Another awards season has come and gone, so here now on this windy Oscar Sunday is my annual Top 10 Best Production Design of 2018 list. Every year I watch as many films as I can manage during my short time off just for fun- and research. This year was no exception as I watched over 175 films. Unfortunately, I still missed some great movies- why didn’t Vox Lux get a wider release?
Does the environment fit the story, characters, and tone?
You can find my Top 10 Best Films of 2018 list, here, in which I exclude production design as the primary qualifying factor. You can also see my list from last year, the Top 10 Best Production Design of 2017 list, here. Below I’ve chosen my top ten picks for best production design of 2018 for any feature live-action narrative film released in 2018 that I have personally watched.
I have asked myself: Does the environment fit the story, characters, and tone? Can I picture the look and feel of the film any other way? I’ve taken into account the story, characters, genre, mood, direction, originality, technical difficulty, budget size, size of each team, as well as the principles of design. But it is still a subjective process. My personal taste may widely differ from your own, so please take it for what it is- with a healthy grain of salt.
Congratulations to all involved in every production and keep striving to do great work every day. If no one else appreciates it, please know that I do.
Art Departmental's Annual Top 10 Best Production Design of 2018 Click To TweetBEST PRODUCTION DESIGN OF 2018
10) IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK
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Logline: A woman in Harlem embraces her pregnancy while she and her family struggle to prove her fiancé innocent of a crime.
Director: Barry Jenkins
Production Designer: Mark Friedberg
Art Directors: Jessica Shorten, Oliver Rivas Madera, and Robert Pyzocha
Set Decorator: Kris Moran and Devynne Lauchner
Total Budget: 12MM
9) BLACKkKLANSMAN
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Logline: Ron Stallworth, an African American police officer from Colorado Springs, CO, successfully manages to infiltrate the local Ku Klux Klan branch with the help of a Jewish surrogate who eventually becomes its leader. Based on actual events.
Director: Spike Lee
Production Designer: Curt Beech
Art Director: Marci Mudd
Set Decorator: Cathy T. Marshall
Total Budget: 15MM
8) READY PLAYER ONE
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Logline: When the creator of a virtual reality world called the OASIS dies, he releases a video in which he challenges all OASIS users to find his Easter Egg, which will give the finder his fortune.
Director: Steven Spielberg
Production Designer: Adam Stockhausen
Supervising Art Director: Mark Scruton
Set Decorator: Anna Pinnock
Total Budget: 175MM
7) MARY POPPINS RETURNS
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Logline: Decades after her original visit, the magical nanny returns to help the Banks siblings and Michael’s children through a difficult time in their lives.
Director: Rob Marshall
Production Designer: John Myhre
Supervising Art Director: Niall Moroney
Set Decorator: Gordon Sim
Total Budget: 130MM
6) FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD
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Logline: In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans of raising pure-blood wizards to rule over all non-magical beings, Albus Dumbledore enlists his former student Newt Scamander, who agrees to help, though he’s unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.
Director: David Yates
Production Designer: Stuart Craig
Supervising Art Director: Martin Foley
Set Decorator: Anna Pinnock
Total Budget: 200MM
5) ROMA
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Logline: A year in the life of a middle-class family’s maid in Mexico City in the early 1970s.
Director: Alfonso Charon
Production Designer: Eugenio Caballero
Art Directors: Carlos Benassini and Oscar Trello
Set Decorator: Barbara Enriquez
Total Budget: 15MM
4) FIRST MAN
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Logline: A look at the life of the astronaut, Neil Armstrong, and the legendary space mission that led him to become the first man to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969.
Director: Damien Chazelle
Production Designer: Nathan Crowley
Supervising Art Director: Erik Osusky
Set Decorator: Kathy Lucas
Total Budget: 60MM
3) CRAZY RICH ASIANS
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Logline: This contemporary romantic comedy, based on a global bestseller, follows native New Yorker Rachel Chu to Singapore to meet her boyfriend’s family.
Director: Jon M. Chu
Production Designer: Nelson Coates
Supervising Art Director: Gary Mackay
Set Decorator: Andrew Baseman
Total Budget: 30MM
2) THE FAVOURITE
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Logline: In early 18th century England, a frail Queen Anne occupies the throne and her close friend, Lady Sarah, governs the country in her stead. When a new servant, Abigail, arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah.
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Production Designer: Fiona Crombie
Supervising Art Director: Lynne Huitson
Set Decorator: Alice Felton
Total Budget: 15MM
1) BLACK PANTHER
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Logline: T’Challa, heir to the hidden but advanced kingdom of Wakanda, must step forward to lead his people into a new future and must confront a challenger from his country’s past.
Director: Ryan Coogler
Production Designer: Hannah Beachler
Supervising Art Director: Alan Hook
Set Decorator: Jay Hart
Total Budget: 200MM
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Honourable Mentions for Best Production Design of 2018: First Reformed, Welcome to Marwen, and Solo: A Star Wars Story
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Which films are your picks for best production design of 2018? As always, I’d love to know your thoughts on these movies in the comments below.
