Virginia Mesiti • Production Designer and Art Director
Virginia is a visual storyteller who is drawn to character driven drama and projects she can build worlds within. Her passion for colour, research and developing a rich backstory drive her creatively. She most recently production designed DIARY OF AN UBER DRIVER for RevLover and the ABC, in addition to the reimagining of the much loved series SEACHANGE, for Every Cloud Productions and Channel 9.
Virginia’s other drama credits include Craig Boreham’s debut feature film TEENAGE KICKS, which premiered at the 2016 Sydney Film Festival. For television she art directed Southern Star’s SPIRITED, which won an AFI award in 2010 for Best TV Drama, the series was nominated again in 2011 for its second season with Virginia as Production Designer.
Qualifications
AFTRS 2002 – 2004 MA of Film and Television in Production Design
Film & Television
Production Designer • SeaChange (tv) • Mar 2019 - July 2019
Every Cloud Productions, iTV, Channel 9
Directors: Wayne Blair, Kevin Carlin, Corrie Chen, Peter Templeman
Production Designer • Diary of an Uber Driver (tv) • Oct 2018 - Dec 2018
ABC & Revlover
Director: Matthew Moore
Production Designer • Sando (tv) • Oct 2017 - Dec 2017
ABC & Jungle Entertainment
Director(s): Van Vuuren Bros, Erin White
Production Designer • Here Come the Habibs! series 2 (tv) • Jul 2016 - Oct 2016
Channel Nine & Jungle Entertainment
Director(s): Darren Ashton, Peter Templeman, Phil Loyd, Fadia Aboud
Art Director • House of Bond mini-series (tv) • Mar 2016 - Jun 2016
Channel Nine & CJZ Worldwide Productions
Director: Mark Joffe • Production Designer: Scott Bird
Production Designer • Here Come the Habibs! (tv) • Sept 2015 - Nov 2015
Channel Nine & Jungle Productions
Director: Darren Ashton
Production Designer • Teenage Kicks (ff) • June 2014 - Aug 2014
Azure Productions
Director: Craig Boreham
Production Designer • The Moodys (tv) • July 2013 - Oct 2013
ABC & Jungleboys Productions
Director: Trent O’Donnell
Production Designer • A Moody Christmas (tv) • Feb 2012 - April 2012
ABC & Jungleboys Productions
Director: Trent O’Donnell
Executive Producers: Debbie Lee & Jason Burrows
Production Designer • Laid series 2 (tv) • July 2011 - Sept 2011
ABC & Porchlight Films
Director: Abe Forsythe
Executive Producers: Debbie Lee & Liz Watts
Production Designer • Spirited series 2 (tv) • Dec 2010 - May 2011
Southern Star Productions
Directors: Rowan Woods, Jonathan Teplitzky, Jonathan Brough, / Michael J Rowlands & Stuart MacDonald.
Producers: Jacquelin Perske, Claudia Karvan
Art Director • Laid (tv) • June - Aug 2011
ABC & Porchlight Films
Production Designer: Pete Baxter
Art Director • Spirited (tv) • Oct 2009- Jan 2010
Southern Star Productions
Production Designer: Felicity Abbott
Production Designer • Dream Life (tv) • Aug - Oct 2008
Porchlight Films & MTV Pilot Series
Director: Scott Otto Anderson
Art Director’s Assistant • Justice League of America (ff) • Oct ‘07 – Jan 2008
7 Friends Productions
Production Designer: Owen Paterson
Art Director • Love My Way (tv) • Jan – Feb 2007
Southern Star Productions
Production Designer: Colin Gibson
Design Assistant • Superman Returns (ff) • Dec 2004 – Aug 2005
Red Sun Productions
Production Designer: Guy Hendrix Dyas
Assistant Set Dresser • Little Fish (ff) • Sept –Dec 2004
Porchlight Films
Production Designer: Luigi Pittorino
Selected TVC’s & Promos
AutoGuru I'm the guru Jungle Entertainment • June 2018 • Dir Al Morrow
Optus The Good, The Bad, The Beautiful Photoplay Films • May 2018 • Dir Scott Otto Anderson
