The Craft and Art of Scenic Design

The Craft and Art of Scenic Design

by Robert Klingelhoefer
Released November 2016
Publisher(s): Routledge
ISBN: 9781317384373

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Book description

The Craft and Art of Scenic Design: Strategies, Concepts, and Resources explores how to design stage scenery from a practical and conceptual perspective.

Discussion of conceptualizing the design through script analysis and research is followed by a comprehensive overview of execution: collaboration with directors and other designers, working with spaces, developing an effective design process, and the aesthetics of stage design. This book features case studies, key words, tip boxes, definitions, and chapter exercises. Additionally, it provides advice on portfolio and career development, contracts, and working with a union.

This book was written for university-level Scenic Design courses.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. CONTENTS
  5. Acknowledgments
  6. INTRODUCTION
  7. CHAPTER 1 THE NATURE OF THE CRAFT
    1. ASSESSING DESIGN
    2. PRODUCTION: OKLAHOMA!
    3. A LANGUAGE OF CLUES
    4. SUMMARY
  8. CHAPTER 2 SCENIC DESIGN IN THE PAST AND TODAY
    1. A (VERY) BRIEF HISTORY OF STAGE DESIGN
      1. The Greek and Roman Theatre
      2. The Elizabethan Stage
      3. Asian Theatre
      4. The Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries
      5. The Nineteenth Century
      6. Modern Stage Design
      7. A Closer Look: An Example of Modern Stage Design
    2. THREE STRONG INFLUENCES ON DESIGN TODAY
      1. Constructivism
      2. Brecht and His Designers
      3. Action Design
    3. CONTEMPORARY PRACTICE: POSTMODERN STAGE DESIGN
      1. Characteristics of Postmodern Design
      2. A Closer Look: A Postmodern Example
      3. Postmodernism Wrap-Up
    4. DESIRE UNDER THE ELMS: EXAMPLES OF CHANGE
    5. RESOURCES: SOME CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN DESIGNERS AND HOW TO FIND OUT MORE
    6. A FINAL NOTE
    7. READING LIST
    8. SUMMARY
    9. A NOTE ON THE PROJECTS
    10. PROJECT: RESEARCH A DESIGNER
    11. PROJECT: SKETCH AND PLAN
  9. CHAPTER 3 WORKING WITH DIRECTORS
    1. COLLABORATION
    2. STRATEGIES: TALKING ABOUT THE PLAY
    3. COLLABORATING THROUGH IMAGES
    4. STRATEGIES: AS MEETINGS PROGRESS
      1. What to Show the Director and When
      2. The Groundplan
    5. THINKING LIKE A DIRECTOR
      1. Designing Moments
      2. Blocking
      3. Stage Pictures
      4. Production Case Studies
    6. PRODUCTION: HAMLET
    7. PRODUCTION: CHARLOTTE’S WEB
    8. SOME FINAL THOUGHTS ON COLLABORATION
      1. Trust
      2. Openness and Change
      3. When Things Don’t Go Your Way
    9. SUMMARY
    10. PROJECT: THE PROJECT PLAY
    11. PROJECT: STAGE PICTURES
  10. CHAPTER 4 WORKING WITH TEXT
    1. GENRE AND STYLE
    2. THE TWO TYPES OF TEXT
      1. Primary Text
      2. Secondary Text
    3. READING THE PLAY
      1. First Read
      2. Consider Not Reading the Set Description
      3. Read Like a Director
      4. French Scenes
    4. THE BREAKDOWN
    5. REVIEWING THE FACTS
      1. Who and What = Character and Action
      2. When and Where = Time and Place
      3. How and Why = Plot, Theme, and Mood
    6. WORKING WITH WORDS
      1. The Style of the Playwright’s Language
      2. Words as Images
      3. Music as Text
    7. PRODUCTION: THE GLASS MENAGERIE
    8. READING LIST
    9. SUMMARY
    10. PROJECT: TEXT
  11. CHAPTER 5 RESEARCH, PERIOD, AND VISUAL HISTORY
    1. RESEARCH AND HISTORY
    2. MAKING THE PAST REAL
      1. Pre-photographic Research
      2. Photographic Research
      3. Economic Style
    3. ACQUISITIVE RESEARCH
      1. Making the Past Fresh
    4. PERIOD
      1. Anachronisms
      2. Period Costumes
    5. WHAT TO RESEARCH
      1. Play and Playwright
      2. Other Productions
      3. Nonspecific Research
      4. How Much Research Is Enough?
      5. The Right Stuff
    6. A RESEARCH AGENDA
      1. Production Bible and Dropbox
    7. COMBINING KEY IMAGES
    8. PRODUCTION: SUMMER AND SMOKE
    9. MAKING CONNECTIONS
    10. PRODUCTION: THE GRAPES OF WRATH
    11. CREATING A RESEARCH FILE
    12. READING LIST
    13. SUMMARY
    14. PROJECT: RESEARCHING THE PROJECT PLAY
  12. CHAPTER 6 THE DESIGNABLE IDEA
    1. CHOICES
    2. LOOKING FOR ADJECTIVES
