This document describes the creation of a spaceship set made from various household items for a student film project. It includes details on how each element was constructed, such as using a child's car seat, pipes, and a swivel chair to form the pilot's chair. Other elements include a joystick screwed into a wooden desk, toggle switches wired to light up on a wooden dashboard, and a DVD player and monitor inserted into the set. Feedback from a focus group was positive, noting the set looks convincing and realistic, and that the working interactive elements will allow for better acting.

1. WHAT MAKES UP THE
SET?

2. This chair was created using pipes and sticking them onto a child's car seat. This was then secured to a
swivel chair. This means you can move it around and spin in the chair able to control every part of the
spaceship.
How did I make it?

3. ◦ This chair will be where we see our character throughout the movie. It sustains them, braces them from
the impact and movement of space. It is crucial to her survival however she can never leave it- it can be
seen in almost every shot bar that of close ups.
Fictional role:

4. How did I make it?
◦ The joystick is that which you would use in a computer game. In this instance however I have screwed it
into the wooden desk. It did not need to be made- the only addition is the black and white tape on the
top of the joystick which links into the theme of the rest of the spaceship.

5. ◦ The vessel which the movie focuses on is not highly sophisticated- an adapted mining vessel.
For this reason the controls are extremely simple- just a joy stick to drive in this instance.
Fictional role:

6. How did I make it?
◦ This is made up of many different elements, the most important perhaps/eyecatching is that of the
toggle switches. These were drilled into the piece of wood that makes up the dashboard and then
wired from behind so they could light up. The lights below them are controlled manually by a remote
which is hidden by the dashboard. Below that is another switch which when used lights up the white
led beside it, this is done by wiring the power to both of them when the switch is used.

7. Fictional role:
This button is used to activate the hyper drive in the spaceship, it has the red covering
over it in order to prevent accidental use. It is the most dangerous button in the ship.
When the hyper drive is active the light beside it will flash frantically.
If the spaceship is running smoothly then the green light with flash slowly, however if
there is an error than each red light symbolises a section of the ship.
Each of these switches controls a different area of the ship, they must all be activated
in order for the ship to work.

8. How did I make it?
◦ This is made up of many different elements, the most important perhaps/eyecatching is that of the
toggle switches. These were drilled into the piece of wood that makes up the dashboard and then
wired from behind so they could light up. The lights below them are controlled manually by a remote
which is hidden by the dashboard. Above and below these I simply inserted felt into the gaps to give
the illusion of vents.

9. Fictional role:
Each of these switches controls a different area of the ship, they must all be activated
in order for the ship to work.
If the spaceship is running smoothly then the green light with flash slowly, however if
there is an error than each red light symbolises a section of the ship. On the left side
these are less to do with mechanics of the ship and rather keeping the pilot fit, healthy
and most importantly alive.

10. The electronics behind the dashboard and the toggle switches:
As previously stated the toggle switches and led lights are wired from underneath the wood board, here
you can see the wiring that went into this. The lights are controlled with a remote, while the toggle
switches just light up as they are used. In this way the set is more interactive and real, meaning less CGI
and better acting from my cast.

11. How did I make it?
◦ This is simply a DVD player that has been inserted into the centre of the dashboard, in order to make it
display the visuals I wanted it to I simply rendered them out onto a disk and then inserted that into the
player. Pipes were then added around the base of it with a drill and cable ties, felt was stuck on the
bottom of the DVD player in order to give the effect of an air vent.

12. ◦ This DVD player is the main display for much of the ships activity, it is used mainly for navigation
and not life support. The A.I. speaks through it. It is where the logistics of the ships needs and
the direction of the journey are displayed.
Fictional role:

13. How did I make it?
This is simply a piece of plastic which I put tape around the base of, this is obviously not seen in the shots
directed into the cockpit. However in the shots which will come from behind the main character and over her
shoulder this is put over the front to give the illusion of the glass of a usual cockpit.

14. Fictional role:
This acts as the glass blocking out the effects of space. Much like the glass of a cockpit on a plane, a regular
feature of spaceships in real life and in science fiction movies.

15. How did I make it?
This is a computer monitor on the top of the set is the desktop. This was simply inserted into the side of the
set with a screwdriver, I then used these felt tubes and tubes around it in order to hide the fact that it is a
monitor.

16. ◦ This is one of the monitors in the trailer which displays the state of the pod, it is more for the stability of the
passenger than the state of the ship. It displays vitals, the emotional state of the operator and operates the
deep space system.
Fictional role:

17. FX built into the set.
In order to give the effect of a disintegrating ship later
in the trailer I decided to wire a smoke machine into
the set. This will be used in most shots, it gives a
certain effect to the lighting that looks as if you are in
space. When the ship is coming apart in the action
sequences it will also be used.

18. Set in darkness test shots- assess the
success of set making

19. End of set making- assessment, working
with the focus group.
◦ The five pictures shown on the slide previous were shown to my focus group, the comments can
be found below:
◦ Matt Daniels: The set is convincing for an audience, it also creates a sense of costrophobia and
realism. It’s real work interaction also works well as you will have children acting on set, being
able to interact with something tangible allows a better acting quality.
◦ Nathan Brown: The set definitely looks like a lot of the science fiction movies I’ve watched!
Really is convincing when the shots are in the right place.
◦ Hannah Powell: Definitely looks like you’re actually in space! I love how the set is lit up
completely naturally by the in built lights! Really makes you feel like you’re not on a set but in
an actual spaceship.
◦ From this feedback from my feedback group I decided my set was ready to be shot in.