FilminFocus.com

Essays and Articles

Five Designers on Design in Film

Named by House Beautiful as one of one of "America's Most Brilliant Decorators," Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz brings a signature mix of color, light and poetry to his work. After having received a masters in Architecture from University of Puerto Rico in 1982, Noriega-Ortiz moved to New York City, gaining a second Masters from Columbia University, before striking off on his own, where he created projects for such diverse public figures as rocker Lenny Kravitz, Mexican author Laura Esquivel, celebrity portrait photographer Mark Seliger, media mogul Michael Fuchs and Sean "Diddy" Combs. Recently Noriega-Ortiz has turned his talent to designing a variety of other elements, such as fabrics for Tapestria, bathroom fixtures for Kohler, carpets for Chroma Rug Collection — to name just a few. In addition to his work being featured in a number of design magazines, books and television shows, a book of his work, Emotional Rooms, The Sensual Interiors of Benjamin Noriega Ortiz, has recently been published.

We asked Mr. Noriega-Ortiz to give us five films that have inspired his own inspired style.

Top picture courtesy Peter Murdock

One of Noriega-Ortiz's designs (top) with a still from The Cook the Thief His Wife & Her Lover

• La Belle et la bête

  The style of the movie is spectacular in the way that it mixes film and poetry. I remember reading the diary Cocteau kept during the production, what he was thinking, where he found the garden. It was amazing to see his process. Right now the film inspires a hotel I'm working on.

• The Bride of Frankenstein

  I love old movies for their graphic nature. I rarely go to films for the stories; just the designs. This James Whale classic was so striking and graphic — a huge set, a gigantic fire place, amazing lines.

• Blade Runner

  Every designer probably cites this film. It is all about style and space. Whenever it's a gloomy day in New York, I put this movie on.

• The Cook the Thief His Wife & Her Lover

  This film just captured that idea of monochromatic style. The camera goes back and forth, and when the set changes color, so do all the costumes. Everything stays the same color. And the color establishes the mood of each room. I saw it five times and didn't get it — this is what I was doing, working monochromatically.

• Caravaggio

  I am huge fan of Caravaggio, the painter, When I saw my first Caravaggio in Rome, I wanted to cry. I love how Jarman brings a bit of whimsy to the painter and his scene, like when the Pope pulls out a gold-plated calculator. But I also relate to Jarman's use of sets. When I design a room, I design the room first as a set, that is, I design it for the camera, for what the room should look like, before people change it.

Published on: April 29, 2008