Hotel California

This specific university project introduced me to the concept of screen-specific design, with a hypothetical brief to create the costume and set for a music video. Using "Hotel California" by The Eagles and the song's profound lyrics as inspiration, I designed a story centred around the opulent, drug-fueled rock and roll culture of that era. My focus was to capture the allure of temptation and its destructive consequences which comes through in the mood board below.

During this project, we also spent a significant amount of time refining digital illustration skills, which I really enjoyed and picked up a new tool for designing. Through the use of photo bashing and Hollywood rendering techniques, I was able to produce an impressive final rendering of my costume design and this is now a skill I use across most projects.

A critical lesson I learned from this unit is the value of attention to detail. By combining simple yet effective elements such as accessories, fabrics, and textures, and layering them appropriately, a designer can create a successful look that conveys the desired imagery without appearing too overt or theatrical. This experience also emphasized the contrasting demands of designing for screen versus theatre, providing a valuable learning opportunity for me.