Set Design
Purpose of Set Design
conveying setting
- show audience where it is taking place, can be very general e.g. a planet of very specific e.g. a
cafe.
Conveying period
- also shows audience when it is taking place. A living room in 1950s would be very different to
2020 for example.
Communicating theme or symbols
- set can convey abstract ideas, themes or symbols. e.g. rotting fruit conveying death and
decay.
Interacting with other design elements
- set should work in tandem with other elements. As a show should have an aesthetic. e.g. if the
costume design is very naturalistic and has brown, the set should line up. This could work
oppositely to convey a different effect however, by having it not line up you could convey a
sense of discontent.
Supporting style of production
- should be in line with production’s style. e.g. if the rest of a play is poor theatre you would
expect the set to line up with this. This could be minimalism, naturalism etc.
, Considerations when designing a set
Colour
- used in set design to symbolise stage ideas. E.g. red- love, using connotations to
communicate with audience
Condition
- reveals information on setting or characters circumstances. E.g. poorer characters house
would appear more tattered and rough than a richer characters house. If a character has been
hurt before play and is about healing- may have set slowly appearing as more neat.
Practicalities
- consider the practicality of design considering the pace of the show e.g. if the show has a
quick pace the set has to be able to be changed quickly as necessary and may be minimalistic
or general.
Scale
- can experiment with the scale to create an effect. Forced perspective- design technique makes
object appear either further away or closer. E.g. creating an optical illusion to make a road
appear longer by making objects along that road decrease in size along the perspective lines.
Shape
- shape can convey ideas to e.g. trees with a willowy flowy circular shape are very different from
jagged shaped trees.
Staging configuration
- impact how the audience relates to action and set. A thrust theatre, end on or in the round all
use stage space differently and therefore the set must take this into consideration.
Purpose of Set Design
conveying setting
- show audience where it is taking place, can be very general e.g. a planet of very specific e.g. a
cafe.
Conveying period
- also shows audience when it is taking place. A living room in 1950s would be very different to
2020 for example.
Communicating theme or symbols
- set can convey abstract ideas, themes or symbols. e.g. rotting fruit conveying death and
decay.
Interacting with other design elements
- set should work in tandem with other elements. As a show should have an aesthetic. e.g. if the
costume design is very naturalistic and has brown, the set should line up. This could work
oppositely to convey a different effect however, by having it not line up you could convey a
sense of discontent.
Supporting style of production
- should be in line with production’s style. e.g. if the rest of a play is poor theatre you would
expect the set to line up with this. This could be minimalism, naturalism etc.
, Considerations when designing a set
Colour
- used in set design to symbolise stage ideas. E.g. red- love, using connotations to
communicate with audience
Condition
- reveals information on setting or characters circumstances. E.g. poorer characters house
would appear more tattered and rough than a richer characters house. If a character has been
hurt before play and is about healing- may have set slowly appearing as more neat.
Practicalities
- consider the practicality of design considering the pace of the show e.g. if the show has a
quick pace the set has to be able to be changed quickly as necessary and may be minimalistic
or general.
Scale
- can experiment with the scale to create an effect. Forced perspective- design technique makes
object appear either further away or closer. E.g. creating an optical illusion to make a road
appear longer by making objects along that road decrease in size along the perspective lines.
Shape
- shape can convey ideas to e.g. trees with a willowy flowy circular shape are very different from
jagged shaped trees.
Staging configuration
- impact how the audience relates to action and set. A thrust theatre, end on or in the round all
use stage space differently and therefore the set must take this into consideration.
