First-time designer...HELP!

[techieofthenight]

My high school usually hires someone outside of our program to design our sets, but the guy we normally hire is going to grad school this fall. My tech director approached me a few days ago asking if I would want to design our fall musical. I'm ecstatic about the oppurtunity, but I've never designed a set before, and I've never been very good at drawing. Is there a computer program that can help me out with this defficiency(preferably free)?

 

[derekleffew]

Many here like Google SketchUp, and it's free! BUT, in the academic world, in addition to designing scenery, one must also know how to built and paint it.

Vectorworks also has a free student edition (do a search on here for details), and is arguably the industry standard, but I wouldn't recommend jumping into that unless one has a foundation in hand drafting. (Amazing how many people think they're a wiz at Vectorworks, but don't understand line weights or orthographic projection.)

 

[MarshallPope]

I like to use Sketchup. I also have Vectorworks, but haven't spent much time learning it yet. In my opinion, one of the great things about Sketchup is that it allows you to quickly play around with different ideas. You can make a quick mock-up of an idea and, if you don't like it, you have only wasted five or ten minutes on that idea.

 

[kicknargel]

Another good thing to do if you're not great at drawing is to build a model.

 

[ajb]

Vectorworks also has a free student edition (do a search on here for details), and is arguably the industry standard, but I wouldn't recommend jumping into that unless one has a foundation in hand drafting. (Amazing how many people think they're a wiz at Vectorworks, but don't understand line weights or orthographic projection.)

On the flip side, I've seen many people who can draft by hand beautifully, but then move to CAD and don't go beyond virtual lines on virtual vellum. Remember, it's Computer Aided Design, it's worth taking the time to learn to use the features that let the computer help you! The number of times I've shown people some relatively basic viewport, layer control, and blockref stuff in AutoCAD and caused a moment of "Oh, that's how this is supposed to work!" is astounding.


To the OP:

Remember, it's not the quality of your drafting or model building that counts, it's the quality of your overall communication. As long as you can make your design intent clear to the rest of the team, it doesn't matter if you use beautifully rendered watercolors and 3D CAD models, or crayons on construction paper. In my professional career, with *professional* designers, I've had to build scenery from nothing but an inaccurate, poorly constructed, out of scale model with no reference to the venue. Or in another case, from nothing but the director's memories of a previous mount of the production six years ago and a poorly preserved VHS tape of the show. But in both cases, we found ways to get the ideas out of their heads and into mine, and while the process was sometimes painfully frustrating seeing as how I was supposedly working with *professionals*, in the end we made it work and I was able to build exactly what they wanted. So as a student, don't worry too much about how well you can draw or paint just yet--those are skills that can be learned in time. Do the best you can, and as long as your ideas get across, it doesn't matter what medium you use, you can still create great art.

 

[DuckJordan]

Drawing is only a very small amount of designing a set,

First. you must read the show.
Second. you must re-read the show.
Third. while going through second step you must take notes of actors/effects noted in the script. (IE. if an actor has to throw a bomb out a window, or walk through a door, make note of it because you will need it.)
Fourth. You must talk with the director about the enterances and exits, and other things that are set in stone that the set is required to have.
Fifth. make some sort of visual representation
Last. BUILD IT.

This was taking from my designer coursebook, it was given to me by my director first year i started teching.

 

[gafftaper]

Lots of great advice here. Since you are in high school theater, you are much closer tied to the director/teacher's wishes than most of the designers around here. Besides reading the script several times, sit down and pick the brain of the director about what he/she is envisioning.

As for models, go down to the local office supply store and buy:
-an architect's scale ruler
-exacto knife
-and a pad of Bristol Paper (artist supply department)
-Hot glue and gun
-get piece of foam core for a base (they sometimes have it at my local dollar store).

Bristol is this great card stock paper that's made of two layers. It comes in pads that are about 9x12. It's really easy to score and bend into shapes that stand up or whatever you need. A little hot glue and you can quickly build a scale model. It's perfect for simple white paper design models. Working in educational theater where the director wants a lot of control, I find it easiest to build a simple bristol model, take it in for a meeting, then cut off parts she doesn't like, and glue on new pieces for the next meeting.

