When singer, songwriter, actor, and filmmaker Hayley Kiyoko expanded her hit 2015 music video Girls Like Girls into the recently released feature film of the same name, she enlisted CalArts alum Lindsey Moran (Theater BFA 03) as production designer to help bring the coming-of-age romance to life. In a recent interview with the film’s distributor Focus Features, Moran reflected on the creative process behind shaping the visual world of Girls Like Girls.
Set in rural Oregon in 2006, the film follows teenagers Coley and Sonya as they forge a deep connection over the course of a transformative summer. The New York Times praised Moran’s production design, writing that the characters’ homes “speak subtly about their class distinctions.”
In the interview, Moran discussed how extensive location scouting, color palettes, and set decoration helped establish the film’s visual identity. She paid particular attention to the homes of Coley and Sonya, using each space to communicate the characters’ backgrounds, personalities, and emotional journeys.
Discussing the contrasting environments she created for the film’s two leads, Moran said:
“We wanted Sonya’s peach dreamworld to feel very lived-in. Small trinkets on every surface, mementos from her competition dancing, and photos of her and her friends growing up. She’s had the same bedroom all her life and it conveys a sense of community that she’s been building for years. All the things Sonya takes for granted are clearly contrasted in the things Coley doesn’t have.”
Read the full interview from Focus Features to learn more about Moran’s collaboration with Kiyoko and the creative process behind Girls Like Girls. The film is now available to rent or purchase on digital platforms.
