Summary

An explanation of production and set design on Buffy.

Related

Production Faith Lehane

Faith's Solace had such a good response to 'Costumes' that we've done a little more deconstruction for you. Enjoy!

So what is production design/mise-en-scene/art direction etc? And what does it have to do with Buffy?

Well, anything entitled 'production' goes to that particular show/film. Often times you'll hear Special Effects people call a film a 'show' also. (It's probably easier than giving the entire title lol).

Okay. So Production design, apart from being something Sasha would kill to do, is the whole set ( obviously...including the little things) that your characters are playing a scene out in. When you're trying to deconstruct a movie or a TV show, you must always ask yourself, 'why is that object there?' 'Why are the character's clothes that color?' 'Why does the camera linger on one object (for example a painting, or a photo) longer than others?'

Nothing on a film set is there by accident. Pretty much everything that you as the viewer get to see properly, is there for a reason. It has its color for a reason, its shape for a reason. It means something, it's trying to tell you something. But what does that have to do with (in our case) Faith?

Example. Xander and Willow are showing Faith around the school (FHT). They arrive in the hallway and stop near the steps. Faith then decides she wants water. Cue Faith going to the water cooler, which she passed a few minutes earlier. Why did she have to walk alone to the water cooler? Why didn't she stop when passing it the first time?

Sure you can say "Well, she was talking and didn't see it." Fair enough...however there maybe something that the director/writer wants you to know about Faith and either can't say on T.V. or it's too much to handle in Faith's introduction. However...there's still our production design/art design team. So...We have a long shot of Faith drinking from the water cooler. This allows Scott Hope to bump into her when she takes a step back.

So here's your question. Why do Faith and Scott have to be alone for this inconsequential chit-chat? Scott is in the hall...so any shot of him will have students walking behind him. What's behind Faith? The wall with a rather huge poster reading: 'Campus Rape Starts Here'. Faith is standing in front of the 'Campus' part for most of the shot. The word that hits the viewer in the face is RAPE. And you can pretty much bet that's what the writer wanted to tell you about Faith but couldn't in words. So, they used the set design and got the message across through the poster.

If you go into the poster itself, it's most likely real (as sadly, campus rape is a fact of life). Because it's fact and not fiction, the poster design is black and white (or grey if you want to get technical). So...it being a fact in a world of fiction reinforces the notion that Faith was most likely raped. :(

When we go back to the Scooby Gang (who have kindly remained where they are) we see Buffy is in front of a nice colorful purple poster. It's higher than she is...also further back...making it a little hard to read. For Buffy, it doesn't really matter what it says. It's just colorful and pretty. That lets us know that the SG have it pretty good (comparatively speaking).

The production and art teams really go to town with Faith-centric episodes. Her 'room' at the flea pit motel for instance. It's not in the least bit nice. It's downright drab actually. The room reinforces the fact that Faith has nothing and anything she does have is 'not the best'.

Her T.V rarely works (and if it does...the team usually have a film noir playing in the background and silent). This lets us know that Faith has a lot going on but...she doesn't (as pointed out in the episode guides) tell anyone.

Also, if Faith is reading, it's usually something black and white OR a super-hero comic. This is due to the fact that this is how Faith sees her life. There's very little room for grey.

At the end of 'Revelations', we have Buffy going to see Faith at her 'room'. Why not someplace else? ). Also, why is Faith's room suddenly something you have to climb up to?

Buffy pretty much has to eat humble pie here. It's difficult for Buffy to ask if Faith is O.K. She doesn't want to push Faith too hard or come across as false. After all, Faith was played not only by Post, but Buffy and Xander, too.

When Buffy doesn't quite believe that Faith is O.K and that her "I'm on my side" cant perhaps isn't so true, Buffy pauses on the stairs with the thought that perhaps she should go back in. After all, we were all wishing she'd go back and TOTALLY reassure Faith that she doesn't need to be alone. Sadly, she doesn't and Faith's left believing that she IS on her own.

The production/art design of the apartment that the Mayor gives Faith leads the viewer's eye key to that apartment. That being the window. Note that it's not 'just a window'. It has a few wooden bars...giving that 'caged in' or trapped feeling. Barring Faith from having what she desires the most.

The apartment may have everything Faith wants...but she is often looking out of the window to what she really wants. Family and friends in the town. (All assumed...as what else can it look over? Why would she always stand there if it were just buildings?)

This leads us to Graduation Day parts one and two. Faith and Buffy crash through the window Faith is always looking out of. Suddenly, her sanctuary is gone and her life is right back to the way it was before the Mayor...desperate and uncertain.

Part two has Faith looking at the now broken window and asking 'They're never going to fix this, are they?' The window, and in fact the whole apartment, is now a reflection of Faith's mind. (Buffy: 'Is this your mind or mine?') Faith isn't asking about the window. She's asking about her own mind. That's why everything is boxed up. All the material needs are not important, hence the boxes. Also, the picture in Faith's apartment. What does it look like and why? Remember, nothing is there by accident. It's all design.

Faith in 'This Year's Girl'. Where is she? In a hospital, sure. Did you check the area around her? It's an old part of the hospital. The tiles are cracked. The whole area where she is, is drab. There are no other patients. No-one cares about her. Faith is literally shoved in a corner. Away from everyone and everything. Again...why? Faith fans will tell you it's most likely because Buffy fans can't stand her and most likely DID forget about her. Whereas the Faith fans will tell you it's set up so we can feel sorry for her again. We're very aware just how 'shoved away' Faith is! That setting is perfect for a dual effect

'Who Are You'. Faith actually ends up in a church! It is a very obvious way to let the viewer know that Faith will be 'reborn' some way. And, most likely for the 'good side'. The rebirth in this episode, is back into her own body. It's part 1 of a 2 part rebirth, the second part being at the end of 'Five by Five' when, in the pouring rain (again...a rebirth moment) Faith begs for death. After the church rebirth, she's come to realize there's something very wrong with her and she hates herself. It's no accident she ends up in Los Angeles upon finding out that's where Angel is hanging his hat.

'Five by Five': The chain link fence in the scene with Lilah is VERY important. Chain fences are always important! It lets the viewer know that the character they're watching is disconnected from the other characters. You'll see that Lilah is viewed with nothing between herself and Faith. However, the majority of the time that we see Faith, the camera is viewing her from behind the fence. It works with old elevators and lattice type fences, Venetian blinds etc. Anything that cuts the character of from you, the viewer, is the production designer's way of letting (subconsciously of course) you know that the character is in some way different to an average character.