Scenery and Set Design

Scenery (Set)

• Theatrical equipment that communicates the environment of a dramatic production.
• Sets depict the locale of a play, suggesting when and where the story takes place.
• The acting area is designed to communicate the environment.
• A set should inform the audience about the effects on the environment of the characters.
• Sets should show how the character's personality affects their surroundings.
• Set designers are in charge of the set.

Types of Sets

• Different mediums use different types of sets.
• In live theater, sets are built on a stage and can range from simple designs to elaborate builds.
• Theater set designs are adaptable, with changes occurring between scenes or acts.
• Theater sets require quick changes and the ability to withstand physical actions.
• Film sets can be built or found in real locations.
• Filmmakers might use studios where they have control over lighting, props, and the environment.
• Filmmakers may shoot on location, using actual buildings, streets, or natural environments as their sets.
• Film sets often require intricate planning and design to look realistic when viewed through a camera lens.
• Special effects, lighting, and angles can enhance the look of a set.
• TV sets are often similar to film sets.
• TV drama series might have sets that change from episode to episode, depending on the needs of the script.
• Multi-camera setups dictate the design and layout of a set to accommodate audience viewing and the movement of actors.
• Virtual sets are created entirely through computer-generated imagery (CGI).
• Virtual sets are often used for scenes that are too dangerous, costly, or impossible to create in real life.
• Virtual sets can range from fantastical environments to realistic reconstructions of real-world locations.
• With virtual sets, the set itself is digitally created in post-production.

Costumes

• Clothes and accessories worn by actors in a play or film to portray a certain character/era/period in the story.
• Costumes aid actions and interpretations by relating human experiences to an audience.
• Characters wear costumes to pass across information such as status, occupation, and culture.

Stage Properties (Props)

• Props are moveable objects on stage during a performance.
• Props create a sense of realism, authenticity, and context within the story.
• They can signify the passage of time or indicate a change in location.
• Props add depth to a character’s personality.

Types of Props

• Set props are non-handheld, stationary items that work with the scenery to create an environment and time and place/locale; includes sofas, chairs, tables, wall art and decorations, and flower vases.
• Hand props are handheld items carried by characters to enhance character, time, and setting or to be used for the action of the play; examples include handbags, horsetails, knives, luggage, and handkerchiefs.
• Costume props are worn by actors, such as jewelry, hats, masks, or other accessories.
• Specialized props are designed specifically for a particular scene or production; examples include complex machinery, prosthetics, or specialized weapons.
• Miscellaneous props are other objects that may be used in a production, such as food, drinks, or other small items.

Lighting

• Lights create a visual image and changes to enhance the colors of costumes and other properties.
• Lighting adds to the color and vividness of the set, bringing it out of the dark and into the imagination of the audience.
• The major function of light is to illuminate and provide visibility.

Controllable Qualities of Light

• Intensity deals with the level of brightness, or how much light is hitting the stage.
• Color refers to the combination of filtered lights that can change the mood or tone.
• Direction is the angle of lighting to its target and can come from below, directly above, or anywhere in between.
• Light can originate from in front of the actors, behind them, or off to a side.
• Movement refers to the changing in the lights, whether it be a change in intensity, color, or direction of origin.

Sound

• Sound effects communicate character, context, or environment.
• Sound can be created through breathing or sighing, a performer interacting with objects or props, the use of voice, or the use of the body for stomping or dragging feet.
• Sound assists in the creation of tension and mood.
• Sound assists with changes in rhythm in a performance.
• It can be used to create a setting, develop characters, and assist in visualizing imaginary objects and props.

Make-up

• Make up refers to the artificial substances applied to the face and body of a character to enhance or change their outward appearance.
• Make-up can either beautify or alter the player’s outward appearance to look like another person.

Functions of Make-up

• Changes the actor's appearance and puts them in character
• Interprets age groups
• Beautifies
• Interprets moods and feelings
• Establishes identity to a character's face
• Complements the costume

Types of Make-up

• Straight or foundation make-up reveals the normal facial appearance of the character.
• Character or stage make-up changes the facial appearance to look like the targeted character.
• Artificial make-up kits like wigs, mustaches, and eyelashes are fixed on the character’s face to change their normal facial appearance.