 

[ajb]

Drawing is only a very small amount of designing a set,

First. you must read the show.
Second. you must re-read the show.
Third. while going through second step you must take notes of actors/effects noted in the script. (IE. if an actor has to throw a bomb out a window, or walk through a door, make note of it because you will need it.)
Fourth. You must talk with the director about the enterances and exits, and other things that are set in stone that the set is required to have.
Fifth. make some sort of visual representation
Last. BUILD IT.

This was taking from my designer coursebook, it was given to me by my director first year i started teching.

This a basic, utilitarian approach to design. While it might be the approach that works in many high school theaters, it is not an approach that really tends to lead to good design. After you read the play once, talk to the director about what the production (NOT the play--there is a difference!) is about. Is Annie a show about an orphan who gets adopted by a rich guy, or is it a commentary on the social responsibility of the rich towards the less fortunate in a time of socioeconomic calamity? Aesthetic should be informed by the theme of the production, not by plot of the play.

Once you have hashed out themes with the director and translated them into design concepts, THEN you can start solving problems of entrances/exits/scene changes/special effects--but nothing is ever set in stone--with the director. In fact, do yourself a favor and skip over all of the stage directions (hopefully your director will, too). Except in some situations where the rightsholders are exceedingly particular about the production of their property (*cough*Beckett*cough*), you are NOT beholden to ANYTHING but the spoken text, and even that is often negotiable.

Once you have a rough design hashed out, then you can start worrying about the physical and budgetary limitations.

So I'd advocate a process more like this:

• Read the play for enjoyment
• Read the play (more than once if necessary) for understanding
• Gather visual research related to the thematic content of the show. This can be related to the show directly or tangentially, in terms of the setting or context, or it can have no discernible relation at all except it grabs your eye. Bring this with you for the next step.
• Talk to the director about what they are trying to communicate, illustrate, or achieve with the production, show them your research and see what they and you like about various images, and talk about how they could be relevant to your production.
• Work out basic physical requirements with the director.
• Develop a rough design that incorporates everything you've discussed thusfar as best you can and works it all into your physical/financial limitations.
• Remember, in general it's easier to cut & simplify then to add & expand. Throwing away time and money will annoy a TD, piling on more effort and expense late in the process will piss him off.
• Bring your rough design to the director, discuss it, revise it, repeat.
• Take your designs to your technical director (or whoever fills that role) and discuss how to execute your design, go back to the director and revise further if necessary.

 

[DuckJordan]

This a basic, utilitarian approach to design. While it might be the approach that works in many high school theaters, it is not an approach that really tends to lead to good design. After you read the play once, talk to the director about what the production (NOT the play--there is a difference!) is about. Is Annie a show about an orphan who gets adopted by a rich guy, or is it a commentary on the social responsibility of the rich towards the less fortunate in a time of socioeconomic calamity? Aesthetic should be informed by the theme of the production, not by plot of the play.

Once you have hashed out themes with the director and translated them into design concepts, THEN you can start solving problems of entrances/exits/scene changes/special effects--but nothing is ever set in stone--with the director. In fact, do yourself a favor and skip over all of the stage directions (hopefully your director will, too). Except in some situations where the rightsholders are exceedingly particular about the production of their property (*cough*Beckett*cough*), you are NOT beholden to ANYTHING but the spoken text, and even that is often negotiable.

Once you have a rough design hashed out, then you can start worrying about the physical and budgetary limitations.

