Jun 2, 2022
French Designer Thony Perrudin Lends his Expertise to the film “What’s Your Price?”
French designer Thony Perrudin, founder of the well-known design company View Visual Art Design, recently brought his expertise as an artist and designer to the film “What’s Your Price?,” which has been chosen as an Official Selection of the 2022 California Women’s Film Festival where it will screen in July.
Directed by multi-award winning actress Monika Ekiert (“Paulette,” “Polish Hope,” “Vicky”), who also stars in the film, “What’s Your Price?” tells the story of two immigrants trying to make their way in Hollywood. The film, which also stars Regen Wilson (“Veep,” “Fear the Walking Dead”) and Djamel Hamdad (“Star Trek: Picard”), begs the question of just how far they will go to achieve the American dream and what sacrifices they can make while keeping their love intact.
Thony Perrudin came on board the film as the lead set designer, where his skill in creating large scale artwork was integral to the artistic design and ambiance of the film’s sets, which ranged from a dilapidated old room to a rich and opulent producer’s home.
One of the things that sets Perrudin’s work apart was the key role the work he created played in the quality of the acoustics captured by the sound department during the filming, which was a direct result of the stretch fabric material he used to cover the sets from the floor to the ceiling.
Director Monika Ekiert explains that because of Perrudin’s work, “The quality of sound was optimized and the sound post production had less work to do.”
In addition to screening at the 2022 California Women’s Film Festival, “What’s Your Price?” was also chosen as an Official Selection of the Chelsea Film Festival, where it screened in October, as well as the Malibu Film Festival, where it screened earlier this year.
Though this is the first time Perrudin has brought his design mastery into the film world, he established his reputation as a master designer more than a decade ago.
Hailing from Brittany, France, Perrudin grew up drawing. He went on to study art and design at EESAB, the European Academy of Art in Brittany, and then Brassart Superior School of Design, where he focused on architectural drawing and other aspects of design.
“That journey, with artistic creation and knowledge about architectural techniques drove me to where I am today, a space designer,” Perrudin explains. “I am inspired by architectural and structure design. Depending on the room, you have to find the perfect balance between round and straight lines. This is this balance that creates the perfect atmosphere and makes people feel good.”
Back in 2012, Perrudin founded View Visual Art Design, which he developed in order to respond to a growing demand within the field of design for aesthetically pleasing spaces with special attention paid to acoustics. Perrudin incorporates over stretched canvas, with different artistic designs printed upon them to fit the space, along with LED lighting, in a way that adds to the acoustics of the environment and helps achieve the feeling his clients want to give off within the space.
“A lot of companies like restaurants, hotels or work spaces minimize how important it is for the feeling of their clients to spend time in a beautiful and acoustically pleasant space. Our mission is to provide such elements by designing and improving acoustics for the best feeling,” explains Perrudin.
“I design oversized walls to create a visual ambiance by fitting the space to create a unique atmosphere. The stretch printed canvas I design and install is made for acoustic treatment… It is about reducing echoes to obtain a better sound and feeling in the room, like they use in theater.”
Since founding View Visual Art Design in 2012, Perrudin has been tapped to bring his artistic creations to a wide range of projects that include large-scale hotels, such as Miami’s Hotel Aloft, for which he designed 120 rooms, and restaurants, such as Akoya.
Just like in the film “What’s Your Price?,” the material Perrudin uses for these large scale jobs offers acoustic benefits in the way that the material helps to pad and equalize sounds within the space, something that is understandably favorable for spaces that attract a lot of people and environmental noise.
For Akoya in Miami, a sushi and Asian fusion restaurant, Perrudin designed the entire space with over stretched canvas from wall to wall, and effectively managed to increase the visual size of the restaurant, which the client wanted, through his unique use of translucent fabric and an LED lighting system.
“I created a design using optical illusion to increase the depth of the rooms. It was like entering a palace corridor,” he explains. “I had to consider high traffic… The soft LED light was used to have a romantic ambiance. The acoustic was optimized at the same time to add to this new atmosphere.”
For popular spaces that need to remain peaceful in spite of the hustle and bustle, Perrudin’s creations have proven to be an integral aspect of the overall ambiance. Another high profile project Perrudin tackled was the Aloft Hotel Dadeland in Miami, for which he designed a series of nature drawings with pastel colors to help optimize the tranquil atmosphere.
“I love to imagine and visualize before even drawing any plans. It is like feeling what is needed to enhance and optimize the spaces I have to design,” explains Perrudin. “I love being able to work on different projects all the time since I need to fit specific spaces and create a different atmosphere each time. Every project is different by size and design. I love to adapt and find a design solution that fits best.”
Though Perrudin is currently based in Los Angeles, CA, his design work continues to take him across the country. He is currently working on a series of projects in Detroit, Michigan, which include the N’Namdi Art Center, as well as a fitness center, lounge and more.
As someone who continues to create powerful visuals that help his clients achieve the ambiance they desire, Thony Perrudin has become a master in his field and has clearly found his niche in the design world. For those aspiring to work in design like him, his advice is this: “Just be passionate about what you are doing and why you are doing it. That sounds obvious, but the ‘love can do’ is how I drive my way in life!”
Co-Authored by Thony Perrudin
