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Scenic Design. Scenic Design. Scenic design (also known as stage design , set design or production design ) is the creation of theatrical, as well as film or television scenery.
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Scenic Design Scenic design (also known as stage design, set design or production design) is the creation of theatrical, as well as film or television scenery. Scenic designers have traditionally come from a variety of artistic backgrounds, but nowadays, generally speaking, they are trained professionals, often with M.F.A. degrees in theatre arts.
Scenic Design The 'stage picture' is the 'look' or physical appearance of the stage for a play, whether in rehearsal or performance. It reflects the way that the stage is composed artistically in regard to props, actors, shapes and colors. The stage picture should express good principles of design and use of space. It should be visually appealing for the audience or should express the show's concept.
Scenic Design The scenic designer is responsible for collaborating with the theatre director and other members of the production design team to create an environment for the production Then communicating the details of this environment to the technical director, production manager, charge scenic artist and propmaster. Scenic designers are responsible for creating scale models of the scenery, renderings, paint elevations and scale construction drawings as part of their communication with other production staff.
Scenic Painting Theatrical scenic painting is a wide-ranging craft, encompassing virtually the entire scope of painting techniques and often reaching far beyond. To be a well-rounded scenic artist, one must have experience in landscape painting, trompe l'oeil, portraiture, and faux finishing, to be versatile in many different media (such as acrylic-, oil-, and tempera- based paint), and be an accomplished gilder, plasterer, and sculptor. However, the techniques of the scene painter are different than traditional studio artists in many respects. The scene painter replicates an image on a very large scale. This is achieved with specialized knowledge that isn't taught in artist studios. In addition one is often expected to make the finished product fire-proof, and to work quickly and within a tight budget.
Scenic Painting Traditionally, scenic painters are drawn from the ranks of scenic designers, and in many cases designers paint their own works. But increasingly scenic painting is looked upon as a separate craft, and scenic painters are expected to subordinate their artistic ideals to those of the designer. Usually, the designer submits a set of 'color elevations', or paintings, to the painter, who is then expected to paint the scenery to match. Alternatively, the designer may submit a scale model or photograph to the painter, sometimes accompanied by a full scale paint sample. In some cases the designer only presents their research and expects the scenic artist to adapt it. This is far from ideal from the painter's perspective.
When a group meeting is not possible, individual discussions will take place. • Develop a system whereby the process can be conducted using: • Telephone • Email • Fax • Websites • Overnight delivery • Video conferencing • The technology is changing so quickly that a reasonable discussion of the needs of a play should not be hampered by distance. The group may indeed still meet in a virtual setting.
The Script The content and style of the collaborative process will be strongly shaped by the needs of the individual script. Many productions are so specifically defined by the author, that to alter that reality would be to alter the meaning of the play. As you will see over time, some plays will need more discussion than others.
For example designing THE NIGHT OF THE IGUANA starts with the very tangible given circumstances of the play. Tennessee Williams writes a lush description of the world he envisions and his characters speak of it often. The question of what the world looks like is refined from the start.
Shakespeare on the other hand is open to a wide variety of visual interpretations. The form of discussion will be influenced by the needs of the text as well as by the concept of the production. Time will need to be allotted for more complex visual concepts.
Existing Limitations • In some production situations, there are given circumstances that shape the nature of the discussion of a play. Budget, calendar and people-power are obvious ones. Others include: • Flexibility for a travelling production; • Existence of a repertory set; • Emphasis on a particular design element; • Unique space restrictions. • When discussing a project, known limitations are best laid out from the very beginning. They shouldn’t be the only point of discussion, but they will help define the dialogue.
Dream Time vs. Real Time Simply put, how much time is there before practical considerations must be addressed. Some jobs are secured months in advance, others happen the following week. In looking at the collaborative process, the amount of time available to dream about a production will influence the nature of discussion. It is the artistic team’s responsibility to both dream and to deliver the project on time and on budget. The balance between these two can be a tough one.
Dream Time on a production includes an endless list of possibilities - it is akin to brainstorming, where nothing is impossible. This is not the time for solutions. Real Time in production comes all to quickly. It is the core of an artists responsibility: taking dreams and making them real. Problem solving, meeting deadlines and compromises are all important elements to Real Time. Regardless of the overall calendar it is essential that time be taken to dream. If it’s only for an afternoon, a conversation that deals with the big ideas must be held. Looking at the full calendar will help establish clear parameters for how to balance these two elements.
