The Room (2003) In most film productions, the budget determines what the art director or production designer can do within certain limits. The goal of budgeting for a film's art direction is to create the best visual concepts for the story within that budget. No matter how big or small the budget, the goal is not always achieved. A great example of this is Tommy Wiseau's The Room (2003). The film had a budget of $6 million and is considered one of the worst films by numerous publications. In addition to starring in the film, it was written, directed and produced by Tommy Wiseau. Overall it seems like the film lacked a thorough completion of pre-production, where it's important that the art direction really shapes the plot. The Room's unappealing art direction and production design are very reflective of Wiseau's poor screenplay and filmmaking inexperience, ultimately turning the film into more of a black comedy than a melodrama. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The scene I will talk about in this movie is the rooftop scene (33:32) when Denny is confronted by Chris-R, the drug dealer, to whom Denny owes money. Denny is supposed to be a 15 year old boy, but played by someone who is in his mid 20s. Chris-R is supposed to be a drug dealer, but he gives off more of a "gym rat" vibe. This scene could have been shot on location, ultimately on any rooftop, but for some reason it was shot on a studio backlot with a partial set and green screen. The scene lighting is a very neutral and flat overhead light and does not mimic real sunlight or foggy Bay Area skies. The color temperature seems to alternate between shots from . The scene opens with archival footage of San Francisco. The partial set consists of a cheap-looking brick wall and a tin-roofed entryway, overlooking a fake San Francisco skyline. Immediately, it becomes harder for me to take the acting to come seriously. The characters are revealed when Chris-R enters the roof through the fake tin roof door to find Denny. Something that really baffles me is that Denny is bouncing a basketball but I'm on a rooftop with no basket in sight. It would make more sense and be more believable for Denny to meet a drug dealer on a basketball court rather than on a rooftop. Chris-R explodes into a hyper-aggressive rage and pulls out a gun when Denny says the money will be there in five minutes. This altercation might be some of the best acting in the film until Mark and Johnny enter the scene at the "perfect moment" to save Denny and disarm Chris-R. Lisa and Claudette enter the scene shortly after to berate Denny as if he is related to them, when in reality he is just their neighbor. Within reason, the audience might understand that the scene takes place on a rooftop in San Francisco. . The background shows the San Francisco skyline with Coit Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge faintly in the distance. Most of the film was shot on a sound stage. The set lacks natural lighting that blends the foreground with the background. It looks more like a picture and does not portray the natural movement of real life. This set is used in the film for different scenes, but it doesn't do this scene justice. Not only does this set make the scene less believable, but it was probably more expensive to build a set than to use a real roof. The green screen creates a white aura on the edges of the actors, separating them from the background. The brick wall textures look fake on camera when they could have.