FOURPLAY: Caroline designs ... (PT 1 of 2)

Caroline Karlen is a consummate professional production designer, even when having to prep a sweaty actor decked out in a thong, wig, spiked heels and a continually malfunctioning garter belt. Inventive with limited resources, the picture of grace under fire, she recently debuted her first feature at Sundance, Bryan Poyser's LOVERS OF HATE. First of a two part interview below. - Kyle

1) You've worked on a lot of films, commercials, music-videos, et al. What makes working on these FOURPLAY shorts unique for you?

The most unique part of working on 4-PLAY has been the communal aspect of pre-production. Kyle has a very inclusive style, and involved the principle crew as much as possible in choosing locations, color scheme, lighting, even down to things like whether or not clothing would work in a specific scene. It's a great way to work when you are on a low budget because you get a global picture of the project and can better communicate your choices and concerns when everyone's working with the same information.

2) Do you have any personal connection to the material in the scripts? How did any of the material in AUSTIN or SAN FRANCISCO speak to you?

Honestly, I didn't have a personal connection to AUSTIN or SAN FRANCISCO in the literal sense: neither of the stories reflected choices I've made or conflicts I've had in my personal life. However, from a design standpoint, I was excited to dress those characters and create the environments they lived in. Kyle and Carlos' ability to flesh out their visions of the characters during story meetings made the finished product really satisfying, and I feel like I've known a lot of people who resemble these characters throughout my life.