Helen Kotsonis

Helen kotsonis

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Helen
Kotsonis

Over 10 years of Production Design experience.
Over 150 sets created.
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Directors Guild of Canada
Production Design
Art Direction
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I am a Toronto based Production Designer with a love for great design and creative collaborations.

Toronto based Production Designer

I am a Production Designer with a passion for world building through design. I was nominated for my first DGC award for Production Design in 2019, and have had the pleasure of working on award winning productions that have featured internationally, including at Sundance, TIFF and SXSW Film Festivals.

I believe strongly in collaboration, and creating films that tell powerful visual narratives filled with texture and depth. I’m excited to bring my passion and skill to every project, and to continue building expressive, nuanced sets.

I am committed to equal opportunity for women, BIPOC and LGBTQ+ people in film. If you are interested in working with me please get in touch and send me your resume. If you are new in the industry and looking for networking opportunities and advice please get in touch.

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About my process

Production design is a great storytelling tool because of the visual elements it employs to convey the mood of the film or the personality of the characters. That's why good design starts with a lot of research. I like to get very involved in the character's backgrounds as well as the motivation behind the writer's ideas. The deeper I understand the script, the better I am able to connect with the director and collaborate on a vision that elevates their story. I also believe in implementing that vision as part of a team to create designs that tell strong visual narratives filled with texture and depth. I enjoy playing with scenic treatments and exploring the details of each set so that they fully express the world the characters are living in and the tone of the film.
creative idea by Vectors Market from the Noun Project
Concept Board

At the early stage of concept boarding, I set the visual tone for the movie by researching characters and story and defining a color scheme and style that fits the narrative.

creative idea by Vectors Market from the Noun Project
Technical drawings

Once the tone is set, I get to the drawing board and place that vision on paper. Using rough sketches and renderings I am able to communicate the vision for the film to the director, producer and DP. Once everything is approved it goes to my team, who bring it to life.

creative idea by Vectors Market from the Noun Project
Implementation

During the implementation phase the prep materials are shared with all the departments so that the sets, props and graphics are all telling the same story seamlessly.

Get in touch

Espresso fuels my creativity.
Let's talk design and sets over coffee.


Phone:
Email: 
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Representation
Courtenay Bainbridge
At Meridian Artists

Phone: +1  416 - 961 - 2777
Email: 
Web: