The Vagabond

The vagabond: a steady journey

The Vagabond is an upcoming science fiction short film that tells the story of a jaded bounty hunter as he tries to navigate familiar foes. Following the success of System Booting, director David Debry, brought me on to create the production design, costumes, and props for the film.

This film lends a lot of creative inspiration from classic sci-fi such as Star Wars, Blade Runner, Alien, and shows like Cowboy Bebop and Arcane. The world is grimy, weathered, and well-loved. It reflects the tone of the characters and the story to be told.

As the production designer, there are two important aspects that will make up the fundamentals of the film, practical effects and VFX to enhance it. Recognizing the capabilities of visual effects and their drawbacks has let me explore new regions of creativity while keeping everything feasible. It's a long process, but for the team, we are more than willing to take our time to create the film that we want.

Miniatures: From Model Kits to Spaceships

The Vagabond

The modified military surplus space cruiser piloted by our main protagonist.

The Chimera

The custom high-ranking Imperial star cruiser, flown by our main antagonist.

The Orthus 1 & 2

Through the use of parallax, these will be the standard lower-ranking starcruisers used by the Imperium.

The Unity IX: System Booting

We knew from our experience on System Booting, our previous sci-fi film, that there were so many more stories to be told through the use and reference of real-world scale models. However, there was much to learn given the additional time on this film. I sought to improve my miniature work which previously could have been focused on more.

A lot of time was spent researching the proper materials and ways of assembling the ships. Inspiration and techniques were taken directly from Industrial Light and Magic's methods in the original Star Wars films. Styrene sheets and model kits were key materials that I found myself working with. Through a process called "Kitbashing," mixing pieces created incredibly fine details that were picked up using the probe lens. A sizeable chunk of the budget was put into the models, the first things to be made for the film. However, in the end, with much trust, the Vagabond miniature was finished to much praise. The two other ships, the Chimera, and the Orthus 1 & 2 were constructed shortly after. Without the ships, there would be no Vagabond, whether they were filmed practically or through CGI.

The larger model city pictured above is the ruined city of XALE. It is a brief location seen in one of the later chase scenes in the film. It is constructed of foam sheets, plaster, and miniature models embedded inside. Over one thousand windows were cut out for the skyscrapers.

Proto: Shaping a Personality

Proto was one of the characters that we felt needed to be in the film. While the style and build of the robot is gritty, his personality shines through the grease to provide an enjoyable, witty, yet menacing little friend for our main lead. Inspiration was taken from the character Dorretta from the game Deep Rock Galactic when finding a color scheme and style.

His main chassis is built out of a remote control tank and it is kitted out with light plastic containers, camera lenses, hoses, tubes, and backpacks for all of his needs. I wanted to make someone who felt less like a companion, but more of a friend who the audience can genuinely care for. The stories on his backpacks and the implied modification to him only add to the charm that will be tested by the end of the film.

Costumes: Functionality, Style, and Story

Being the costume maker was not one of the original roles I had for the film however after our main person assigned for the role had to step back, I had to fill in their shoes. While I may not be as organized and specialized in costume work as they were, I am proud of the influence I had in the final look for the characters.

I took the opportunity to match my production design language even further and to tell stories through each character's outfit. There needed to be a complimenting sense of well-loved pride in each garment worn. It was a focus that drove many of the pieces into an accessorized diesel-punk wasteland aesthetic, something to match the ships and settings many found themselves in. The Imperials on the other hand relied on a tech-ware look that valued functionality and valor over grime. Many inspirations for them were drawn from the big game hunter outfits, military officers, and astronauts.

Our film will show many extras living their lives in the background of the action. While I had to direct my focus to the main costumes, I still took time to carefully consider what an extra might wear. There is an overall style and a large arrangement of accessories each person will get to wear.

Props: Concept to Blaster

One thing that I gained a lot more appreciation for on this project was the number of extra hands I had for every aspect of the production design process. Keaton Synder was tasked with being our lead weapons designer and with many revisions and experimentations, the final designs were settled on. A variety of fabrication techniques were used, whether it was custom 3d printing the main sidearm, modifying airsoft guns, or combining both methods, it created a unique style that fits the film. Not only did I have her aid in the design process, but in the construction and painting of each blaster.

Like much of the other visual language, we wanted to show a level of custom personalization between each sidearm. The Imperium blasters resemble old stock and modern versions of the same gun, while the protagonists' are distinct and unique from one another. Diego's secondary, "the sidearm", was heavily inspired by the blaster Deckard used in Blade Runner, with similar uses of orange and the double trigger.

Building a World: Asset Creation and Concepts

When it comes to making props and production design, I always want to have visuals on paper before I show anyone, especially crew members coming into the project later on. Being able to have media that can illustrate what the crew is to expect is rare at a student film level, but is something I want to prepare myself for when it comes to actual films. Most of my designs initially started as illustrations in my sketchbook, which would be refined under the eyes of our director. Other forms of asset creation such as the prototype 3D models would be made in Blender or Tinkercad.

The graphics and posters were made in Photoshop and Gimp Studios too, though they would need weathering to match the style of the props. Adia "AJ" Eckberg was tasked with poster designs and weathering.

