Wiki Page, Oklahoma High School- Drama/Theatre Course (OK Art Tech): 3.4 Set Designers & Craftsmanship

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2025-03-06T08:26:17-06:00

Set Designers

Design Team

Set design is a team effort. The set designer will meet with the director and the design team to discuss the details of the set and the director's interpretation of the play. Carpenters and electricians build sets, hang lighting, and position set elements. Painters work on painting set elements and choosing some of the color design. Many people are involved behind the scenes to ensure a show's success. Through a collaborative process, the set design is brought to life; the set designer's visual ideas inspire the design team involved in the production.

Examples of elements to consider when you are designing a set to tell a story include whether the scene takes place inside or outside, whether it is a realistic or an abstract set, or whether it should convey comfort or danger. Maybe your set is meant to represent a home or a dark cave. Set designers must also consider space, time, budget, and resource limitations.

Discovering Craftsmanship

Craftsmanship, meaning the design quality, is important when building sets. Craftsmanship is achieved by paying attention to details and through effort.

The set is as critical an element in telling the story as the script. The set on stage or on screen helps bring the story to life and connects the material with the audience.

Many people are involved behind the scenes to ensure the success of a show. For example, carpenters are part of the set design team that produces quality work with their hands, tools, and materials to construct and create sets.

Watch the video below to learn about carpenters who help build sets.

Video: Working In Theatre: The Carpenters who Set the Scene

Center Theatre Group. (2017, Jan 5). Working in Theatre: The Carpenters who Set the Scene. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/0hGDssL16Vk?si=HseJL-3SQ42j-G_f

Click on the button at the bottom of the video to access the closed captions.

Guiding Questions

1. By yourself, or with a partner, answer the following questions before moving on to the next page.

1. What jobs does a set designer do to help the overall production process?

2. Could you create a show without designing and using a set?

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