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SCENE (SET) DESIGN
DESIGNING SCENERY FOR THEATRE
SCENE (SET) DESIGN
 Scene (Set) design is the creation of theatrical, as
well as film or television scenery.
 Traditionally, designers come from a variety of
artistic backgrounds, but now they are trained
professionals, often with M.F.A. degrees in theatre
arts.
With your table, write down all the tasks you
believe a set designer does.
WHAT IS A SET DESIGNER?

Architect

Sculptor

Interior Decorator

Model Maker

Painter

Draftsperson

Artist

Graphic Artist

Historian
(politics,arts,fashion,archi
tecture,literature,theatre,
film)

Schmoozer

Detective
IMPORTANT PARTS: THE SCRIPT
 The production is shaped
by the needs of the
individual script.
 Many productions are welldefined by the author, to
alter them would alter the
meaning of the play.
 Some plays will need more
discussion than others.
EXISTING LIMITATIONS
 In some production situations, there are circumstances that
shape the discussion of a play.
 Budget
 Calendar
 People-power
 Flexibility for a travelling production
 Emphasis on a particular design element
 Unique space restrictions.
 Know and discuss the limitations at the very beginning.
THE STEPS A DESIGNER TAKES
 Takes on the project
 Reads the Script
 Researches the play or film
 Analyzes the Script

Place and Locale

Time Period

Themes

Mood
IMPORTANT PART: THE PLAY
 Keep the focus on what is “good for the play.”
 Differences of opinion can be great for collaboration, but it
is important to keep the focus on the success of the play.
 Great collaborative should create energy that takes the
project in a new direction.
New
Idea
Director’s Idea
Designer’s Idea
STEPS CONTINUED…
 Creative Collaboration
 Study the Performance
Space
 Sources of inspiration
 Now the hands-on
designing begins
 Discuss, meet, argue,
negotiate, figure it out,
compromise
 Come up with Final Design
 Communicate Final Design
STEPS CONTINUED…
 Oversee construction,
painting, assembling,
sewing, sculpting etc…
 Oversee filming
 Oversee Tech
Rehearsals
 Fine Tune details
 Attend the wrap party
ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF
DESIGN
 Color

 Shape

 Form

 Texture

 Space
Balance
Proportion
Emphasis
Unity
MATERIALS OF DESIGN
 Wood
 Styrofoam
 Cardboard
 Paint
 Fabric
Metals (budget)
 Fake plants/shrubs

 Furniture
 Decor
PARTS OF THE STAGE
SCENE (SET) DESIGN
FOUR TYPES OF THEATRE SPACES
 Proscenium
 audience views the action from
one direction
 90% of all theatres
 Picture Frame
 Arena



audience views the action from
four directions
Oldest arrangement in history
Theatre in the round
FOUR TYPES OF THEATRE SPACES CONT.
 Thrust
 audience views the action from
three direction
 Most widely used in history
 Created & Found Spaces
 each audience member views the
action from a unique perspective
 An attempt to break down
audience-actor distance
 Non-theatre buildings, street
theatre, multifocus environments
SCENIC VOCABULARY
 backdrop: large sheet of painted canvas or muslin that
hangs at the back of a set
 backing: flats placed behind doors, windows, hallways, etc.
to hide the space beyond
 cutout: scenery cut out of board or fabric representing
profiles of trees, buildings, etc.
 dead-hung: scenery or lighting that is hanging in the air and
not designed to be moved during the performance
 deck: the stage floor, or a temporary floor that has been
built on top of the permanent floor
SCENIC VOCABULARY
 flat: frame constructed of 1-by-3 boards, covered with
canvas, painted and used most often for interior and
exterior walls of a building in a stage setting
 levels: steps, platforms, etc. that raise the actor from the
stage
TYPES OF SET
SCENE (SET) DESIGN
CURTAIN SET USES THE DRAPES TO CREATE THE SCENE
AND LOCATION
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MINIMAL SET USES ONLY WHAT IS ABSOLUTELY
NECESSARY
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MINIMAL SET
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PERMANENT SET REMAINS IN PLACE THROUGHOUT THE
PRODUCTION, ELEMENTS MAY BE ADDED, BUT THE
STRUCTURE STAYS THE SAME
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PRISM SET USES FLATS MOUNTED ON WHEELS, WHICH
ALLOWS SCENERY TO BE CHANGED BY TURNING AND
REARRANGING THE STRUCTURES
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PRISM SET
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BOX SET CONSISTS OF 2 OR 3 WALLS AND MAYBE A
CEILING, THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF SET
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BOX SET
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Shrek
SHREK
SET Set
DESIGNS!
Designs!
Step into the studio…
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