The Future of The Vagabond: Our Experience

The Vagabond has been a film that I have always wanted to create, it combines all of my favorite parts of filmmaking into one large finale for my time at ASU. It has been conceptualized and worked on for nearly a year, though during that time, it was unfortunately not greenlit by the capstone process. While our work was greatly displayed, there were some things we were not well prepared for, such as the change in the capstone process and locations being locked. However, it has been one of the best things for the film since now there are no specific school guidelines that can hold back our film anymore. Our runtime can be appropriate to what we want to show, and we can film when we want, which is now in early January.

The project taught me many things, it taught me how to work with a team, and that I am not alone in the filmmaking process. While there were many months spent alone working on the props, I knew that the crew was there to support and encourage me throughout. My workflow can be a bit much, working nearly every day, but I learned to manage how I can craft at an appropriate pace. Thankfully the people around me have been some of the most persistent and talented individuals I have ever worked with too. Their strive for making this film has kept it together long after it was declared independent. I have been infinitely thankful for their excitement in what I do too. Seeing the crew's expressions as they see what was once a concept become real keeps me going.

David Debry, our director, is the spearhead behind the project and I have many things to thank him for. Not only for trusting what was once a stranger in his previous film but for giving me the creative freedom to take the lead when it is needed as a friend he now knows and can trust. His commitment to my often tricky visuals and constant excitement for anything I will be making makes a difference in his direction. I look forward to working with him in the future and seeing him evolve into an even more talented science fiction director, hopefully with me on his team once again.

To the crew and everyone supporting me this past year during pre-production, thank you very much. I am looking forward to sharing the world of The Vagabond with you next year.

Words from the Crew:

Director, Writer, Producer: David Debry

"Steven Pedroza is quite possibly the single most talented and joyous person I have ever worked with in all my filmmaking experience. The creative vision and cheerful attitude he brings to every project he works on is one of the most inspiring and heartwarming things I have witnessed.

I met him by pure chance and couldn't be more grateful for my stroke of luck, as he is an enormous part of why my films are possible. Creating low-budget science fiction films is a difficult task, one that he makes a lot easier through his innovative thinking and creative problem-solving. Not only did he build a whole spaceship cockpit in a month on a low budget for my last film System Booting. He has also been working tirelessly for the last year on an even bigger and more ambitious project that is incredibly demanding of the production design department. When I pitched The Vagabond to Steven, he jumped at the idea and immediately started work, bringing tons of ideas to the table, ever-expanding on the world and inspiring me to keep the work going myself even as the director and writer.

Seeing him bring my vision to life in unimaginably creative ways, and all the while working with him on set where he single-handedly brings up the mood without being a distraction is incredible. I could not recommend working with anyone more than I could with Steven Pedroza. There aren't many people I see and go "They are definitely gonna get high-level work in Hollywood." but he is absolutely one of them."

Concept Artist, Art Dept: Adia "Aj" Eckberg

"Working on The Vagabond with David and Steven has been a thrilling dream if I'm being totally honest. It is the most ambitious and exciting project I've seen here while at ASU and being able to help as much as I have has been exhilarating. It started with the concepts, talking to Steven and David, picking their brains and just sketching out weird sci-fi junk for hours. Then we dug in and got to work with the storyboards, which I then turned into a rough animatic that they've been using every step of the way since then! Albeit constantly changing, it's something they always show people when they bring up The Vagabond, it brings me a lot of joy seeing my work make people go "woah, that's amazing" and helping people get interested in our film.

After that, I figured I was done until we got on set to shoot, and I could do BTS Photography, yet I keep chipping in here and there for small production design tasks. Posters, Set Deco, Misc things. Steven just texts me and suddenly I'm spending my afternoon weathering a barrel on my friend's balcony. I find great joy in hearing Steven say he needs help with something PD-related, and that he trusts me with his vision for this unique and strange world he's dreamed up. I haven't seen much outside of what I've worked on but knowing Steven is leading tells me it's going to be spectacular."

VFX Supervisor: Quinn Morris

"Vagabond to me is one of the greatest and most fulfilling projects I've worked on so far. Every shot, every idea, every problem that comes up. They all feel like new puzzles that need to be figured out. In my experience as the VFX Supervisor, when it comes to working with Production Design there's no one better at solving those puzzles than Steven.

I've gotten the opportunity to work with him on a few different projects over the years. His dedication to his craft and the attention to detail he puts into everything he does has saved me days of work while in post-production. You hardly need to add anything in VFX when everything looks fantastic practically.

Whether it's a random issue while working on set or a crazy idea that comes up in pre-production. Steven has always been there to push the project forward with a creative solution and a great attitude. "

Graphic Designer, Art Dept: Annie Foley

It is rare to find a production designer as innovative and versatile as Steven. His creative vision and ability to solve complex challenges set him apart in every project he undertakes. Steven has a unique talent for transforming ideas into reality, crafting environments, costumes, and props that not only meet but elevate the artistic intent of any production.

His expertise spans an impressive range—from stop-motion animation and theater to film and intricate prop design. Steven approaches each project with unparalleled adaptability and ingenuity, ensuring every detail enhances the story being told. His work consistently leaves an indelible mark, and it’s no surprise to see his name associated with so many remarkable productions.

Steven is not only a consummate professional but also a collaborative force who inspires those around him. Anyone fortunate enough to work with him will experience firsthand his dedication, creativity, and transformative impact. He is truly a production designer of the highest caliber.

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