Concert set design
- Thread starterskienblack
- Start date
Well, having not designed any realized concert sets myself, I have spent a lot of time thinking about them; it's what I do whenever I want a short break from a theatrical design. Here is some of what I've learned so far.
If this is hypothetical, I'm going to assume you are choosing an artist you like, if not, that may be a good start; at least for now. Listen to the music, how does it make you feel, what do the lyrics talk about. Look at the album art, anything strike you visually. Look at the artist, the genre, the name of the artist. Do your research.
Pick your smallest theoretical venue. Does the artist always role with a certain base seating design, or like a certain type of venue?
Pick some colors, looks, materials, and look at them. Build with them in your mind.
Think about what there has to be. Piano for Mr. Bublé means that's going to take up some room, 2 drummers or 6 guitarists will take up room too. Does the band normally interact heavily with each other or do they like their separation (separation can mean you could employ height elements easier). Is is an artist that likes to move a lot or stand still (moving means you could provide elements to play on). What about the crowd, does the artist like to interact with them; if so on what level? Is the artist soft or loud (no large fast moving scenery during an acapella love song...).
Everyone (mostly) is there to hear and see the artist so don't try and overpower everything else (even if you're not trying to). Think about if Katy Perry tried to use U2's design, the whole time you'd be thinking, what the heck was the designer thinking, or looking at it instead of the artist, right? Same goes for Ms. Spears' Circus tour, That extravagent of a set wouldn't work for many people. Sometimes simpler is better depending on the artist and how flashy they themselves are and how well their work stands on its own.
Now you can start sketching.
Options, options, options, and then more options.
Do you like the design?
Remember, it's (theoretical) work, but it should still be fun, so have some.
Oh yeah, and save, a lot, save things revision style, don't just keep overwriting the same file when you make large changes.
Oh, and I like this article, though it's not completely on topic.
Lighting: The World of CAD
If this is hypothetical, I'm going to assume you are choosing an artist you like, if not, that may be a good start; at least for now. Listen to the music, how does it make you feel, what do the lyrics talk about. Look at the album art, anything strike you visually. Look at the artist, the genre, the name of the artist. Do your research.
Pick your smallest theoretical venue. Does the artist always role with a certain base seating design, or like a certain type of venue?
Pick some colors, looks, materials, and look at them. Build with them in your mind.
Think about what there has to be. Piano for Mr. Bublé means that's going to take up some room, 2 drummers or 6 guitarists will take up room too. Does the band normally interact heavily with each other or do they like their separation (separation can mean you could employ height elements easier). Is is an artist that likes to move a lot or stand still (moving means you could provide elements to play on). What about the crowd, does the artist like to interact with them; if so on what level? Is the artist soft or loud (no large fast moving scenery during an acapella love song...).
Everyone (mostly) is there to hear and see the artist so don't try and overpower everything else (even if you're not trying to). Think about if Katy Perry tried to use U2's design, the whole time you'd be thinking, what the heck was the designer thinking, or looking at it instead of the artist, right? Same goes for Ms. Spears' Circus tour, That extravagent of a set wouldn't work for many people. Sometimes simpler is better depending on the artist and how flashy they themselves are and how well their work stands on its own.
Now you can start sketching.
Options, options, options, and then more options.
Do you like the design?
Remember, it's (theoretical) work, but it should still be fun, so have some.
Oh yeah, and save, a lot, save things revision style, don't just keep overwriting the same file when you make large changes.
Oh, and I like this article, though it's not completely on topic.
Lighting: The World of CAD
