The Fields Are Burning
Biola University - 22-Minute Short Film
Role: Art Production Assistant
Project Overview
The Fields Are Burning is a 22-minute Civil War–era short film that follows two soldiers from opposing sides whose lives unexpectedly intertwine after a devastating battle. The story centers on Joe Graves, an aging Union soldier who survives a brutal battlefield with fatal wounds, and Gabriel Cobb, a young Confederate soldier who initially hunts him down before becoming an uneasy companion on Joe’s final journey.
As the two travel across battle-scarred landscapes, plains, and wildflower fields, their hostility gradually transforms into reluctant understanding. The story ultimately becomes a meditation on war, guilt, faith, and redemption, culminating in a tragic yet reflective ending.
As an Art Production Assistant, I supported the art department in building the film’s Civil War world—helping create historically grounded environments, preparing props, and assisting with practical effects that brought the battlefield and its aftermath to life.
Design Goals & Concept
The visual design of The Fields Are Burning contrasts the destruction of war with the quiet beauty of nature.
The early portions of the film emphasize chaos: smoke-filled battlefields, blood-stained uniforms, broken weapons, and the remnants of a violent clash between Union and Confederate soldiers. As the story progresses and the characters move farther from the battlefield, the environment transitions into open plains, tall grasses, and expansive wildflower fields.
This visual shift mirrors the emotional arc of the story—moving from violence and survival toward reflection, guilt, and the search for peace.
Key visual priorities included:
Creating a believable Civil War battlefield through distressed costumes, weapons, and environmental dressing
Designing historically inspired spaces, such as field camps and a wartime medical tent
Using practical effects to portray battlefield violence in a grounded, realistic way
Allowing the surrounding landscape—rolling plains, hills, and flowers—to contrast the brutality of the war
The goal was to keep the world tactile and grounded so that the emotional story between the two soldiers felt authentic.
Responsibilities as Art Production Assistant
As an Art PA, I worked closely with the production designer and art department to support the creation of the film’s historical environments and practical effects.
My responsibilities included:
Hand sewing two historically styled flags used as environmental set dressing for battlefield scenes
Assisting in the construction and dressing of a Civil War–style field hospital tent, including medical tables, tools, and environmental distressing
Preparing and applying fake blood effects to props, costumes, and set pieces to simulate battlefield injuries
Assisting with practical effects for a gunshot head wound, helping coordinate the setup used to create the on-camera impact effect safely and convincingly
Helping age and distress props, fabrics, and equipment to reflect battlefield wear and damage
Assisting with battlefield prop setup, including weapons, gear, and environmental debris
Supporting art department resets between takes to maintain visual continuity
Assisting with set dressing and logistics during multiple outdoor location shoots
Because the production relied heavily on practical effects and physical environments, the art department played a major role in shaping the film's realism.
Final Result
The finished film blends historical realism with poetic visual storytelling. The destruction of the battlefield, the stark medical tent, and the blood-stained costumes ground the audience in the brutal reality of war, while the vast plains and fields of flowers create space for reflection and emotional weight.
Working on The Fields Are Burning as an Art Production Assistant provided hands-on experience with period design, practical effects, prop construction, and environmental storytelling, helping translate historical research and design concepts into a tangible on-set world.
Below are location scouting images, prop preparation, costume and flag construction, production stills, and behind-the-scenes photos documenting the art department’s work throughout the production.
