How to design a film set

HOW TO DESIGN A FILM SET

by:
Franchesca Buenaflor

INTRODUCTION

 Set design is also known as
production design.
 It is the creation of theatrical,
as well as film or television
scenery. It is mainly concern
with the ”look" or physical
appearance of the set for a
film, whether in rehearsal or
performance.
 It reflects the way that the set
is composed artistically in
regard to props, actors, shapes
and colors.
 The set 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.

 The set 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

 Set design from the fantasy movie “The Imaginarium of
Dr. Parnassus”

This e-learning module will discuss the
elements of a production design and give tips and
tricks on how to design a film set, as well as give
out exercises to enhance one’s set design skills.

LESSON 1: THE STORYLINE

In order for you to start designing your set you have
to first take a look at your storyline, your time setting,
geographical setting that influences the characters “look”
and the set’s overall composition.

 Time setting – the era or year the story took place.
This is very important since this can greatly influence the type
of gadgets and costumes that are present during that time that should
be present in your set.
Ex. Sophia Coppola’s film “Marie Antoinette” (2006) as in reference to
the real painting of Marie Antoinette

 Note: You can already identify that the film Marie Antoinette took
place during the Victorian Era, wherein the women wears
voluptuous gowns filled with laces and petticoat.

 Geographical setting- the place/venue where the story took place
whether it is at a rural or urban area.
The geographical location of the story has a great impact on
how the set would look, starting from the presence of certain
elements to project the atmosphere of the place.

Ex. Danny Boyle’s famous Slum dog Millionaire (2008) that was shot
in India.

 Note: You can already see the film being shot in India through the long
and bulky train right beside them; this establishes the status quo of the
country that in return affects the costume of the characters.

 Characters- are three dimensional and this must be presented
through the “image” that you design that can be perceived by the
audience.

The three dimensions of a character are first, the background
of the character which includes the family background, the
nationality etc. second, is the foreground which is the physical make
up of the character or what the audience perceive. Third is the
middle ground which is the character’s real self or personality.

 Ex. Shekhar Kapur’s “Elizabeth” 1998

 Note: In “Elizabeth” 1998, the dimensions of Queen Elizabeth’s
character are shown through the set design mainly through her
authoritative look which is executed through her natural deep
make up, structured costume and the grandeur of her
surroundings establishing her royalty as a Queen.

EXERCISE # 1

 Read a storyline or make a story line of your own

 identify and the describe the time setting, geographical
setting and characters image

 analyze the time and geographical setting’s impact on
the character’s image

LESSON 2: MISE – EN – SCENE
In order for you to design a set you must know the basic elements
of the set or scene.

Mise-en-scène is a French term and originates in the theater.
It means, literally, "put in the scene”. It is concerned with
what should be present in the scene which is mainly includes
the props, costumes and prosthetics or make- up

 Props

Smaller props are referred to as "hand props".
Larger props may also be set decoration, such as a chair
or table. The difference between a set decoration and a
prop is use. If the item is not touched by a performer for
any reason it is simply a set decoration. If it is touched
by the actor in accordance to script requirements or as
deemed by the director, it is a prop.

 Costume

A style of dress including garments, accessories,
and hairstyle especially as characteristic of a particular
country, period, or people.

 Prosthetic/ Make-up

Prosthetic is the process of using prosthetic
sculpting, molding and casting techniques to create
advanced cosmetic effects. While make- up is used to
alter the user’s appearance to portray a particular
character.

EXERCISE #2

 Research and get some inspiration from other sets of
films that has a similar storyline or theme to your own
film or through identifying the era that your story line is
taking place.

 List down all the props needed in the set during a
particular scene

 Analyze what the props symbolizes

LESSON 3: COMPOSITION

Composition is the placement or arrangement of
visual elements or ingredients in a work of art or a
photograph, as distinct from the subject of a work. It can
also be thought of as the organization of the elements of
art according to the principles of art.
In the visual arts, composition is often used
interchangeably with various terms such as design, form,
visual ordering, or formal structure, depending on the
context.

Elements of Design

 Line - the visual path that enables
the eye to move within the piece
Movement is also a source of
line, and blur can also create a
reaction. Subject lines by means of
illusion contribute to both mood and
linear perspective, giving the
illusion of depth. Oblique lines
convey a sense of movement and
angular lines generally convey a
sense of dynamism and possibly
tension. Lines can also direct
attention towards the main subject
of picture, or contribute to
organization by dividing it into
compartments.

Elements of Design

 Shape - areas defined by edges within the piece,
whether geometric or organic

Elements of Design

 Color - hues with their various values and intensities

Color is characterized by attributes such as hue, brightness,
and saturation. Colors have been associated with different moods,
dependent on the society of the time. For example, white has long
been viewed as purity, whereas it can also take slightly different
meanings such as peace, or innocence. However, in some places
(like Japan) it signifies death.

Elements of Design

 Texture - is about surface quality either
tactile or visual. Texture can be real or
implied by different uses of media. It is the
degree of roughness or smoothness in
objects.

 Form - is a 3-dimensional object having
volume and thickness. It is the illusion of a
3-D effect that can be implied with the use
of light and shading techniques. Form can
be viewed from many angles.

