Today we’d like to introduce you to Mehdi Bennani.
Hi Mehdi, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born and raised in Casablanca, Morocco. Growing up, I always loved watching movies but my first film class in high school introduced me to the art of filmmaking. Learning about the behind-the-scenes was as fascinating to me, if not more so, as the movie itself.
Fast forward to when I moved to California in 2011, I first started at Santa Monica College, where I got a Liberal Arts Degree. Then, I transferred to the USC School of Architecture in 2015 and graduated in 2019. Architecture was the safe choice for me because I loved to draw and developed an interest in it in high school as well, but I realized a few years into the program that it wasn’t the career I wanted. At the end of my third year in architecture school, I stumbled upon a class called Introduction to Art Direction, taught by Mimi Gramatky, former Art Directors Guild president. I realized very quickly that this was what I wanted to do as a career. I finally found a path for me that combined the skills I had learned in architecture classes, my passion for film, and my creativity.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture, my next step was to get into a film school for production design. Thankfully, I was accepted into the Production Design program at the American Film Institute, where I did my master’s degree. At the AFI, I was able to really tap into my imagination and creativity and collaborate with incredibly talented people to make short films. During my last year, I was able to work on three thesis films of different genres, which are currently on their own festival runs. It has been a journey getting to where I am but there is so much to learn ahead.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I was very lucky to have been supported by my family throughout the years I studied. I also have felt very lucky in life because I was never really good at school and yet, I was lucky enough to get into the schools and programs I wanted. It wasn’t a smooth road to get to where I am today, but I am proud of what I was able to achieve, and it is only the beginning. It took 10 years to figure out what I wanted in life, long sleepless nights in the architecture studio, some good self-reflecting about my future, good and bad days in class, some more sleepless nights designing, and some long days on set.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I work exclusively in the art department. I have had some credits as a production designer, art director, set decorator, set dresser, and art PA. As a production designer, my job is to create the world surrounding the characters. When I design for a film, I tend to be very detail-oriented. I like to give the space I design some backstory even when it is not written in the script. That helps me connect it with the characters occupying that space. Having more details makes the space feel lived in, more organic and personal, not just a space with four walls and some furniture.
One project I am very proud of is the short film “In Wonderland”, which I co-designed with Cyrum Aytana Ramirez. In it, we tried to make the magical world of Alice in Wonderland blend with our main character’s reality. My personal favorite was putting little details, little easter eggs to connect our story with the one of Alice, like the judge’s heart-shaped brooch, which connects her to Lewis Caroll’s Queen of Hearts.
In Wonderland is currently doing its festival run this year. It has already been selected for several festivals, including LA Shortsfest and NY Latino Film Festival.
Most projects I worked on have been stories written by people of color about underrepresented voices. It has always been important for me to work on such projects because, while there has been some progress, we are still far from feeling seen and represented equally in the film industry. I hope that by working on more inclusive projects about marginalized groups or underrepresented people, we can change this industry for the better.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I have had many mentors and colleagues who helped me get to where I am and I feel extremely lucky that our paths crossed. Starting from professors who taught me what production design was, to people who gave me a shot at designing or hired me in the art department. My first experience as a production designer was for a short film called “A Blossom in the Night”, directed by Tayo Amos, who recently directed her first episode of Chicago Fire. I will always be grateful to her for giving me my very first opportunity as a designer. I didn’t know much about the job back then as it was before AFI, but it assured me that this was what I wanted to do. Serge Genitempo, a scenic artist who worked on projects such as The Mandalorian or True Blood, was also and still is a huge mentor for me. Whenever a project comes my way, I always go to him for advice.
Contact Info:
- Website: mbennanidesign.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mb.onsets/
Image Credits
Personal photo: Ellin Aldana Last photo in court: Yukun Chan
