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Top Three Set Design Rules --- Please Share Yours Here
As an artist, and architectural engineer, I understand the concept of "the details" yet as a photographer I struggle with not wanting my backdrops or props to overshadow the portrait subject. My resulting photography work is starkly simple in comparrison to my actual design style. What are the top three Set Design Rules that have made the biggest impact on your work?
Discussion started by Anastasia , on 22 March 08:21 AM
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AgentSmith, there is some addition to that. The Lord of the Rings stage show used a huge number of moving platforms that raised and lowered, rotated, recessed, it was all amazing. But at the same point it gave the impression of great travel that the story so needed. Paths would be formed by a series of platforms raising slightly for the actors to wind back and forth across the stage. A large spiral ramp would extend up almost to the top of the stage during a climactic battle, forming what was to be Minas Tirith. After the initial oohs and aahs of seeing it move, it became background, but as essential to the story as any of the costumes and lighting.
It could have been pulled off very poorly, and I have to give credit to the foresight to plan it all out well. Had the stage worked perfectly I think I might have forgotten it was even there and dynamic. Later in the show, the stage failed to respond during the Minas Tirith spiral tower part. It was during the preview showings, so those sort of inconveniences are to be expected, also when considering the sheer mindnumbingly complex engineering to have everything go at the right time when the actors are expecting it to happen.
One thing I always liked about old movies was the matte paintings used to cover up parts of the studio with a background more fitting to the movie. They mostly use green screens to do that now, but I suppose in a way that sort of thing could be used in modern theater or for photography.
A projector would need to be involved, for photography one of those overhead projectors would be needed. Sort of a low tech green screen viewable without a computer. I'm not a photographer, so I don't know what else would be involved, but some pretty neat things could be done with the right images or textures printed out onto transparencies.
It could have been pulled off very poorly, and I have to give credit to the foresight to plan it all out well. Had the stage worked perfectly I think I might have forgotten it was even there and dynamic. Later in the show, the stage failed to respond during the Minas Tirith spiral tower part. It was during the preview showings, so those sort of inconveniences are to be expected, also when considering the sheer mindnumbingly complex engineering to have everything go at the right time when the actors are expecting it to happen.
One thing I always liked about old movies was the matte paintings used to cover up parts of the studio with a background more fitting to the movie. They mostly use green screens to do that now, but I suppose in a way that sort of thing could be used in modern theater or for photography.
A projector would need to be involved, for photography one of those overhead projectors would be needed. Sort of a low tech green screen viewable without a computer. I'm not a photographer, so I don't know what else would be involved, but some pretty neat things could be done with the right images or textures printed out onto transparencies.
Saturday, 12 June 2010 14:18
My comment is slightly off topic. I've noticed a trend on sets to go green screen with live actors for movies and television. The backgrounds are usually rendered using software. For backdrops involving the stage, a similar approach can be taken. One sizes up a stage and its features, then uses software to design the set. Then the design can be either used as a guide for the set artists or directly printed into mural strips and prop covers.
This is simply a matter of how you achieve the resulting settings. Your design rules per se don't really change. So you end up back with the idea of what you want to convey and how to focus attention upon the acting in a scene.
This is simply a matter of how you achieve the resulting settings. Your design rules per se don't really change. So you end up back with the idea of what you want to convey and how to focus attention upon the acting in a scene.
Saturday, 12 June 2010 03:54
I don't like having the audience think about the set. I focus on the idea that it needs to make the setting obvious, but it also needs to essentially disappear from the audience's consciousness. I usually don't want the audience to be conscious of style. This is becoming more and more difficult to achieve because I think the audience has made that critical part of their mind part of their experience, no matter what. They want to judge those things themselves and they will distract themselves from the moment in order to satisfy themselves on that point.
When an audience says they love a set, I despair.
When an audience says they love a set, I despair.
Thursday, 10 June 2010 11:43
Thank you Stageability, your words are most wise. Do you find your design work goes in cycles? That is that you draw on older concepts but freshen them a bit just like fashion designers do?
Wednesday, 24 March 2010 11:32
Your art must grow as you grow. Just like your wardrobe tastes and your hairstyles. All expressions of who you are in the moment. History is important, but we can't live there.
Wednesday, 24 March 2010 11:20
Kadim,
Yes, I have seen The Fisher King, and I agree it is a very theatrical film. Not one of my absolute favorites, but I enjoyed immensely...may have to take a look again from an enlightened perspective hehe :) Thank you for sharing the interview with Terry Gilliam, I had not heard that before.
And, yes, I feel it is very difficult for anyone to produce their art without some element of that art holding an element of themselves so their art, however hard they may try otherwise, still shows a signature style. Once an artist is known for a style it is almost expected. I know in my own photography work the most criticism comes when I attempt something out of my norm...but I guess I have to appreciate that people are actually paying attention at all.
When I was younger my design work was very busy with lots of small extra details...as I have aged my own tastes have changed to a more serene uncluttered feel and thus that is reflected in my art and design...should I be concerned with changing too much?
