Making Your Locations Read: Set Design Tips
On several occasions, I have been asked to make a TV studio look more like a “TV studio.” This usually happens when a producer wants a “behind the scenes” look or if there is a media celebrity interview where there is the pretense that we are talking with the “star” in the studio (as if that is the only place that a “star” is visible). It is a request that shows how conditioned we are in our visual expectations. When I have been asked to recreate a TV studio or behind the scenes at a TV studio, I usually slap a prominently placed technical-looking sticker on the back of some scenery and roll in some lights on stands, and that usually does the trick.
But, there was a project that demanded more. We were contacted by the producer of Bravo’s long-running interview program, Inside the Actors Studio, to provide them with a set that looked more like backstage than what an actual backstage looks like. The production was moving to a new theatre, and they wanted to make full use of the large stage at Pace University’s Schimmel Center. The problem was, when they opened the curtain to expose the real backstage, it was just bare bones with none of the feel that audiences would probably expect. The bare stage looked like a section of a dimly lit warehouse: lots of black painted walls, wire conduits running up the walls, a roll-up garage door, and a collection of unused equipment on metal shelves. This is what most backstage areas look like, they are purely functional empty spaces, but they would look rather shabby on TV in an hour-long interview. A large bare stage looks like this photo.
Our design team started brainstorming ideas about what we felt best represented the producer’s desire to make a large theatrical space feel warm and reflect the intimate nature of their interviews, but also reflect the audience’s expectations.
We chose red brick, which is a go-to material for visual warmth. Then, we started listing stage elements that we thought would be instantly recognizable as things one would see backstage. Think: ropes, swags or curtains, ladders, a catwalk, marked door, and since the show was coming from NYC, we decided to age some of our elements to look as though they were built years ago. This was achieved in small touches like the color and width of door moldings and the doors themselves.
The producer liked the direction we were heading but cautioned us against making the setting feel too vintage. We simplified some touches and outfitted the stage with very contemporary (but comfortable) chairs and a small custom desk for the moderator James Lipton.
The show ran with that particular set for 12 years, and I do not think anyone ever knew that the stage on the show was actually all scenery.
Shot composition is something that we all unconsciously understand, because we have all watched thousands of hours of TV or movies. I often see school videos in which there is no real attempt to frame a shot to include an interesting visual clue that helps define a location.
When shooting in a gym, try to have a section of bleachers or a backboard within your frame. Thinking about interviewing a teacher? Make sure there is a blackboard or some desks behind them. Talking to the coach? Frame your shot with gym lockers, goalposts, or nets. If you are interviewing a group of students in a hallway, move everyone down to show the corner of a trophy case, some lockers, or a classroom door. These elements should not be square in the middle of your background, but including a section in the left side or right side of the frame will lend your report some credence, because it shows the students in a natural school setting that is a lot more interesting than having a section of painted cinder block behind them.
In summation, choose your background wisely when you are interviewing someone in the field. It conveys information and authenticity, even if you have to add some touches to make reality look more real.
Meet the Author, Brian Flynn
Brian Flynn is an Emmy Award-winning set designer who has worked on over 2000 unique productions. He has worked for all the major TV networks and for numerous foreign news producers. Brian also works on infomercials (wait there’s more), non-broadcast corporate projects, and for schools and colleges throughout the United States. Currently his work can be seen on the new syndicated talk show “The Doctor and The Diva,” and on a number of infomercials featuring chef Emeril Lagasse. Brian lives in the western hills of NJ, in the town of Blairstown. He also offers a catalog of news desks, and off the shelf studio news and talk show designs at NewsDesk USA.