Hannah-Mai Gillespie
For my realised project, a 1950s Diner that Plays Host to the Lost and Lonely, I designed a set that tells the story of a man who is stood up on a date in a roadside diner who becomes fixated on Edward Hopper’s painting Nighthawks. As his emotional state deteriorates, he gradually loses touch with reality, ultimately becoming consumed by the world of the painting. The design aimed to blur the boundary between the real and the surreal.
For my self-directed project, I chose to adapt The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, initially designing two separate spaces for Gregor’s family home and his office. However, through research and development, I merged these into one claustrophobic environment to reflect Gregor’s deteriorating mental state and his inability to separate work from personal life. For the Samosa Family Residence I included religious iconography and historically accurate furnishings to reflect the cultural and temporal setting of early 20th-century Prague to ground the setting in its cultural context. The family home elements were warmer and more inviting, contrasting with the colder, greyscale tones and rigid lines of the workspace. This contrast created a visual tension within the space, highlighting Gregor’s emotional disconnect and isolation. The set was drafted in AutoCAD and rendered in SketchUp, which allowed me to experiment with lighting, composition, and texture to reinforce these thematic elements. Although my original designs for the family home were eventually altered, this work became a vital part of the research process. It taught me that no creative effort is wasted in which each stage contributed to a more refined and meaningful final concept. By combining the bedroom and office, I developed a fresh take on the story’s setting that visually communicates the psychological pressures mentioned in the book.
For a TV soap opera set in a traditional coastal town facing gentrification, I designed four contrasting sets a pub, café, apartment, and house. The story explores how young newcomers begin to transform the town, which I reflected through the interiors. The apartment and café embraced modern design elements to convey the shift toward contemporary living. In contrast, I preserved the traditional character of the pub and family home with period appropriate details and warm, textured materials, reinforcing a sense of history and resistance to change. Using 3D renderings, I tested spatial layouts, lighting setups, and material finishes to capture the evolving tone of the town from warmth and nostalgia to polished minimalism.
Dystopian literature has long served as a reflection of contemporary social issues alongside providing us with a speculative vision of the future. My thesis discusses how dystopian narratives function as a mirror while also functioning as a safe space for critiquing contemporary issues we face today, Alongside showing us cautionary predictions of our future.
Hannah-Mai recently completed her final year in Production Design for Film (BA). Over the course of her degree, she built a solid understanding of visual storytelling and developed hands-on skills in set design, model making, digital drafting, and scenic painting. She has a strong eye for detail and enjoys creating spaces that feel immersive and support the story being told on screen.
