Being Multi-disciplinary, The New Way Forward. A deep dive conversation with up-and-coming Director, Photographer and Set Designer – Destinie Paige.
“I had such an energizing conversation with Destinie, whose Set Design work I came across via twitter last year during lockdown and instantly connected with the vivid detail in colour palette she uses so well, so when I later discovered that she was a fellow Director and also did Stills Photography, I had to sit down in conversation (by sit down I mean over the phone in a uber…don’t ask) to find out more about Destinie as an evident multi-faceted storyteller.”
Ella: So, Channel 4’s initiative BlackToFront saw the network’s entire schedule led by Black talent on and off screen for one day. ‘The Joy of’ was made as part of the programme and is such a beautiful, yet exposing piece of work. What did it mean to Set Design for such an important film by Kevin Morosky?
Destinie: For ‘The Joy Of’, it was really a fun job. I was on it for an entire week, doing mood boards, attending recces, etc. It was an amazing collaborative process with Kevin, the Producer Sunita, Louis the DOP, the stylist Coco Mel, the hair stylist Lauraine Bailey, and really everyone on the crew. Every single person all worked together, which was really amazing and inspiring. I also felt that because it was my second time working with Kevin, it was very collaborative so we were able to add in our own style. ‘The Joy of’ centres around employees who work for Tesco, Direct Line and HSBC, so we wanted to visually explore what fills them with joy in their free time. Not everyone would know that they do all of these things, because people never really look into the employees of these types of companies. The film shows the hobbies and interests they have outside of work and that, yes, they can be black as well. We also wanted to get across how beautiful it could be.
The shoot was very heavy on set design and I had so much help from every single person on the team. If something went wrong or if something needed to be quick, everyone was all hands-on deck. At the end of the shoot, we went to the rooftop and took a photo of the whole crew to remember the experience. Everyone was tired by the end of it, but it was still lovely. I was really happy to be a part of ‘The Joy of’ and see my work on TV.
Ella: I loved the set design. It was so sick, especially the distorted television screens in the background. I would love to hear more about the idea behind the design.
Destinie: Kevin wanted TVs to reflect Moyo, the interviewee featured from HSBC. She really likes travelling, so I was thinking of different ways I could show this. I was really inspired by layering different sized TVs and different sized globes, because this created really nice shapes and textures in the background. I wanted the variety of sizes, shapes, materials, and textures to give a nice aesthetic and vibrancy to the image. Some globes were shiny and glass, some were flat plastic or matte paper, and in the end, the combination of all of them made a really cool background.
Ella: I’ve seen a lot of your work thrive and flourish online as I’m following you on Instagram and I wondered out of all the sets that you’ve designed, what’s been your favourite shoot so far this year?
Destinie: I really liked the Amun for a music video called ‘Motive’, because I was able to use materials and that’s how I started off set designing. It was fun working with Nicolee Estin, she's a really great director as well. I also liked ‘The Joy of’. I learned a lot, which I’m really grateful for. I also really liked designing for the Mnelia ‘Senseless’ music video directed by Terry Paul. I really enjoy creating small sets with flats and wallpaper. I like being hands on.
I also did a job recently that hasn’t been released yet, which was a fashion branded video directed by Dom Sesto. I built the set and created some scenic paintings as well, which was exciting because it’s something that I don't always get to do.
Ella: I noticed that you do use a lot of vivid vibrant colours especially in your photography work so it's interesting to hear. I don't think I've ever heard of scenic as a style before, I’m still in the process of collaborating with different production designers myself so it's interesting to hear the different techniques that can be used.
Destinie: Scenic painting is so lovely, especially textured paintings, like painting on materials and creating shapes with it. I always love creating stuff like that. I paint but I want to do it more.
Ella: That’s really cool. So you don't just design sets, you also direct as well. I'm very passionate about being multi-disciplinary, so what has it meant for you to juggle the two?
Destinie: I feel like it is quite interesting, because I’ve started to make a good name for myself as a set designer while also really telling people that I'm a director also. I’m very happy that I can keep growing with designing sets as well as with directing, because they both can be quite unpredictable. However, I’ve now started to make more visual treatments, because I want to get more experience with layouts and image researching. This year I’ve tried to do more directing to push myself out of my comfort zone, and hopefully next year is going to be even more.
Ella: That's good to hear because not everybody has that same story. Half of the people in the industry that I've spoken to say that it complements what they're doing, and then others say it's hard to distinguish between wearing the two different creative hats.
Destinie: I’ve also learned a lot assisting other set designers. I find it really valuable, because there are certain materials and shops that you don’t know exist, and you can learn from others’ experiences. I also feel like set design has made me better at directing, because I’m honing my attention to detail and also learning to think on my feet to find solutions. That's one thing I feel like I'm really happy to have as a part of me.
Ella: I would love to talk more about your directing the film ‘Three’ that explores family relationships between women. I know it’s currently in post-production, but I remember seeing the whole process through the crowd fund campaign and behind-the-scenes on Instagram. I know it's a loaded question, but how was it Directing a short film during the pandemic?
Destinie: I feel like shooting it during the pandemic was unpredictable, because if someone caught COVID-19, or if someone felt sick, you can’t question it. I really had to rely on a lot of people, because this project was something that was bigger than I could do by myself, especially to the standard I imagined in my head. When I first started the film, I was working with a specific DOP, but then she dropped out a month before filming. It was frustrating because I had been planning everything with her for almost a year.
Stills from Destinie Paige’s Graduation Film - ‘Three’ - Photography By @elu.sade
I didn't expect that, but I found another amazing DOP called Amy Reid and she's been really great to work with. I’ve been working with her since that short film, and it felt like everything aligned. We have a really great relationship and we get each other. She's as hard-working and as dedicated as I am, and I think that's what I really looked for in the entire team.
I directed ‘Three’ as part of my graduation film, even though it was not going to be graded towards my degree. It was a four-day shoot and booking the student film kit became twice as hard during COVID-19, so everything felt really stressful. Even though it was a difficult shoot, it was amazing at the same time, because the actors got along really well and every single person on the shoot worked really hard to finish everything and get it all completed.
Ella: I’m really happy to hear that you managed to push through during the pandemic, I think it's so admirable. Working as a tutor for film students myself during the pandemic, I can only imagine how difficult it was, but well done and congratulations for pushing through. I'm really excited to see it.
Ella: On a positive note, moving forward, what is next for you? What are you looking forward to?
Destinie: I'm looking forward to more directing work. I’d like to direct more music videos and more branded work and commercials. I know commercials are a longer process and I appreciate that it may take a bit more time, but I’m determined. I also really want to direct more short films next year. I’m in the process of writing another one. I've also got an exhibition coming up in February 2022, which is going to be on for an entire month. I'm trying to make it an immersive experience and about how we portray black masculinity and femininity within Black art in a celebratory and positive way. If it goes well, hopefully I can create a partnership with the gallery for more exhibitions in the future.
Ella: Sounds brilliant. The exhibition seems to tie in with ‘The Joy of’, in terms of your interests and the kind of work you want to create.
Destinie: I always want to be creating something that's positive, in the way that shows it’s positive to be strong but also positive to be whoever you want to be. I want to focus on the communities don’t get the most shine in that sense and push women to the forefront of all the work that I do.
A Still of Destinie Paige - Photography By Abena Appiah
