The document summarizes the creation of flats used as a backdrop for a school play performance of High School Musical. The flats were painted red to match the basketball team uniforms and featured posters, flyers, and the basketball team logo. While the flats worked well overall, the author notes they would enlarge the logo and lettering on the flats if doing the project again to make those elements more prominent. The author was also head of props, creating lists of all needed props and sourcing or making what was required for the production.

1. Original design The end product

2. My specific prop was the flats that created the backdrop for the performance.
Although they weren’t a part of the play that the characters physically used or
touched, they set the scenes for the duration of the play because they
represented high school interior with various posters and flyers scattered
around on it. The flats were erected during the dress rehearsals and were not
taken down until the get-out the day after the final performance – they were
used every single night.
I chose to paint the MDF boards Ladybug red because that was the brightest
colour, and it matched the Wildcats’ kits perfectly which was the whole point of
the colour scheme. I wanted the brightest colour so that the set was bold and
stood out even though it was right at the back. It was very important that
continuity ran throughout the set in order to make as realistic an impression as
possible when the audience arrived. The flats fit in fantastically well with the
rest of the set because most other props and pieces of scenery are the same
colour red. This is purposely done to create a sense of team spirit in the high
school and reoccurs all the way through the performance to emphasize the
basketball team.

3. A positive of the flats is that it stayed put throughout the technical rehearsals,
dress rehearsals and the formal show nights without any issues whatsoever.
They were relatively easy to build and put up and once they were, they looked
really good and pulled the entire set together because of the colour scheme.
A possible negative and something I would change next time is the size of the
“WILDCATS” lettering and the logo. The aim was to make the flats stand out
and create team spirit by drawing the basketball team’s logo (the main focus in
the play) in the centre of the backdrop so the audience could see it. However,
although they are visible to the audience, I feel that they are not quite as big as
I’d have liked them to be. If I had the chance to redo the flats I would definitely
enlarge the font of the lettering so that they stood out more, and also enlarged
the drawing of the Wildcats logo so that it was more predominant seeing as it
plays a major part in the story line of the performance.
In addition to having a specific prop to produce, I was also made the Head of
Props. This meant that I had to speak to the directors of the show to see what
their vision is and create lists of props that were needed for each scene and
find out where to source them from, what date I can get hold of them and when
they had to be returned.

5. On the previous slide is my ultimate props list. It includes all props needed for
each scene, who is responsible for sourcing it and a column to tick off when the
task is completed. It is important to make a materials list so that you have
something to refer to when planning designs and making the product. It is an
efficient way of knowing what you need, where to get it from and keeping track
of what you’ve sourced and what you’ve yet to source. After a materials list is
produced, it is referred to throughout the process of building the set to make
sure everything is included and nothing is forgotten. Once all of the props were
sourced, I laid out a table backstage for them to all be placed neatly in their
correct places so that the actors could come and take what they need
whenever they needed it. This made it a lot easier to keep track of which props
are where during the show, and I’d know if something wasn’t returned. Below is
a picture of the table.
Label
identifying
which prop
should be
placed in the
space
Tape to
separate the
props
Science
equipment in its
correct place

6. Below are a select few props that I sourced myself.
In the script, the geeks and the jocks join
forces to turn Gabriella and Troy against
each other by asking them if their idols
would be focusing on something silly
rather than their dream. Each clique holds
up numerous photos of famous people
related to their teams and so my job was
to take pictures of the characters that are
mentioned (Troy and Coach Bolton). I had
them laminated so they wouldn’t bend and
rip.
These laminated letters spelling “GO
DRAMA CLUB” are used in the scene
where the geeks and the jocks are
showing their support of Gabriella and
Troy auditioning for the winter musical. I
made the font red to stay in keeping with
the colour scheme once again and I
laminated them so that they wouldn’t bend
or get ripped.

7. Overall, I think that the flats I produced were a success because there weren’t
any issues with them during the course of the performances. I also think that I
did a good job being Head of Props because everything was sourced in time,
everything the directors asked for was sourced and if I couldn’t find it in a shop,
I went the extra mile to make it from scratch. An example of this is Ms Darbus’
gong which I couldn’t find for a price lower than £15, so I produced one from
wood, string, card and paint. Again, the only thing I would perhaps change if I
had the chance to do it over is the decoration on the flats – I would make the
lettering bigger and bolder to stand out and make the Wildcats logo larger and
more predominant.