Fox Sports Studio Set Design • March 2018
Freeview Meet the Freemans Jungle Entertainment • July 2017 • Dir Al Morrow
Mortein Powerguard Jungle Entertainment • September 2017 • Dir Al Morrow
St George Thumbs Photoplay Films • July 2015 • Dir Scott Otto Anderson
Oral B Mouth Myths Photoplay Films • April 2015 • Dir Andrew Lancaster
Big W Baby, Mothers Day, Easter Luscious International • Jan - Feb 2015 • Dir Tina Bull
Pepsi Max Exchange Photoplay Films • Oct 2014 • Dir Scott Otto Anderson
Google Albert’ & ‘Party Jungleboys Entertainment • Sept 2014 • Dir Scott Pickett
Hyundai i30 Odometer Photoplay Films • Sept 2014 • Dir Scott Otto Anderson
Purina Fancy Feast Photoplay Films • May 2014 • Dir Scott Otto Anderson
Young Talent Time Channel Seven Promo • Dec 2011 • Dir Ed Holmes
Open Universities Australia, 8Com • Nov 2011 • Dir Luke Shanahan
Nestle Chokito Jungleboys Productions • April 2010 • Dir Trent O’Donnell & Scott Pickett
Energy Efficiency Campaign Black Balloons 8Com • July 2009 • Dir Paul Goldman
Canon iXUS Sliding Stories Photoplay Films • March 2009 • Dir Scott Otto Anderson
Short Films
A Low Hum • Dir Scott Otto Anderson • Photoplay Films
Greg’s First Day • Dir Scott Otto Anderson • Photoplay Films • Prods Florence Tourbier, Oliver Lawrence
The Last Race • Dir Jeremy Cumpston • Alagna Films • Prods Tristram Miall, Anita Belgiorno-Nettis
The Farm • Dir Romaine Morton • Brown Cab Productions • Production Designer: Alex Holmes
Ralph • Dir Deborah Mailman • Goalpost Pictures Australia • Production Designer: Alex Holmes
At The Tattooist • Dir Sophie Miller • YFF FTO short film
Blue Poles • Dir Darcy Yuille • AFTRS
Nominated 2004 Dendy Awards, Short Drama
Philatelista • Dir Jacob Zaremba • AFTRS Co-Designer
Winner 2004 SMPTE Collaborative Project Award
Car Park• Dir Darcy Yuille • AFTRS
Nominated 2003 Dendy Awards, Short Drama
Music Videos
Hilltop Hoods I Love It • Dir Nash Edgerton
Midnight Juggernauts Lara vs The Savages • Dir(s) Lucinda Schreiber & Beatrice Pegard
Short Stack Sway, Sway, Baby • Dir Dan Reisinger
Josh Pyke The Summer • Dir(s) Scott Otto Anderson & Yanni Pounartzis
Sneaky Sound System Kansas City • Dir Adam Cullen
Events
APDG Awards Sept 2011
Australian Production Design Guild Board Director
Film Ink Awards Feb 2008
Set Design
Show Crew Coordinator 15th Asian Games, Doha Qatar / Sept -Dec 2006
David Atkins Enterprises. Construction Manager: Jeremy Sparks
Design Assistant 15th Asian Games, Doha Sydney Feb – Sept 2006
Art Directors: Michelle McGahey, Deb Riley & Catherine Perez-Mansill
Awards
2018 APDG Award for Design of a Short Film (Finalist)
2016 APDG Award for Design of a TV Commercial (Finalist)
2004 InDesign Magazine Award for Design Excellence
2004 SMPTE Creative Technology Award for Collaboration
Virginia has designed an array of television comedy series hits, including THE MOODY’S, A MOODY CHRISTMAS, LAID and SANDO for the ABC, NO ACTIVITY for Stan and HERE COME THE HABIBS! for Channel 9.
In 2016 Virginia was nominated for an APDG Award for her work on TV Commercials and again in 2018 for her design work on the short film A LOW HUM.
Graduating from AFTRS in 2004 with a Masters in Production Design for Film and TV, Virginia was granted the InDesign Magazine Award for Design Excellence. While studying, PHILATELISTA the short film which she co-designed was also recognised with the SMPTE Creative Technology Award for Collaboration, as well as both of her short film projects being nominated for Dendy Awards; CAR PARK in 2003 and BLUE POLES starring Sam Worthington in 2004.