK. Anything she couldn’t find was built from scratch by prop makers. The grandfather clock and chandelier are good examples.

SDM: What advice would you give to those who want to pursue a career as yours? 

J.P.K: I studied architecture and then did a post graduate degree in design for film but everyone is different. Most training happens in art departments where training is gradual and in-house. Knowledge of hand drafting, sketching, model making and softwares such as Photoshop, Sketchup, Cad, Rhino or Vectorworks are all useful skills to have. It is a competitive industry but cream floats to the top. If you’re good and you are keen, stick with it, knock on doors, work on student films and most importantly draw, a good portfolio is crucial for an art department career. 

Thank you very much John!

Art Department Credits:

Production Designer JOHN PAUL KELLY

Concept Artist EVA KUNST

Supervising Art Director PETER RUSSELL

Senior Art Director RICHARD SELWAY

Art Director CHRIS STEPHENSON

Standby Art Director RICHARD USHER

Set Decorator CELIA BOBAK

Assistant Set Decorator JAMES HENDY

Graphic Designer MEGAN JONES

Construction Manager JO HAWTHORNE

Construction Company PLANK

Miniature JOSE GRANELL MAGIC PICTURE COMPANY

Sculptor NEIL HEDGOR

Scenic Painter ROHAN HARRIS