Set design for the stage can be simple and straight forward– but taking a more thoughtful approach can elevate the caliber of your performance and create a memorable experience for your audience.
1. Consider your primary objective to create composition and focus.
Are you planning a product demonstration and concentrating attention center stage? Or are you entertaining the crowd with a fast-moving dance performance that encompasses the entirety of the set? Are you presenting a highly engaging speaker with theatrical elements during the event?
2. Look at how the unique aspects of the stage can help tell the story.
A proscenium stage can accommodate extensive set pieces and lighting, though most of the action occurs center stage or downstage, with a clear distinction between audience and performers. Thrust stages create more connection between presenter and audience. It encourages more direct interaction like an improv comedy show or worship service. There’s no bad seat in the house with an arena or in the round theater for something like a concert, although scenery is limited to avoid obscuring audience viewpoints. Starting with graphic renderings of the space can assist you in creatively blocking out the story in the most effective manner.
3. Add elements like lighting and color to create the mood of the production.
Lighting and color can transform the stage. You may choose a monochromatic color scheme for a passionate, moving scene or a two-color complementary scheme to match the corporate logo. Of course, endless combinations can be used to enhance a scene. Additional visual elements may include LED walls, projection screens, event backdrops, and special effects like smoke machines–which add entertainment value to the show.
4. Reveal the space using props to captivate your audience.
Props with realistic details bring a show to life—benches, streetlamps, flowers, tables, clocks, and storefronts, are just a few. Carefully choose set pieces that reflect a particular time and place. Props can be ordinary, like a battered suitcase, or they may be symbolic of the performer’s struggle. When you can’t find what you need for the production, it can be made. Consider building sets and props with lightweight, versatile materials like 3D-printed foam– which can be fabricated and carved into any shape and finished in a variety of ways. There is usually a fine line between detailed and clutter, so it’s worth working with an experienced stage designer who can create AutoCAD renderings to show you the possibilities ahead of time.
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Movie Prop Rentals is your source for stage design, set builds, prop rental, custom prop fabrication, and artistic direction. With customized packages to suit every need and budget, you determine our level of involvement. Our co-founders bring unique experience working on stage design for hundreds of commercials, music videos, corporate events, theatrical performances, and major motion pictures. We’re based in Miami, FL, but we travel. Contact us for a free quote.
