Meet Sarah Cogan, Production Designer
🎭 Pro Spotlight: Sarah Cogan talks about why design isn't a luxury in filmmaking; it's a requirement.
Sarah Cogan is an accomplished designer for TV and film and a film design educator with a Master's in Fine Arts from UC San Diego. Here’s my recent interview with her:
Jane Applegate (JA): Sarah, how did you launch your career? Did you attend film school or another program?
Sarah Cogan (SC): I fell in love with performative storytelling when I was eight years old and, from that moment forward, I knew it would be my career. I first started training as a performer and learned to write and direct both in high school classes and while training with a Los Angeles casting director.
In college, I fell into design and just loved it, going straight into grad school afterward. I got my Bachelor's from UC Santa Barbara and my Master's in Fine Arts from UC San Diego with an emphasis in Costume and Lighting Design. From there, I moved to New York and just started going after every opportunity I could, and I never looked back.
JA: Why is it important for the writer and/or director to think about the look and feel of their project in the development stage rather than during pre-production?
SC: One of the biggest mistakes is that filmmakers wait to suss out their creative vision until pre-production. If budgets are set without knowing the actual cost of the creative vision, as an estimation, the film will likely be under-budgeted, leading to filmmakers raising less money than the creative vision requires and ultimately going over budget.
For example, a fashion-forward film will require a larger costume budget and costume department to pull that off. If you have a really short pre-pro window, you will run out of time to craft a cohesive vision with your department heads. Two weeks out, casts should already be fit rather than just beginning to shop.
I also think clarifying your creative vision is important because it helps you articulate to investors where their money will go and show people you are well prepared.
When you've cultivated your creative vision and can articulate it clearly, finding the right collaborators is easier because you can see how they amplify your vision to create an even better film. We want to find people who are excited about our visions. It helps with the hiring process.
JA: What advice do you have for less experienced filmmakers who often have no idea where to start thinking about production design, wardrobe and make up?
SC: I think it's important to understand that design isn't a luxury in filmmaking. Design is a requirement whether you hire someone to do it for you or not. The luxury is having someone else take it over for you. You can't afford to hire designers? Then the design is your responsibility.
Design is all about setting context and building relationships through juxtaposition. There's no "right" way to design a film. It's about what serves the story best.
If you're looking for more information on design and how to utilize it as a storytelling tool, you can follow my YouTube channel, read my blog or take my online workshops, such as Text to Moving Images, where I walk you through how design tells a story. (Click here for details and use code SHOWBIZ for a 10% discount on workshops.)
JA: Explain how you help your clients build the world of their film or series?
SC: I love helping filmmakers build and articulate their creative vision. It always starts with their intention for the film.
I always begin with "The Three Most Important Questions."
Why this story, at this time, for this audience?
What do we want the audience to walk away knowing, feeling, understanding?
Why am I interested in telling this story?
From there, we start by looking at the characters' relationships to self, to one another, the world around them, and the worlds around them to other worlds within the story. The process then evolves into looking at imagery, talking story points and ways they can be supported by design. I always tell clients during the worldbuilding process that we are always working in rough draft, especially when things are only on paper.
As we start to actualize our stories, we will solidify ideas, and sometimes, based on the direction of performances or further story exploration, shifting direction might be necessary for the success of the film.
JA: What are some common mistakes filmmakers make before or during a shoot? How can they avoid making them?
SC: Here are my thoughts on what strong filmmakers understand and do.
Trust the knowledge of the department heads. You hire people for their expertise. Enroll them in your creative vision and allow yourself to play in theirs. When people listen to my experience and expertise, I'm able to help them save money, time and keep morale high.
Understand what each department needs and how their work is structured. What does the process look like? What do things cost and how long will things take given the labor (required) and budget. If you want to be a good filmmaker, learn what every department does and what information they need from you to be efficient and effective at their job, especially if you are the director. We can only manage and delegate our visions effectively when we share a common language with the people supporting us.
Plan a Department Head “creative roundtable” to talk about the story. This is a practice from the theater world that I think is sorely missing from the film world. It can help filmmakers create a more cohesive film and cut down the number of conversations between all the departments around the creative vision for the film.
I recommend that the director, department heads (costumes, production, hair, makeup, sound), director of photography—and even the colorist and editor if possible—meet to discuss the film's story. Discussing the film helps tell a story that is cohesive and builds strong collaborative bonds. It also reduces the number of conversations both the director and department heads end up having.
Consult your post team in advance. I've talked to many colorists, editors, composers, VFX artists who all wish filmmakers talked to them about their creative vision before going into production.
Seek feedback on the film from all department heads. Your designers and other crew members need to understand the story beyond just their department. I highly recommend showing a true rough cut to your department heads and crew to get their feedback before picture lock. I also recommend testing your film with some objective film goers to see how they respond. If you start seeing some patterns in the notes, you might want to pay attention.
Be open to changing ideas or direction as needed. Being flexible in our ideas allows us to see all the possible ways we can tell our stories and allows us to choose the best ones. Who and where the idea comes from is irrelevant. If it's a good one, listen to it and acknowledge the wisdom of someone supporting your vision. Letting go of your ideas or “killing your darlings” might just be the best thing for your film.
JA: How are you compensated for your work? By the project? The day or?
SC: My compensation varies by project. Sometimes, it’s hourly with guaranteed minimums. Sometimes it's a flat rate. I tend to negotiate fees on a project by project basis.
JA: What’s next for you? What kinds of projects are you working on?
SC: I thrive on designing high-concept worlds and stories, so I'm looking to work on those types of projects these days.
I have several of my own creative projects that I'm working on, including a book on budgeting for design that I'm aiming to release in early 2025 (please go to www.sarahcogan.com/book to join the waitlist).
During the strikes, I was able to do some short films that are doing well on the festival circuit including: The Fuscos, Knead, B.E.C. and The Folly of Paris or the Original Snub. The feature film Tapawingo is also making the rounds. And I’m expanding my costume rental house, which I am blessed to leverage for my own work.