Yes, I have seen The Fisher King, and I agree it is a very theatrical film. Not one of my absolute favorites, but I enjoyed immensely...may have to take a look again from an enlightened perspective hehe :) Thank you for sharing the interview with Terry Gilliam, I had not heard that before.
And, yes, I feel it is very difficult for anyone to produce their art without some element of that art holding an element of themselves so their art, however hard they may try otherwise, still shows a signature style. Once an artist is known for a style it is almost expected. I know in my own photography work the most criticism comes when I attempt something out of my norm...but I guess I have to appreciate that people are actually paying attention at all.
When I was younger my design work was very busy with lots of small extra details...as I have aged my own tastes have changed to a more serene uncluttered feel and thus that is reflected in my art and design...should I be concerned with changing too much?
Wednesday, 24 March 2010 11:13
I'm always looking for a new angle, personally, but at the end of the day I think most folks can tell it's mine. I don't think I can help but put a mark on something, and I'm not sure that anyone in a creative field could avoid it either.
Terry Gilliam said in an interview about The Fisher King that he took this sort of dull romcom script specifically to prove he could do a Hollywood bread and butter film off the back of Munchausen's failure (such a shame, loved that film), utterly failed to make a dull romcom with it and you got a really neat bit of Gilliam no matter how hard he tried not to give it to us.
Now that I think of it, the first scene in Fisher King in Jack Lucas' control room has some really great use of hard edged lighting and texture to isolate the character on what is otherwise a black studio. Really theatrical film, if you haven't seen it I recommend picking it up.
Scrim is so cool. It's funny how the basic tricks still get folks excited; we take our students to see Woman in Black every year and there's a real moment of wonder when the set behind the scrim is first revealed. That show is about as basic as the West End gets and the audience response is profound, even now.
Terry Gilliam said in an interview about The Fisher King that he took this sort of dull romcom script specifically to prove he could do a Hollywood bread and butter film off the back of Munchausen's failure (such a shame, loved that film), utterly failed to make a dull romcom with it and you got a really neat bit of Gilliam no matter how hard he tried not to give it to us.
Now that I think of it, the first scene in Fisher King in Jack Lucas' control room has some really great use of hard edged lighting and texture to isolate the character on what is otherwise a black studio. Really theatrical film, if you haven't seen it I recommend picking it up.
Scrim is so cool. It's funny how the basic tricks still get folks excited; we take our students to see Woman in Black every year and there's a real moment of wonder when the set behind the scrim is first revealed. That show is about as basic as the West End gets and the audience response is profound, even now.
Tuesday, 23 March 2010 15:12
Thanks again for all the wonderful ideas, both of you, I'm so grateful. I'm currently playing with some new white slightly transparent ripstop nylon fabric and back lighting techniques...I think the gel lights would probably work really well with this. It is working the best right now to diffuse natural light and provide a softness when working with direct sunlight, but I may be able to incorporate this in other ways as well...
I love the diversity of fabric...and the sheer volume of selection variety makes me wish I were in the textile industry hehe :) I wish I could see all the shows you both see and are involved in, I'm envious.
Do you think it is better to have a "signature" look or to constantly look for new ways to present your work?
I love the diversity of fabric...and the sheer volume of selection variety makes me wish I were in the textile industry hehe :) I wish I could see all the shows you both see and are involved in, I'm envious.
Do you think it is better to have a "signature" look or to constantly look for new ways to present your work?
Tuesday, 23 March 2010 09:28
The scrim wall I saw was completely covering the back wall with what I thought were mirrored panels. Act One was an interior with an undulated raked stage. In Act Two (exterior, after the shipwreck) the space behind the scrim lit up to reveal more undulations. Now it was a beach with sand dunes. Then they opened the wall to create a vista of dunes. Remarkable.
For the studio, you can also play with oversized props. Or props and furnishings used in unexpected ways. Love Kadim's idea of using fabric hung or used on the floor as you've already alluded to, Anastasia.
For the studio, you can also play with oversized props. Or props and furnishings used in unexpected ways. Love Kadim's idea of using fabric hung or used on the floor as you've already alluded to, Anastasia.
Tuesday, 23 March 2010 08:15
Talking about scrim, I saw Nation last November at The National Theatre and they did some incredible things with transparent projection screens.
The specific effect that comes to mind was when Mau is diving down for the god anchors and he's in front of the screen on a boat (hole in the bottom, lycra rippling like water) and dives, and as he dives out someone is flown down behind the screen "swimming" downward. The screen had water ripples and bubbles projected in a trail behind the "diver." Absolutely incredible.
Course I'd expect nothing less in The Olivier.
The specific effect that comes to mind was when Mau is diving down for the god anchors and he's in front of the screen on a boat (hole in the bottom, lycra rippling like water) and dives, and as he dives out someone is flown down behind the screen "swimming" downward. The screen had water ripples and bubbles projected in a trail behind the "diver." Absolutely incredible.
Course I'd expect nothing less in The Olivier.
Tuesday, 23 March 2010 07:42