Roommates — Russell Cooper

The Brief

One Dorm. Zero Boundaries.

Netflix came to MAP360 to promote Roommates, the debut film starring Sadie Sandler, with an activation built specifically for college students on their own turf. The goal was to bring the world of the film to life in a way that felt immediate, recognizable, and shareable.

The film centers on two roommates whose personalities could not be more different. That tension — neat versus messy, organized versus chaotic — became the creative engine. The installation had to embody both sides of the same room simultaneously.

Take the dorm room from the movie, put it on a college campus, and let students walk into it.

Process

From AI to Reality

The design moved through three stages before fabrication, each one sharpening the concept and reducing risk. AI visualization let us explore spatial configurations and branding treatments quickly, reaching client alignment before any production resources were committed.

Step 01

AI Mockup

Generative AI

Rapid spatial visualization of the dorm room concept inside a shipping container. Used to explore layout, tone, and the messy/neat split before committing to a direction.

Step 02

Photoshop Comp

Adobe Photoshop

AI-assisted production mockup incorporating actual container dimensions, brand assets, and prop styling direction. Used to align client and production team on the final look.

Step 03

3D Render

3D Visualization

Full 3D render of both room configurations produced by Marc Cuvin under my creative direction, showing final spatial layout, furniture placement, and branded signage before fabrication began.

The Space

Both Sides of the Room

The container was divided into two distinct halves, each embodying one of the film's roommates. One side was meticulously neat — warm bedding, organized shelves, plants, everything in its place. The other was lived-in chaos — clothes everywhere, an overturned laundry basket, shoes scattered across a pink rug. Both felt completely real, which was the point.

The front face of the container was glazed, making the interior visible from outside before entering. Students could see both sides of the room through the glass, which drew them in the same way a shop window does. Once inside, the space felt genuinely residential rather than branded.

Sadie Sandler visited the activation and filmed content inside the installation — a significant moment of organic amplification, and a sign the space held up under scrutiny from the film's own talent.