So I'd advocate a process more like this:

• Read the play for enjoyment
• Read the play (more than once if necessary) for understanding
• Gather visual research related to the thematic content of the show. This can be related to the show directly or tangentially, in terms of the setting or context, or it can have no discernible relation at all except it grabs your eye. Bring this with you for the next step.
• Talk to the director about what they are trying to communicate, illustrate, or achieve with the production, show them your research and see what they and you like about various images, and talk about how they could be relevant to your production.
• Work out basic physical requirements with the director.
• Develop a rough design that incorporates everything you've discussed thusfar as best you can and works it all into your physical/financial limitations.
• Remember, in general it's easier to cut & simplify then to add & expand. Throwing away time and money will annoy a TD, piling on more effort and expense late in the process will piss him off.
• Bring your rough design to the director, discuss it, revise it, repeat.
• Take your designs to your technical director (or whoever fills that role) and discuss how to execute your design, go back to the director and revise further if necessary.

From my personal experiences with directors in a high school sense most don't see a show for the values it teaches but rather the crowd it can draw in. This seems to be the standard in 90% of all high schools, now this would never work if you were to say design a show for a broadway show or off broadway as the meanings are one of the most important parts of the shows.

So with that in mind take from both my post and from ajb's post.

 

[shiben]

I've never been very good at drawing

No one is "not very good" at drawing. What you are is not as good as you think you ought to be. Drawing is a skill that you aquire by doing it a lot. The more you draw, the better you get.

So I'd advocate a process more like this:

• Read the play for enjoyment
• Read the play (more than once if necessary) for understanding
• Gather visual research related to the thematic content of the show. This can be related to the show directly or tangentially, in terms of the setting or context, or it can have no discernible relation at all except it grabs your eye. Bring this with you for the next step.
• Talk to the director about what they are trying to communicate, illustrate, or achieve with the production, show them your research and see what they and you like about various images, and talk about how they could be relevant to your production.
• Work out basic physical requirements with the director.
• Develop a rough design that incorporates everything you've discussed thusfar as best you can and works it all into your physical/financial limitations.
• Remember, in general it's easier to cut & simplify then to add & expand. Throwing away time and money will annoy a TD, piling on more effort and expense late in the process will piss him off.
• Bring your rough design to the director, discuss it, revise it, repeat.
• Take your designs to your technical director (or whoever fills that role) and discuss how to execute your design, go back to the director and revise further if necessary.

This is how we learned to do it, and its definitely the route I would take. You have a whole summer to read the play a bunch of times, and to gather visual research. Using email or something, you can share this with the director and discuss like that. I would advocate sketching some still, even if your terrible at it (Im sloppy at sketching myself, one reason why I learned AutoCAD, Vectorworks and Sketchup). Also, remember, that just because you are terrible at drawing, your probably not terrible at drafting. Drafting you get all sorts of things, like straightedges, triangles, compasses, and other tools that help your lines come out straight, your angles come out repeatably, and even make your perspecive sketches accurate and to scale. Its worth learning how to do. Also, people are generally impressed when you can letter clearly on all sorts of things (for example, a cue sheet). Anyhow, sketching on paper freehand can give you more of an idea of what you want to create. Take those shapes and images, and translate them into a digital or velum workspace to give your drawings of what you want things to look like. The steps mentioned above are a good set of guidelines to follow. Have fun!

 

[WestlakeTech]

Another good thing to do if you're not great at drawing is to build a model.

AMEN!

Drawing is only a very small amount of designing a set,

First. you must read the show.
Second. you must re-read the show.
Third. while going through second step you must take notes of actors/effects noted in the script. (IE. if an actor has to throw a bomb out a window, or walk through a door, make note of it because you will need it.)
Fourth. You must talk with the director about the enterances and exits, and other things that are set in stone that the set is required to have.
Fifth. make some sort of visual representation
Last. BUILD IT.

This was taking from my designer coursebook, it was given to me by my director first year i started teching.

Well... another thing to do is ask the director if he knows right off the bat of any cuts he'll make to the script and if there's anything in particular that he/she (thinks he/she) HAS to have.

My best advice, though... don't worry about it. Take it seriously, but don't worry about it. A friend of mine had to do a set design last year, and she kept freaking out (crying) because it wasn't totally perfect and she had no idea what to do... she expected her first draft to be THE design, and thought she couldn't make a mistake.

Have fun with it, and do your best. Cheesy, but literally the best advice I can offer you.