From short films to standing sets: dive into the artistic realm of Simon Gao’s production design work

As a production designer, Simon’s artistic journey aims to elevate storytelling with distinct  visual languages. After studying art and design at university, where he devoted himself to  studio art, Simon transformed his passion into production design in film, and he pursued  further education at the established American Film Institute in Los Angeles, one of the  most prestigious film schools in the world. Within a few years, his portfolio of design work  in short films gained global recognition, winning multiple international awards. Simon’s  work as a production designer creates a tangible connection between the audience to the  cinematic experience by transporting them to different worlds.

Simon Gao

Magdalena 2022, set in 1970s Czechoslovakia

Ashes 2021, set in the ruins of WWII Dresden

In 2024, working with a drama series platform, he designed and built the state-of-the-art,  in-house standing set for the company, expanding his creative arena to these permanent  structures that are crucial to efficiency in TV filmmaking. He demonstrates true expertise in  the artistry and craftsmanship of these sets that offer structure, consistency, and creative  flexibility.

Standing set

In recent years, Simon took a plunge into the rising industry of vertical-format stories and  drama series. Filmmaking is an evolving experience. The audience is invited to a more  mobile-friendly viewing format that caters to the fast-paced everyday lifestyle. Over the  past years, it has experienced such a boom that the market is predicted to be worth $14 bn  by 2027. As a production designer, his creativity is not bound by projects’ scale. Simon’s  dedication to his craft is evident in every project he takes part in, as each story has a  distinct emotion that needs to be captured through the artistic visual design. Over dozens  of projects with multiple streaming platforms, his works range from traditional romance  comedies to the more unique action thrillers, as well as thematic sub genres like culinary  and sports. His recent work, an ex-soldier who goes undercover as an inmate to expose  corruption, has amassed over 70 million views.

Looking ahead, Simon is still on the journey to build himself up with more narrative work  that combines emotion and art, hoping to shape his craft further with creativity and  determination.