SCENIC DESIGN Creating the Performance

Environment

DESIGN PROCESS

Read (3 times)

Analysis

Meet with Director & Other Designers

Research

Generate Ideas

Communicate Ideas

Execute Design

WHAT SCENE DESIGN DOES FOR

PRODUCTION

Defines and Characterizes Stage Space

Determines what is on-stage and what is off-stage

Creates Environment

Aides in Establishing Good Stage Pictures

Can Reveal theme(s) of the play

Indicates Style

Indicates Mood

NUMBER ONE RULE

The scenic design should create an environment

for the play and characters that is supportive of

the production concept & style as well as

transforms the space.

SCENIC DESIGNER MUST CONSIDER:

Mood & Spirit of the play.

Historical Period of the Play

Locale of the Play

Socio-economical Level

Personality of the Characters

Season of the Year

Elements of Composition (the stage picture)

Practicality of the Set

MOOD & SPIRIT OF THE PLAY

MOOD:

The feeling of a play

SPIRIT:

the manner and style

in which a play is

presented to the

audience or the

production concept

Using the Elements of Design you can alter the mood and spirit of

a play: You can take a dark, sinister play and by using bright colors,

delicate lines, and round shapes; make it feel comic.

HISTORICAL PERIOD OF THE PLAY

Use historically accurate visual clues that help audience identify the period of the play.

Architecture, Furniture, decorative arts, & landscaping

DON’T assume design must adhere to every historical quirk, use the motifs, lines, & fabrics to create a faithful representation. Instead, mirror the essence of a period and use it to EHANCE the mood and spirit of the play.

LOCALE OF THE PLAY

Geography has effect on Architecture

Use visual keys to help audience identify play’s location (reduce to informative elements) Ex. Locale communicated by wall treatment, city=plaster

wall, country = log walls.

Type of Room ex. Placement of fireplace, built in wall for warmth and

utility or decorative in parlor

Decorative Furnishings (lamps, rugs, curtains) identify locale and type of person

SOCIO-ECONOMICAL LEVEL

Type and Quality of materials used

Fashionable colors

Furnishings in environment

Level of order & cleanliness OR run down

WHAT DO YOU THINK COMMUNICATES

SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS

PERSONALITY OF CHARACTERS

TRAIT SCENIC ELEMENT

ORGANIZED

DEPRESSED

VINDICTIVE

LOVING

WORLD-TRAVELER

TRADITIONALIST

ACTIVIST

SEASON OF THE YEAR

SEASON &

Scenic Element SCENIC DESIGN

Winter & Dinning Table

Summer & Window

Fall & Porch

Spring & Tree

ELEMENTS OF DESIGN/COMPOSITION

ELEMENT EXAMPLE

LINE Cartooning = reducing lines to simple outlines

SHAPE Character of the line will create perceptual

key explaining the psychological nature of the

object (abstract designs)

MASS Exaggeration of an object can change the

character of the object (Alice in Wonderland)

VALUE

ELEMENTS OF DESIGN/COMPOSITION

ELEMENT EXAMPLE

COLOR controlled by nature or history. Can work to the antithesis

Substitute natural color selection or unexpected hue= musical theatre, comic, or other worldly

LIGHT

TEXTURE

PRACTICALITY OF SET

Needs of the Script

If it’s in the script and important to the action-do it

Needs of the Director

What the director wants

He/she needs to know before they can begin blocking

Needs of the Actor

Must be able to move easily & efficiently

Safe for actor (slippery surfaces, too high steps, raked stages)

Create so actor can concentrate on performing

PRACTICALITY OF SET

Construction Demands of the Design

Difficulty of the build

Unusual construction techniques

Special rigging or mechanics of the set

All Above equal extra time, money, problems during run

Time and Fiscal Budgets

Difficulty

Cost

Labor/Time

CONCEPTUAL RESEARCH

Create as many potential solutions to the design

challenge as possible.

Produce thumbnail sketches or functional models based

on a synthesis of information (director’s concept, script

needs, & research

Employ Elements of Design in a variety of combinations

generating a variety of potential “solutions”

Multiple “solutions” are key to creatively vital design

INCUBATION & SELECTION

Set the Whole project aside.

Helpful to return with “new” eyes providing insight

and possibility.

Allows for best SELECTION of best design

Best fits the parameters of the design challenge

Usually the best design involves bits and pieces of all

your conceptual work

SCENIC PAPERWORK

Thumbnails

Ground Plan

Center-line Sectional

Scenic Rendering

Scenic Model

Elevations

Detail Drawings

Painters Elevations

Prop List

SCENIC THUMBNAILS

Rough

Conceptual

Ideas and

Design

Solutions

SCEN

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MB

NA

ILS

GROUND PLAN

GROUND PLAN

Title Block

GROUND PLAN LANGUAGE

CENTER-LINE SECTION

SCENIC RENDERINGS

SCENIC RENDERINGS

SCEN

IC M

OD

EL

SCEN

IC M

OD

EL

SCEN

IC M

OD

EL

SCENIC

MODEL

SCENIC

ELEVATIONS

SCENIC

DETAIL

DRAWINGS

SCENIC PAINTER ELEVATIONS

SCENIC PAINTER

ELEVATIONS

SCENIC DESIGNER;

POET OR NOVELIST