Copyright © 2026 Lana Elizabeth Bateman. Art and Graphic Design for Freelance and Film

Vicious

Film Production Graphic Design

As 1st Assistant Art Director for the film Vicious, directed by Bryan Bertino, I designed for a range of applications. These included creating graphic props, curating art for set decoration that helped to set the tone of the film, and creating interactive actor-driven phone and laptop sequences. Vicious is streaming now on Paramount Plus.

Project Highlights

vicious cigarette pack

Welch Cigarettes

Prop Packaging Design

Polly’s cigarettes are featured heavily in the film at key plot points, so it was important to have a packaging design that stood out. This red and gold foil design fit well with the film aesthetic while catching the light nicely in both daylight and dark nighttime scenes. Featured in the trailer clip (see above).

Photo Gallery Wall

Key Set Decoration

The concept I proposed for the gallery wall was to have the photos start out normal at the beginning of the film, and then subtly transform into sinister versions of themselves in the background, contributing to an increasingly menacing and claustrophbic tone as the story unfolds.

vicious wall photos
vicious wall photos
vicious wall photos
vicious wall photos

Photo Gallery Wall

Key Set Decoration

The concept I proposed for the gallery wall was to have the photos start out normal at the beginning of the film, and then subtly transform into sinister versions of themselves in the background, contributing to an increasingly menacing and claustrophbic tone as the story unfolds.

Wrong Wrong Wrong

Interactive/Animated Phone Sequence

Electronics taunt Polly (Dakota Fanning) at various points throughout the film, and I designed several sequences for her to interact with. This WRONG WRONG WRONG phone screen was a particular gut-punch.

Secrets of the Jar

Key Set Decoration

One key piece of set dec mentioned early on in the script was a paperback book sitting on Polly’s coffee table. We thought this would be a good opportunity for some subtle foreshadowing: the title is an allusion to Pandora’s Box, which in the original Greek text was not a box but a jar.

Secrets of the Jar

Key Set Decoration

One key piece of set dec mentioned early on in the script was a paperback book sitting on Polly’s coffee table. We thought this would be a good opportunity for some subtle foreshadowing: the title is an allusion to Pandora’s Box, which in the original Greek text was not a box but a jar.

Curated Artwork

Set Decoration

Since the majority of the film takes place in a single location, the home needed to have a great deal of richness and depth. In addition to creating a wide variety of graphic items for set decoration, my colleagues and I also sourced many artworks for the house, curating a collection that was aesthetic, but also melancholy and isolated in nature to reflect the emotional state of the main character. Many of these works were sourced from the Art Institute of Chicago.

Additional Graphic Items

Set Decoration

Over the course of this production I created a wide range of additional graphics to fill the world of Polly’s home, from books to ticket stubs to a custom stained glass window. Included here is a brief selection.

Additional Graphic Items

Set Decoration

Over the course of this production I created a wide range of additional graphics to fill the world of Polly’s home, from books to ticket stubs to a custom stained glass window. Included here is a brief selection.