Production Designer — *Letters*
Portfolio-Building Opportunity
**Independent Feature Film · Coming-of-Age Drama · Switzerland**
We are seeking a thoughtful, resourceful **Production Designer** to help shape the visual world of *Letters*, an intimate independent feature film written and directed by **Shiv Mehta**.
Set against the familiar spaces of adolescence—classrooms, libraries, corridors, bedrooms, and social gatherings—the film begins with the surface language of a romantic comedy and gradually reveals a more searching story about self-worth, friendship, performance, and learning to see oneself clearly. The production design should make ordinary spaces feel emotionally alive through detail, texture, colour, costume, props, and the changing atmosphere of light.
The Role
Working closely with the director and producer, you will develop and realise the film’s visual identity across its locations and key story moments. The role is ideal for a designer who enjoys building a believable world from modest resources and understands how small, specific details can carry character and emotion.
You will help shape the production’s visual language, including:
- PA’s (production assistant) will be provided by the production.
- School and library environments, including desks, lockers, books, notebooks, and study materials. From a real school
- Handwritten letters and stationery as recurring emotional objects.
- Mirrors, reflections, and personal spaces that express changing self-perception.
- Warm, familiar daytime worlds that can shift into heightened emotional spaces through colour and dressing.
- A more stylised social / masquerade setting with formal wardrobe, reflective surfaces, and gold-and-blue tonal contrast.
- Character-relevant costumes, props, set dressing, and visual continuity across a concentrated shoot.
What We’re Looking For
We are looking for a collaborative and hands-on creative with a strong eye for atmosphere, composition, and storytelling detail. Experience in short films, independent features, theatre, photography, editorial, or related visual fields is welcome. The most important qualities are imagination, organisation, adaptability, and a genuine interest in emotionally grounded production design.
You should be comfortable working within a limited budget, sourcing creatively, communicating clearly with a small team, and making practical decisions that protect the film’s visual intention. Familiarity with moodboards, lookbooks, prop sourcing, costume coordination, location dressing, and continuity is helpful.
Production Details
Detail | Information
| **Project** | *Letters* |
**Format** | Independent feature film / coming-of-age drama |
**Director / Producer** | Shiv Mehta
| **Location** | Switzerland — Zurich area, including Zumikon; local school and a house |
| **Shoot window** | Principal photography begins July 2027 |
| **Duration : Approximately 12–15 intensive shoot days |
| **Fee** | 1,200 CHF flat fee |
| **Production-design budget** | Additional 5,600 CHF for props, and set dressing
| **Funding** Micro-budget campaign with 10,000 CHF secured and a 30,000 CHF total target
Why Join *Letters*?
This is a chance to take meaningful creative ownership of a feature-film world from the ground up. You will contribute to a visual language built from letters, mirrors, school corridors, soft daylight, intimate objects, and the emotional transformation of everyday spaces. The project offers a focused opportunity to expand your portfolio while collaborating closely with an emerging filmmaker on a personal, visually distinctive
How to Express Interest
Please share a short introduction, relevant experience, and a portfolio or examples of your work. If you have a particular connection to the film’s visual direction—handmade details, character-led spaces, romantic realism, or expressive colour—feel free to include it in your message.
To apply: mshiv094@gmail.com
*Please note: the compensation and production-design budget are based on the current micro-budget financing plan and may be subject to final production confirmation.*
