Dean Designs
Dean Designs

ROT

Production Designer | 2024

Logline: Azul must travel to her distant family’s farm to unearth where her recurring nightmares are coming from.

ROT — Project Overview

     As Production Designer on ROT, I crafted the film’s visual language from concept to completion, shaping an eerie, lived-in farm world that deepens its psychological tension. I designed and built sets, sourced and fabricated props, and directed set dressing while working in close collaboration with the director and cinematographer. On set, I oversaw all art department operations, managed the budget, and led a small crew through both practical builds and adaptive work on location. 

    Writer & Director: Almendra Kovac
    Producer
    : Alejandra Cintrón Rivera

    Azul: Gina Cristiani
    Iván
    : Samuel Code
    Clara
    : Florencia Barletta
    Psychiatrist
    : Rocío Escobar

    On-Set Produce
    r: Nefeli Protopsalti
    1st AD
    : Celi Mitidieri
    2nd AD
    : Will Mauricette & Elise Woodard
    Script Supervisor
    : Yazmin Jarrin
    Production PA
    : Tobey Munari
    BTS Photographers
    : Cecilia Marty, Xiang Li & Matthew Peterson

    Cinematographer
    : Milena Montero
    Camera Operator
    : Milena Montero
    1st AC
    : Gabriel Lopez
    2nd AC
    : Ella Satterfield

    Gaffer
    : Sena Kwasi Amengor
    Key Grip
    : Beau Agrawal
    Best Electric
    : Nadia Grasso
    Best Grip
    : Eric Blair & Tan Kitapli
    Grips
    : Eric Blair, Kennedy Carruth, Jackson Lapsley
    Grip Truck
    : Sena Kwasi Amengor

    Production Designer
    : Sam Russell
    Art Director
    : Delaney Mann
    On-set Art Director
    : Emma Holloway
    Costume Designer
    : Ali Weber & Valeria Guerra-Garcia
    HMU & SFX Make-up
    : Nicci Rose

    Editor
    : Gabriel Lopez
    Colorist
    : CJ Julian
    DIT
    : Allison Plante

    Sound Mixer
    : Zachary Rodriguez
    Boom Operator
    : Orya Larie
    Sound Designer
    : Gabriel Lopez

    Crew T-Shirt Designer
    : Bao Duong
    Graphic Designer
    : Sky Stone          

Process & Build Work

Overview of my process

            I was tasked with transforming an empty farmhouse into a lived-in Argentinian countryside home, designing it completely from floor to ceiling. My process began with sketches over a photograph of the raw space to visualize how the production design elements could reshape the environment. I also fabricated several dead bodies for the film, testing techniques on styrofoam mannequin heads layered with paint and latex to achieve the desired realism. 

        

process 1 process 2 process 3 process 4

Props & Wardrobe Highlights

prop 1

Grandpa’s Body

A layered Halloween skeleton, aged to mummification.

prop 2

Carlos’ Body

Styrofoam head with wicker and polyfoam frame

wardrobe 1

Aged Farm Signs

Wood-burned, custom-aged to appear antique

prop 3

Hair & Makeup

The team applying gray hair paint to the actress

Inspiration & References

inspo 1 inspo 2 inspo 3 inspo 4