History with Artists Artists seek out past collaborators for a reason…. It serves to create shortcuts to the discussion process. When a team has worked together in the past, they can skip the initial social interactions and get right to the core of the project. Often times this may lead to a higher level of artistic tension, where differing opinions can rub up against one another to create a dynamic project.
The Play’s the Thing In the collaborative process, keep the focus on what is “good for the play.” Creative tension and differences of opinion can be the seed of great collaboration, but it is important to keep the focus on what is necessary for the succss of the play. Great collaborative forces colliding together, should not be an impasse, but rather should create energy that takes the project in a new direction. New Idea Director’s Idea Designer’s Idea
Concrete & Ethereal Design Concrete Design: Scenery and Costumes Scenic and Costume Design often dominate early discussions because their deadlines come early in the process and the nature of their construction make them far more concrete than Lighting and Sound. Once created and committed to the shops, sets and costumes lose much of the flexibility that lights and sound maintain through late rehearsals. Changes can be made in costuming and sets, but the more ideas traded before construction, the less necessity for completed sets and costumes to be discarded late in the process.
Scene Designers A discussion between designers and a director assumes that all have done the necessary homework. Start with a discussion of ideas. The director may start with a conceptual overview or may ask the designer to share ideas in an open discussion. Isolate obvious design challenges: we need a pool of water onstage; there are three complete set changes; there have to be four entrances. Begin discussion of the groundplan.
Groundplan & Scenic World The grounplan serves as the machine of the play. It provides obstacles and tension for the actors; it enhances the use of levels and depth for the director; and it serves as a “playground” on which the play unfolds during rehearsals. • Some important rules of thumb for working on the groundplan: • Find lots of interesting diagonals; • Create spaces that are important to individual characters; • Create tension through obstacles whether they are pieces of furniture, stairways, stumps or simply interesting levels. Defining this “playground” is as important as deciding what it will look like in elevation.
In working towards creating an exciting and dynamic groundplan, create a working process whereby the director has an opportunity to read the script with each draft of a new groundplan. Only through the process of thinking through the play each time can the team find the best possible dynamic. As you read the play with the groundplan, make notes so that you can address concerns in your next meeting with the designer. Even if you have small adjustments of furniture or placement of architectural elements, have the designer redraft the plot and go back again to the play to read through with the new adjustments. This process may require several redrafts before the “playground” works successfully. Take the time to feel comfortable with the groundplan you choose. Remember, furniture can be moved, but once the set is under construction, change is very difficult.
The importance of groundplan cannot be overstated, but it is only part of the design process. Groundplan is for the most part invisible to an audience. It’s importance is in how it assists in the process of developing the play. It serves as the interactive portion of the scenery. The aspects of the set that are most visible to the audience, the scenic world in which the play unfolds, require the same vigorous collaboration. This process happens simultaneously with groundplan development.
Artwork and Discussion The designer took the idea of a “voyage” and returned with visuals that captured a sense of history as well as aesthetics. The drawing here provided a sense of silhouette and shape. The complexity of a sailing vessel also invigorated the discussion of groundplan.
The Move from Discussion to Design Early sketches, imagined loosely on the Rep façade, began the process of placing the abstract ideas of sailing into a concrete space.
At this step the Groundplan is still neutral except for a painting idea in the center. The next step in the process of creating the visual world brought the work back to more concrete concerns. How would the sails and rat lines relate to the existing doors; where would elements tie off for safety reasons; could this be accomplished with the two hour turn-around for rep sets?
As the discussions became increasingly concrete, details of how the set would work became greater and greater. In this image, the director’s notes and questions to the designer line the right margin of the sketch.
Groundplan As discussions of the groundplan evolved, some unique changes were made to the existing façade. An additional platform was added so that actors creating sound effects could play in full view of the audience and for more space. On the downstage edge, nautical elements were added to create the sense of docks. On the façade, masts and rat lines were created to give the appearance of sails.
Solidifying Designs This final sketch incorporates Groundplan and visual ideas.
Final Renderings Once the overall world of the play had gelled, the designer created individual sketches for the 10 or so unique scenes. In some cases John would create a sketch that the actors and director would imitate in rehearsal and in other situations John would create his sketch after seeing early improvisational work. This interface of scenic designer and actors within rehearsal is a wonderful opportunity to enhance the entire process.
Final Design Throughout the process, the use of simple sketches and a continuous flow of ideas made this project a success.
