Atmosphere/tone can make or break films. The story can be forgiven but failure to create an alluring atmosphere will yield disastrous results. Art direction is the secret sauce for crafting a transfixing ambiance in a film.

The eye is a critical judge of the film’s graphics, location/set designs, costume designs, and promotional materials. So much so, there are even times when kick-ass design elements completely override poor story plots and leave people wanting more. Despite the interest, those projects usually rise and fall quickly. It has been proven over and over nothing beats the balance between a well-written story and a well-designed atmosphere.

In Out of Frame, it was critical to set up a believable atmosphere for Damien Drake, a struggling photographer.   The biggest challenge was breathing life into his two main photographic series – The Death Series and The Voyeur Series. Bil Brown, executive and chief photographer of Black and Grey Magazine, working with Eric Roper, producer and production designer, begin building the foundation of both series during the pre-production phase of the movie.

As with mostly all works of art, the first interactions of The Death Series did not capture the look and feel needed to portray the haunting and grotesque nature of Damien’s prized subject.  A key asset to hitting that mark was the artwork accomplished by Rebecca Roach Richardson. Her exquisite touches on Bil’s photos finalized the conception of Damien’s raw, almost crime scene-esque, compositions, giving each individual piece a unique and vivid tale of murder.

In complete contrast, The Voyeur Series was stripped of color, stark in contrast, simple, and easy to gloss over.  Upon the initial viewing Out of Frame, the significance of the series seems to illustrate Damien’s failure as a gallery photographer, but in retrospect provides a key insight into his psyche –Always an observer never a participant.

Check out the art below. Although not all of the images are spotlighted in the film. The subtle placement in the background goes a long way to illustrate the world and mindset of the characters in Out of Frame.