“APPARITION” (2021)
Dir. Carter Cavanaugh
“Apparition,” my most recent film, was a project born out of the desire to build and design my own set. Repurposing flats from a previous film, I led the painting, construction, and weathering of the set, as well as conceptualized the design myself. On top of that, I handled dressing the set, buying props, and scouting the exterior/downstairs location. 
Stills from "Apparition."
DP: Harrison Kraft

1-inch Scale model for the set of "Apparition."
Set build BTS for "Apparition."
BTS Photography: Elena Plumser

“ANTIQUE FAILURE” (TBD)
Dir. Carter Cavanaugh

“Antique Failure” is my up and coming project. While I focused more in the realm of directing, I worked closely with my art department on the larger artistic elements of the film, such as the painting on the van and the design of band’s flyers. As well, I scouted all of the film’s locations and drew the full storyboard for the film.
Stills from "Antique Failure."
DP: Harrison Kraft

BTS shots of the van paintings in "Antique Failure."
BTS Photographer: Devon Lorencovitz

“INFLUENCER” (TBD)
Dir. Allison Davidoff
“Influencer” was shot at a campground in the off-season. I accompanied the director during its’ scouting, making the decision where each major scene was going to be held. My major responsibilities were buying props and dressing the set, as well as creating certain set pieces myself, such as the flags in the backgrounds. It was also a challenge of using the environment around to influence the design of each set, incorporating logs, trees, branches, and other parts of the forest environment in larger stagings.
Uncolored Stills from "Influencer."
DP: Danny Murray

BTS of the set dressing in "Influencer."
BTS Photograher: Elena Plumser
“THE MARINN COMPANY” (2021)
Dir. Emma Swider
“The Marinn Company” had a precise, sleek vision going in. My main job was dressing the set and applying logos, as well as cleaning the set between shots. The film’s aesthetic was clean and modern, so rather than focusing on dressing, I focused on keeping the frame absent and void of too much detail. As well, I did the graphic design work for the company’s catalog.
Stills from "The Marinn Company"
DP: Brittney Briggs

“THE MUFFIN MAN” (2019)
Dir. Elijah Duncan

“The Muffin Man” was a hugely collaborative experience with its director. The major project of this film was leading the entire crew on the construction and painting of a large office set. As well, another major job was to completely recreate a scene in parody of the director’s previous film. Through the rest of the film, I dressed the sets, reset props, and assisted in ordering from rental houses. 
Stills from "The Muffin Man."
DP: Tom Parrish

Stills from the director's previous film (top) alongside my recreated set (bottom)
DP: Tom Parrish
Stills from "The Muffin Man," featuring the constructed office set.
DP: Tom Parrish
BTS of the office set for "The Muffin Man."
“POOR FAITH” (2019)
Dir. AJ Nichols
“Poor Faith” featured some of the heaviest set dressing I’ve done to date, transforming the DP’s family home into a single male’s by removing and cataloging nearly a hundred family photos and holiday decorations.
As well as set dressing, I was charged with creating prop “ritual papers,” along with setting up the “ritual” itself.

Ritual paper design and ritual setup. Stills from "Poor Faith."
DP: Carly Drabeck

Ritual paper design.
Stills from "Poor Faith."
DP: Carly Drabeck

“ZERO” (2019)
Dir. Lindsay Taylor
“ZERO” was a proof of concept rather than a fully adapted short film.
My largest project was fabricating an air vent capable of letting the actor climb through without hassle.

Stills featuring the air vent fabrication for "ZERO."
DP: Tom Parrish
BTS of the air vent fabrication.
“JOEY” (2019)
Dir. Allison Davidoff
“Joey” features a set of paintings that I was commissioned to make for the film. The paintings reflect both the larger plot and the overarching themes of mental turmoil.
Stills from "Joey."
DP: Harrison Kraft

Photos depicting the painting process.
THEATRICAL WORK
I worked from 2016-2020 as a scenic shop assistant for Montclair State Unviersity’s Department of Theater and Dance. My time there was spent working on a large range of productions, from dramas, to musicals, to dance shows. Given that the sets were the work of dozens of artists, largely the scenic majors, I would find it disingenuous to showcase photographs of the final sets in my portfolio. 
However, upon request, the set photos are available to discuss over email correspondence, where I can detail out what work I did on which set. My main experiences at the shop revolved around leading students on painting projects, cleaning and organizing the shop, and assisting the scenics on painting, loading, and building. 
In the meantime, I have a limited supply of photos showcasing smaller pieces and solo-projects from my time working there. Please reach out if you would like to discuss my scenic experience further: cartcavanaugh@gmail.com 
Before and after pictures featuring paint and texture treatments for "Wedding Band" (2018).
Rust-on-metal paint treatments.
MISCELLANEOUS FILM WORK
A collection of my other various PD work. Featuring my earlier works, productions I had a smaller hand in, and classwork for my Production Design I & II classes.
Set Dressing for "A Walk In The Dark." (2020)
Dir. Zachary Heller
DP: George Haley

Set Dressing and Location Scouting for my film "The Weekend." (2018)
DP: Harrison Kraft

Scaled floor plan and model for my Production Design class, 2018.

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