NFF 2011 Craftspecial on Production Design | 5D keynote
September 24, 2011

Traditionally, during this festival, professionals and public gather to watch all Dutch films made in the past year. But this year the professionals also come together to discuss new developments and the influence of new media on storytelling. One of the ways the Festival focuses on these developments is through the website it has launched beeldenstormonline.nl which is an online platform dedicated to the moving image in all its forms.

It is an annual custom that the Festival focuses each year on a different department within the film production process. For 2011, the focus is on Production Design. Via images on the street and introductions prior to screenings the public will become acquainted with the work of the production designer.

The Craftspecial day (Sep 24th, 2011) will focus on the influence of new technologies, on the role of the production designer and the film production process. Different panels will look at this each from their own unique point of view. One panel will consist of Dutch directors of photography, one panel will consist of Dutch visual effects supervisors and then 5D's Andy Nicholson will give a Keynote presentation on 5D Immersive Design and the Worldbuilding process for Virtual Production. This will be followed by a discussion with former panelists about the possibilities of Immersive Design for the Netherlands media industries. This proposes to be an informative day for Dutch production designers and give them insight into the deep potential of new digital and virtual processes.

Andy Nicholson
Andy Nicholson has just completed working in London as the Production Designer on "Gravity," the Warner Brothers 3D space suspense film written and directed by Alfonso Cuaron. Gravity is a ground breaking venture, setting new standards for the integration of Visual Effects and Digital Technology, alongside traditional film design and technique. Over his career Andy has collaborated with many top Motion Picture Production Designers and Directors on projects as diverse as Band of Brothers,The Mummy, Sleepy Hollow, Spy Game, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,The Bourne Ultimatum, Sexy Beast, The Wolfman and Alice in Wonderland. Andy closely follows the development of technology and software, continually pushing the use of 3D modeling and CAD within film art departments and actively seeks to assimilate digital technology with traditional design workflows, integrating all disciplines that help to bring the written word to the screen.

"[Gravity is] absolutely pushing a new boundary in filmmaking, completely mindblowing. And the way they're making that movie will, I think, forever change certain types of productions"

— Guillermo Del Toro