Documenting an Interior Designer through Film.

Behind The Scenes.

- the movements of a branding video.

Filming this day wasn’t about performance. It was about the process. We were welcomed into Jen’s home and workspace, immediately greeted with well-collected decor and stunning design… our guiding light for the day. After spending months together developing other aspects of her brand, it was clear that she instilled the same principles shared with her clients into her own home. Designing with your story as the forefront is what creates rooms of remark. (A nod to Jen’s tagline.)

With that same idea in mind, we wanted her affections to be our inspiration. Nature, light, organic textures.

The goal of this piece was to quietly communicate the designer’s values through a visual medium.
Rather than explain what she does, we wanted to show how she works—her sense of pace and presence in a space. The aim was to create a film that feels like her interiors: thoughtful, warm, tactile, and deeply personal. Something that builds trust not through buzzwords or polish, but through quiet clarity and endearment.

It wasn’t about selling a service. It was about positioning her as someone with a distinct point of view—and letting that speak for itself.

Hands behind the piece.

Pre-production involved studying Jen’s current branding guidelines we designed together. Drawing inspiration across different genres, art, and of course, her own designs. A moodboard was curated, and a shotlist was timelined with the director/DP, Ian Wang. The crew met in mine and my husband’s small city apartment the evening before, and reviewed the game plan over good wine and frozen lasagna.

Our morning was greeted with my kids rushing in to see who stayed the night, our crew, who just so happen to be our close friends. (What luck to have such talented friends!) After a swift breakfast paired with Bluey as our background noise, we packed our gear in close quarters and went on our way for the day.

It was a peaceful set, equally executed with precision by everyone involved. We came in with a full kit: lighting, monitors, a BlackMagic digital paired with a Kodak Super 8, and a three-person crew. None of it disrupted the energy of the space. Everything was intentional and efficient, designed to support what was already there rather than reshape it. Our morning began with quick steps to ensure we caught the daylight hours, and shortly formed into a healthy pace.

Our job was to capture the atmosphere of a working designer, without interfering with it.

Even with professional gear around us, the space stayed grounded. Focused. There were no loud calls, no rush to reset. Just quiet collaboration and close attention to detail.

- our last shot

Background.

After refining my work over the past few years in photographing people, places, and things, it was such an exciting experience approaching it through video. Led by creative direction and translating the branding language, I focused heavily on not only the mood and aesthetic, but the color palette… which luckily for me, Jen already is a scholar at. Her home directly complements her branding colors. Implying her sense of deeply cohesive design. It was a breeze setting the scenes, only adding or subtracting a piece here and there to puzzle a shot together. Attention to detail, the palette, composition, and proportions. Applying interior photography rules of thumb now and then, wiping summer sweat off a mango, what have you.

Pair that with working with a skilled and talented crew, you have a good and efficient day.

In Conclusion

These behind-the-scenes shots I gathered from the set say a lot about the tone we were chasing. Natural, grounded, a little bit analog. You can feel the warmth of the dialed-in light, the stillness between takes, the concentration. It all echoes the intention behind the video itself: to capture the designer in her element, without excess. Just story, rhythm, and refinement. I’ll be eagerly waiting to share the film, and tie it together with the remainder of this branding project.

Brand

J. Bienvenu Interiors

Crew

Director/DP/Editor: Ian Wang

Gaffer/Assistant Camera: Tyler Chong

Creative Director/Producer: Kate Starkel

- kate starkel