    3. THE WRITTEN STATEMENT
    4. OBJECTS HAVE MEANING
      1. Study the Characters and Themes in the Play
      2. Research the Locations and Things in the Play
    5. PRODUCTION: CAROUSEL
    6. PRODUCTION: AND THE SOUL SHALL DANCE
    7. PRODUCTION: A CHRISTMAS CAROL
    8. SUMMARY
    9. PROJECT: THE DESIGNABLE IDEA
  13. CHAPTER 7 SPACE
    1. CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING SPACE
      1. Emotional Space
      2. Movement in Space
      3. Defining Space
      4. Flow
      5. Angles or Parallel/Perpendicular?
    2. ARRANGING OBJECTS IN STAGE SPACE
      1. Planning Space by Architectural Logic
      2. Planning Space from the Performer’s Perspective
      3. Loosening Up
    3. FINITE SPACE
      1. The Given Space
      2. Too Large
      3. Too Small
    4. PRODUCTION: MOTHER COURAGE
    5. TYPES OF THEATRICAL SPACES
      1. The Proscenium Stage
      2. The Thrust Stage
      3. The Arena Stage
      4. Other Stage Types
    6. SIGHTLINES AND MASKING
      1. Setting Trims
    7. WORKING IN SPACE
      1. First Steps on a Single Set Production
      2. First Steps on a Multiple Set Production
    8. SUMMARY
    9. PROJECT: MODEL PLAY
    10. PROJECT: SPACE FOR THE PROJECT PLAY
  14. CHAPTER 8 DESIGN AND REDESIGN
    1. THE DESIGN PROCESS
      1. First Phase of the Design Process
    2. DESIGN STRATEGIES
      1. Elegance and Economy
      2. Selection, Abstraction, and Transformation
    3. COLOR
      1. Sharing Color
    4. THE REDESIGN PROCESS
      1. Assessing Your Work
      2. Development
      3. Refinement
    5. PRODUCTION: INTO THE WOODS
    6. SUMMARY
    7. PROJECT: PROJECT PLAY COMPLETE
  15. CHAPTER 9 THE ART(WORK) OF COMMUNICATION
    1. SKETCHES
      1. Cross-Hatching
      2. Pencil Technique
      3. Combining Media
      4. Storyboards
      5. Resources: Materials for Drawing and Sketching
    2. RENDERINGS
      1. Traditional Rendering Techniques
      2. Rendering Darkness
      3. Digital Rendering Techniques
      4. SketchUp
      5. Photoshop
      6. Resources: Materials for Renderings
    3. MODELS
      1. White Models
      2. Full-Color Models
      3. Resources: Materials and Tools for Model Building
    4. DRAFTING
      1. The Groundplan
      2. The Section
      3. Elevations
    5. SUMMARY
  16. CHAPTER 10 CONSIDERATIONS FOR SINGLE SET PRODUCTIONS
    1. ELEMENTS OF A SINGLE SET INTERIOR
      1. Ceilings
      2. Floors
      3. Raked Decks
      4. Doors
      5. Windows
      6. Molding
      7. Walls
      8. Stairs and Platforms
    2. PRODUCTION: THE ECLECTIC SOCIETY
    3. PRODUCTION: 1001
    4. UNIT SETS
      1. Neutrality
      2. Commonality
    5. SUMMARY
  17. CHAPTER 11 CONSIDERATIONS FOR PRODUCTIONS WITH MOVING SCENERY
    1. DESIGNING MOVING SCENERY
      1. Finding the Structure of the Show/Determining the Type of Movement
      2. Cinematic Movement
    2. SOME COMMON APPROACHES AND SCENIC ELEMENTS USED IN MULTIPLE SET PRODUCTIONS
      1. Systems
      2. Portals
      3. In-Ones
      4. Drops
      5. Scrims
      6. Show Decks
      7. Wagons and Palettes
      8. Revolves, Slipstages, Treadmills, and Jackknives
      9. Automation
    3. CASE STUDIES OF MOVING SCENERY
    4. PRODUCTION: FARRAGUT NORTH
    5. PRODUCTION: GOOD PEOPLE
    6. PRODUCTION: LES MIS’RABLES
    7. PRODUCTION: RAGTIME
    8. SUMMARY
  18. CHAPTER 12 ON TO THE STAGE
    1. THE FINAL PACKAGE
      1. The Shift Plot
      2. The Lineset Schedule
      3. The Elements List
    2. COST-OUT
    3. APPROVAL MEETING
    4. THE SHOP
    5. SCENIC ART
    6. PROPS
    7. LOAD-IN
    8. TECH
    9. DRESS REHEARSALS AND OPENING NIGHT
    10. SUMMARY
  19. CHAPTER 13 REALITIES OF THE PROFESSION
    1. TRAINING FOR THE PROFESSION
    2. WEBSITES AND PORTFOLIOS
      1. Portfolio and Web Design
      2. Navigation
      3. Order of Projects
      4. Upkeep
    3. GRAD SCHOOL
    4. ASSISTING VERSUS DESIGNING
    5. ACADEMIA, TV, AND FILM
    6. GETTING JOBS
    7. USA829
      1. Why Join
      2. When to Join
      3. How to Join
    8. NEW YORK, NEW YORK
    9. BUSINESS RESPONSIBILITY
      1. Good Contracts Make Good Business Partners
    10. A FINAL THOUGHT
  20. Index

Product information

  • Title: The Craft and Art of Scenic Design
  • Author(s): Robert Klingelhoefer
  • Release date: November 2016
  • Publisher(s): Routledge
  • ISBN: 9781317384373