Art Director
Exploring themes of domestic romance, trust, and duality, “Sunny Afternoon” portrays Rita carving her ideal lover, only to return home after dark to a painful betrayal.
Sunny Afternoon by Rita Mae
Director and Editor - Oscar Keys
Producer - Amy Ha
DOP/Colourist - Devan Narsai
Gaffer - Aaron Wakely
Art Director - Kristin Li
Oil Paintings - Caroline Herdson
VFX - Dylan Pritchard
Stills Photographer - Zara Staples
Featuring skinnyandsoft
We began our set design concept adapted from a prior directors treatment:
Having understood that lighting and the general tone of the video would be dark and moody, we wanted to fill the set with otherwise homely and ‘happy’ clutter and playfully romantic activities. After considering the contrast between themes of Summer and Autumn, we landed on constructing scarecrows with pumpkin heads - as opposed to watermelons, and styling them in contemporary outfits to move away from any farming or halloween themes.
![]()
![]()
While operating in a short time frame and tight budget, set dressing achieved close results to initial set design moodboards through means of foraging, borrowing, and sourcing from farmers markets. Sourcing and dressing was greatly assisted by Amy Ha.
“That despite being surrounded by a beautiful setting with perfectly clear weather above, she’s alone and isolated. The lyrics describe a sunny afternoon before delving into something deeper and darker. [...] Rita making a replacement for the lost relationship. [...] The rooms will be bright and colourful, the exterior is sunny and ideal, contrasting the tone of the song.”
Having understood that lighting and the general tone of the video would be dark and moody, we wanted to fill the set with otherwise homely and ‘happy’ clutter and playfully romantic activities. After considering the contrast between themes of Summer and Autumn, we landed on constructing scarecrows with pumpkin heads - as opposed to watermelons, and styling them in contemporary outfits to move away from any farming or halloween themes.
While operating in a short time frame and tight budget, set dressing achieved close results to initial set design moodboards through means of foraging, borrowing, and sourcing from farmers markets. Sourcing and dressing was greatly assisted by Amy Ha.
