Chapter 5. The Grand Budapest Hotel
CREATION OF PERIOD GRAPHIC PROPS AND SIGNAGE from THE 1930'S AND 1960'S FOR INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM DIRECTED BY WES ANDERSON.
“I must say, I find that girl utterly delightful. Yet without question, without fail, always and invariably, she’s exceeding lovely. Why? Because of her purity.”
Project Description
Synopsis
›The Grand Budapest Hotel‹ is a novel penned by a famous writer from the fictitious Republic of Zubrowka. He tells us the story of legendary hotel concierge Gustave H. (Ralph Fiennes), lobby boy Zero (Tony Revolori), and Zero’s love interest Agatha (Saoirse Ronan) during the last days of the hotel’s grand reputation. We learn of their adventures and misfortunes as they are thrown into the whirlwind of a mysterious inheritance conspiracy.
The movie was produced by Fox Searchlight Pictures in association with Indian Paintbrush, Studio Babelsberg, TSG Entertainment, American Empirical Pictures, Scott Rudin Productions and is property of Fox and its related entities.
Project Details
The Team
On behalf of Schein Berlin, in very close collaboration with renowned lead graphic designer Annie Atkins, production designer Adam Stockhausen and a film crew supervised by director Wes Anderson.
ESSENTIAL Role
As the supporting graphic designer, Liliana’s tasks were wide and varied. From creating, coordinating, and producing props and signage to overtaking specific details in shared assignments.
DATE | DURATION
Completed in 4 months (Nov 2012 till March 2013)
Featured In
Creative Review, The Wes Anderson Collection: The Grand Budapest Hotel, Dotty Design, Galway Advertiser
MILESTONES | HIGHLIGHTS
A significant highlight for everyone involved was designing and especially constructing (which was mostly Liliana’s part) Mendl’s patisserie box, the hero prop of the film. While the design required several iterations because of a specific expression in Mendl’s typography, the luxurious fabrication demanded finding the right material, manufacturing techniques and supplier. The reason it is named a ‘hero prop’ lies in the very fact that the object itself becomes the main drive of a selected scene, feeding into the overall flow of the film. The pastry boxes are not only part of a set but also characteristics of Agatha, Monsieur Gustave, and Zero. By the end of the film, the prop has been brought to life in such a way, that it has a personality, and a story of its own.
LEARNINGS | FALLBACKS
It was very enriching for Liliana to work that closely with Annie. Next to the fact that she is an outstanding graphic designer and storyteller, her performance is second to none. Annie kept up great teamwork at all times to ensure positivity and motivation kept flowing into the creative process even in moments of total exhaustion and chaos. Her honesty, empathy and her incredible strength to succeed, nurtured solidarity within the team. This is the key to, even under pressure, deliver and meet deadlines on time and with a smile.
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Annie Atkins (Graphic Design, Photographs)
Jan Jericho (Calligraphic Art)
Michael Schmid (Calligraphic Art)
Mary Heneghan (Drawings)
FIND OUT MORE about the team's PROCESS
BEHIND THE SCENES of
›The Grand Budapest Hotel‹
(starts at 20 mins 48 secs)
