Framing the Frame: Production Design and Visual Authorship in Anglophone Cameroonian Cinema

This paper explores the evolving significance of production design in
Anglophone Cameroonian filmmaking, emphasizing its narrative,
cultural, and ideological functions within postcolonial and resource
constrained contexts. It argues that production design in this setting
operates not merely as technical support but as a form of visual
authorship and cultural negotiation. Through close analysis of two
feature films The Fisherman’s Diary (2020) and Saving Mbango (2020) the
study investigates how spatial design, material textures, and symbolic
elements construct meaning and enhance emotional resonance. Drawing
on interviews with production designers and viewer feedback from public
screenings, the paper reveals a shift from incidental visual composition
to intentional, thematically charged design practices. In response to the
inadequacy of dominant global models in capturing these dynamics, the
study proposes the Modified Production Design Analysis Model (MPDAM).
This decolonial, context-sensitive framework foregrounds collaborative
labour, symbolic economy, and cultural specificity. By repositioning
production design at the heart of film analysis and practice, this paper
contributes to broader debates in African cinema about aesthetics,
authorship, and the politics of representation.

Keywords: Production Design, Anglophone Cameroonian Cinema, Visual Authorship, Decolonial Aesthetics.