WHEN I GROW UP

CO-DIRECTOR • VISUAL DEPARTMENT COORDINATOR •
STORYBOARD ARTIST • GRAPHIC DESIGNER

"When I Grow Up" is a short film Directed by Paolo Grassi and Niccoló V. Salvato. To be Released in March 2023.

Logline

A lonely and forgotten trap artist throws a party in his futuristic villa to give voice to the ghosts of his past as a singer.

As a Co-Director of the short film "When I Grow Up," my role mainly involved working together with Niccoló to plan out the story, define the visual identity based on the narrative, and direct the cast and crew during pre-production, production and post-production. While occupying the role of Visual Department Coordinator, I was instead responsible for managing and organising, as well as creatively directing the art department, the make-up and costumes team, and the artists who created the film's more specific visual elements, such as paintings or AI-generated moving images.

To oversee these 2 separate tasks I coordinated with my co-director, the cinematographer, production designer, and other members of the visual team to ensure that everything would be consistent and cohesive.

At the moment we are in the last phase of post-production, and we are planning strategies for the distribution along with SIC Pictures and EP:IK Pictures. Right now, I am supervising the realisation of the VFX, as well as personally taking care of the credits and the film's promotional materials, including posters, flyers, and social media graphics.

Here below you can find Stills from 'When I Grow Up'.

When I Grow Up wants to be neon and pop in its choices of colours for lights and props. In the first part of the short film, the main character is constantly surrounded by neon lights. Those have been useful tools to help construct a "viby", futuristic visual identity, which of course, hides a deep pain. As a matter of fact, this story is about the systematic neglect of our inner self, which remains hidden behind social masks that we struggle to destroy.

PRODUCTION DESIGN MOODBOARD

Since the very writing process, I have been creating a visual identity, a fictitious world based on themes and messages.

Villa Willy is decorated with autoreferencial posters and memorabilia of any kind from his past as a singer. Also lamps and statues of terrible taste help constructing the visual identity of the mansion.

Tito Willy is a fake personality that the real Tiziano uses to hide his true self from the real world. The only way Tiziano expresses what really goes through his mind is Visual Art.

Tiziano’s house is filled with his own paintings. Those are the visual manifestation of his oppression. Therefore, Tito wouldn’t tell anyone that he painted them.

The true self of Tito Wily is only revealed through his paintings. Therefore, my research on these specific props was careful and extended to different artistic fields, and also various countries.