 Value - is the degree of light and dark in a
design. It is the contrast between black and
white and all the tones in between. Value
can be used with color as well as black and
white. Contrast is the extreme changes
between values.

LESSON 4: SKETCHING/DRAFTING

Now that you have already an idea of mise-en-
scene together with the elements of design , you can now
move on with sketching or making a draft of what you
want the set to look like to have a clearer picture.

One of the key elements of designing a set is to
make a sketch or a draft on how you want to the set to
look like to serve as a model.

 Sketching is drawing what you want the set to look like,
before sketch is only made via colors black and white on a
notepad but through modern technology sketches can now be
digitally enhanced.

 To be able to make a sketch you will be needing a simple
landscape bond paper or if your are “techy” all you need is a
computer application such as MS Word or any other editor
such as Adobe picture editor.

This is an example of a sketch that is already digitally
enhanced you can use the MS word or Adobe picture
editor to enhance your sketch and add effects.

 Note: I used pastel colors and soft shapes to portray a
feminine atmosphere on the set to indicate that the room
represents the owner which is a very feminine blonde bomb
shell.

Your sketch will serve as a model for your design
where you would pattern your set. Through it you
will have a clearer vision on what the set would
contain and what patterns and colors should be
present.

LESSON 5: PRACTICAL GUIDELINES IN SET
DESIGN

Now that you have already acquired enough
knowledge in designing a film set, you now must take in
consideration the following to be able to bring your
design into life.

 Time Frame
This is important especially when you are meeting a
dead line, one should always take in to consideration
how much time he/she has to be able to bring the set
together.

 Budget
This is an essential key in designing a set, the
budget determines how much can be purchased for the
set. This gives the liberty as well as the limitation for the
designer to choose the materials that will be a part of the
set.

 Availability
It is a must to check the availability of the materials
that should be present in the set. for example you needed a
vintage car to complete the vintage look of the set, you must
check first if there are any available model on car rentals. Or
if none you can always resort to the next guideline.

 Alternatives
If the material that you are looking for is not available
you can always find other ways or alternatives to back up
your set. The key here is to be resourceful, to find other
means to recreate the material through other stuff whether,
through reconstruction or
“chroma” the use of computer graphic imagery that is
projected on the screen.

FINAL EXERCISE
 Make a sketch of your set design using a sketch pad or a
picture editor

 Apply the elements of design

 As well as the elements of mise-en-scene

 then make a caption of the set on what part it belongs on
your storyline

 Describe why you came up with such design taking in
consideration the practical guidelines

FIN (FRENCH TERM FOR THE END)
 Voila ! You now have the knowledge and the skills
to design your own film set.

 Remember that the key to a creative mind is to
practice his skills all the time .

 Have fun in creating your own set design be artistic
and imaginative of course taking in mind the
practical guidelines.

 And who knows you might be the next superstar in
production design! =)

GLOSSARY
 Set design- is also known as production design. It is the creation of theatrical, as well as film or
television scenery. It is mainly concern with the ”look" or physical appearance of the set for a
film, whether in rehearsal or performance. It reflects the way that the set is composed
artistically in regard to props, actors, shapes and colors. The set 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.
 Time setting – the era or year the story took place.
 Geographical setting- the place/venue where the story took place whether it is at a rural or
urban area.
 Mise-en-scène is a French term and originates in the theater. It means, literally, "put in the
scene”. It is concerned with what should be present in the scene which is mainly includes the
props, costumes and prosthetics or make- up.
 Costume – a style of dress including garments, accessories, and hairstyle especially as
characteristic of a particular country, period, or people.
 Prosthetic/ Make-up- Prosthetic is the process of using prosthetic sculpting, molding and
casting techniques to create advanced cosmetic effects. While make- up is used to alter the
user’s appearance to portray a particular character.
 Composition- is the placement or arrangement of visual elements or ingredients in a work of art
or a photograph, as distinct from the subject of a work. It can also be thought of as the
organization of the elements of art according to the principles of art.
 Line - the visual path that enables the eye to move within the piece
 Shape - areas defined by edges within the piece, whether geometric or organic
 Color - hues with their various values and intensities
 Sketching - drawing what you want the set to look like, before sketch is only made via colors
black and white but through modern technology sketches can now be digitally enhanced.

REFERENCES
 Film Aesthetics 1 by Lori Shiba (http://www.slideshare.net/hexakali/film-
aesthetics-i?src=related_normal&rel=5244116)
 Elements and Principles of Design by Marvin Bartel
(http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/files/elements2.htm)
 Composition, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composition_(visual_arts)
 Attributes of Visual Image,film school online,
(http://filmschoolonline.com/sample_lessons/sample_lesson_cinematogr
aphy.htm)
 Mise-en-scene (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mise_en_scène)
 Marie Antoinette, IMDb.com (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0422720/)
 Slam Dog Millionaire, IMDb.com (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1010048/)
 Elizabeth, IMDb.com (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0127536/)
 Film and Set Design Gallery (http://gallery.mcneel.com/?g=149&pg=1)
 Translating Hollywood Set Design To Real Life Design
(http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/translating-hollywood-set-desi-58760)

How to design a film set

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