Institute of Art Design + Technology
Dún Laoghaire

Rebekah Bustos 

BA [Hons] Design for Stage + Screen Production Design

Originally from Limerick, Rebekah has always had a passion for design and filmmaking. Her experience in working on projects both in and out of college showcases her deep interest in collaboration and working with other creatives. As well as this Rebekah's focus has always been geared toward design for screen and she hopes to go on and gain experience within the industry as part of the Art Department.

Major Project: The Hand that Rocks the Cradle

For my major project this year I focused on the re-design of a 90's classic thriller, 'The Hand that Rocks the Cradle'. The original film takes place in a Victorian home with a minimal colour palette. My aim to to add a sense of drama and suspense to the space to increase the drama felt in the film. I did this by experimenting with colour and patterns to create a more abstracted space. The design of 7 spaces I created acted as a fully realised model of the interior home with a lot of work put into laser-cutting, 3d printing and modelmaking. Throughout the project I also enjoyed my conceptual research on hierarchy, the privileges of modernism in the home and the weaponization of domesticated space.



Thesis: Horror, Colour and Design in Dario Argento’s ‘Suspiria’.

My thesis aim was to investigate the acclaimed director Dario Argento, with regard to his vision for ‘Suspiria’ (1977). It also identified the key areas in which it was effective within the horror genre. It questioned how the films visual language of Art Direction and Cinematography paved a new aesthetic in supernatural horror and was effective in evoking fear within the audience. The dissertation explores key spaces from the film and discusses each from a literal point of view taking note of décor, colour schemes and camera shots that gave the abstracted world Argento had envisioned. The ideology discussed within my thesis definitely informed my major project in terms of allowing the aesthetic of the film dictate the drama and suspense. It also was hugely helpful for me when creating and abstracted weaponized set.