'Amélie': Designing Emotion

Production design is typically perceived as a way of establishing credibility with the audience; the craft of taking a set and making it plausible. The power of design to communicate is of great importance to the movie as a whole. Production design enriches a film's visuals in a way that speaks louder than conventional verbal language. In cinema, as in life, a house is a reflection of the time spent inside its walls by the people who inhabit it. A room, its colors, shapes, and textures, all act as a mirror that shows the preferences, personality, and habits of the home's occupant. In a silent scene from the film, the production design is a major catalyst for the action. In this video, we visit the house of Monsieur Collignon in Amélie to show how the set and props significantly help to tell the story. Want more insight into the production of "Amélie"? Check out our Color By Numbers: Amélie video along with our examination of Jean-Pierre Jeunet's directorial trademarks.