15th October 2025
Well, the short answer is that it’s tough to beat. The slightly longer answer is that we spent 2024 working on Emerald’s next film, Wuthering Heights, with the brilliant Production Designer Suzie Davies. And the long version is that we also constructed sets for three other great films screening at this year’s BFI London Film Festival. Frankenstein, Bugonia and The Thing with Feathers are all running throughout the fortnight and will be further showcasing our skills and craft.
Here’s the thing about set construction – when we’ve genuinely nailed it, nobody’s thinking about the walls. They’re not noticing the period detail or the carefully aged surfaces. They’re just there, completely transported into the story’s world. Every Gothic archway, every worn floorboard simply melds into the director’s vision.
As if to reinforce its importance, ahead of shooting Frankenstein, Guillermo del Toro remarked:
This kind of commitment to the tangible process of set construction and the human effort involved, made those long days working on location in Scotland even more rewarding, and makes us love this industry even more.
The best work happens when Supervising Art Directors and Production Designers bring us into the conversation early. Not just to execute their vision, but to explore it with them. “What if we tried…?” discussions that happen in real-time, where our teams identify potential challenges before they become problems and proposing solutions that actually enhance the creative direction.
British productions have this reputation for achieving remarkable results on lean budgets and tight schedules, and we think a lot of that comes down to how we approach problems. You can’t always throw money at challenges, so you get ingeniously resourceful instead. You collaborate in ways that genuinely improve the work.
As the London Film Festival begins and Frankenstein prepares to screen, we find ourselves reflecting on the process. Every project teaches you something, and this one reminded us why British cinema punches above its weight globally. It’s the technical excellence, sure. But it’s also the collaborative spirit, the adaptability, the resourcefulness.
We’d genuinely love to hear what you’re working on. Whether it’s a period epic, something contemporary, or entirely experimental – let’s talk about how intelligent set construction could support your vision while respecting your timeline and budget.
Meet us at the British Film Festival, connect here on LinkedIn, or reach out directly. The conversation usually starts simple.
And sometimes, that’s all it takes.
