How to Make a Movie Set

Go location scouting. Grab a nice camera and hit the road. Try and get 2-3 set options for each scene you have to design. Take shots of every single angle of the room, using as much lighting as you possibly can, so that the director knows exactly what the space looks like. On the way take pictures of furniture, decorations, or props that you think are a good fit in the set. Other things to jot down include:

• The dimensions of the space. Whenever possible, make accurate measurements with a tape measure-- there is a lot of film equipment you'll need to fit in the set.
• Any fees or stipulations for the set. For example, you might be able to shoot in a public school classroom during the summer, but it will be nearly impossible to film in fall when all the students are back.
• What are the power capabilities of the set? You need to plug a lot of things in to make a movie.
• Hows the ambient sound? Will people be walking through the set, and is that okay for the script?

Discuss what parts of the room you want to use. In most cases you will need to design 2-3 walls, such as the ones behind two chatting characters. However, if the director wants to use the entire room for filming then you need to be sure that the entire set looks like it could be in a movie.

• Where are the characters moving through the set? This is called blocking, and you should push the director to make a decision now so that you aren't redesigning the set on the fly when shooting starts.

Think of the room's "lines" when designing. Lines create the illusion of movement for the audience, which makes a set design dramatic and engaging. Line is everywhere -- the tops of couches, the floorboards, the horizon-- so don't interpret this as pinstripes. Remember that a set is a 3D space, but the audience perceives it as a 2D space, like a photograph. Thinking of your set like you were composing a photograph will always lead to more interesting designs.^[5]

• How can you get the illusion of depth in your set? What lines of perspective, furniture, and decorations will lead the eye to the most important prop/character in the scene?

Build, design, or buy essential crafts and props. There are hundreds of DIY solutions to set design, but these take time. You need to use your budget to balance the speed of buying everything with the creative control of building the whole set. Your design needs will change from set to set, but there are some key principles to keep in mind:

• How essential is a prop to a shot? If it is just a piece of background material you can often get away with a cheap, quick prop, as it will likely be blurred out anyway.
• Posters may help decorate a room, but they can also look cheap. Buying several inexpensive poster frames, however, can give the room a much more high-class feel.
• Make or buy one large centerpiece if you are on a budget. What is the focal point of the scene, and how can you make that as great a prop as possible? 90% of viewers will be focusing on that object the entire time, such as the couch two characters are sitting on.^[6]

Remember that less is more. Unless the point of the scene is that things are cluttered and chaotic, less is more in the scene. You don't want the audience focusing on your set, you want them focusing on the actors and action. A great set is unobtrusive -- it feels natural and realistic, less like a set and more like a room you could visit in real life.

• While you can think of many extravagant, complex sets (The Royal Tenenbaums, The Great Gatsby, Blade Runner, etc.) these are not exceptions to the rule. Rather, the sets in these movies are made to fit a lush, extravagant, or chaotic script. Thus, they appear natural in the world of the movie.

Remove or cover up any brand images. It actually costs money to show that "Kitchen-Aid" logo on the mixer in the corner. While it is unlikely that you'll get sued for anything, there is no need to take the risk. Whatever brand logos you can remove, cover up, or hide need to be covered up.^[7]

• This is done because a brand may not like how you use it in a movie. No toilet paper company, for example, want to see their product used by a serial killer to wipe up blood.

Light the set with the cinematographer. After lighting, there is a good chance you'll need to redesign the set a bit to eliminate awkward shadows or fit in lighting stands. This is also a chance to put in any "practicals," which are lights that appear as part of the final movie, like lamps or ceiling lights.

• The cinematographer is also in charge of camera placement, meaning this is the time to work out crew placement and check how your scene looks at specific camera angles.

Build "flats" to make fake walls for any movie set. Flats are ubiquitous in set design, as they are the foundation of any hand-made set. Flats are always 4x8 feet large, and are quickly and easily decorated to look like a home or room. Though it takes some carpentry and tools, flats are actually pretty easy to build. To make one 4x8 foot flat, you will need:

• 1 4x8' sheet of Masonite.
• 5 pieces of 1"x3"x8' wood for the frame.
• 1 4x8' sheet of plywood for the jack, or base.
• Wood glue and a box of 1.5" nails.^[8]

Lay your Masonite on the ground to measure out the frame. Put the piece of wood on the ground so that you can accurately measure out the size of your frame on its back. The frame will surround the edges of the Masonite, like a picture frame.

Place 2 of your 3x8 wood pieces along the long side of the wood. The 8-foot long wood should fit perfectly along the long sides of the Masonite. Make sure they are flush with the edges and that the thin side (1" thick) is the one touching the Masonite.

Measure the distance between the two long pieces of wood. The smaller end needs to go inside the longer pieces, so you'll have to cut one plank of wood roughly in half to make the frame. If you used 1-inch thick wood, the two shorter sides should be cut to 46-inches long, since the wood is 4 feet (1.2 m) wide, minus an inch for the width of the long planks on the edges. Still, you should make this measurement before cutting to double check.

Lay your two cut planks along the top and bottom edge of the Masonite. The entire outside edge of the wood sheet should be framed by your wooden planks, with the two shorter sides tucked inside the longer 8-foot planks.

• Cut a third piece to this exact length as well and fit it into the middle. The whole frame It will resemble a classic two-part window frame when you are done.

Hammer your frame together using 1.5" nails. Simply put a nail into every joint. You will be doing more work later to hold it together, so these 6 nails (2 for each horizontal slat) should be fine to start.

Apply wood glue to the entire frame and press the Masonite onto it. You don't need too much, as you'll be using nails as well. Have a friend help make sure that the edges of the Masonite are flush with the frame.

Nail the entire Masonite Board into the frame. Start with the four corners, then put as many nails as possible into the board to attach it to the frame.

Attach your final 3x8' piece of wood into the back of the frame, on the center. Lay the piece down so that the wide side is flat in the center of the frame, then use a power drill to put pilot holes into the frame and wood piece. Use long wood screws to attach the wood to the frame. The result will be one long piece down the back of the frame, almost like a wooden pallet.

• Use two screws along each horizontal wooden part of the frame. This long piece in the center attaches your flat to the stand that will hold it up.

Cut your plywood in half diagonally. This is your stand. It will act like the stand on the back of a picture frame, holding your flat up so that it doesn't fall.

Cut a one-foot notch in the center of your plywood's hypotenuse. The hypotenuse is the longest side of the triangle. Cut a rounded notch into the center of this side, cutting down roughly a foot or so. This notch is where you can drape a sandbag or weight to hold the flat down.^[9]

Use a power drill to screw the plywood into the frame. Attach the plywood on either side of the wooden board running down the middle of the frame. Remember, your goal is to use the plywood like the back of picture frame, helping the flat stand on its own. Again, drill pilot holes into the plywood and frame, then use wood screws to adhere the two together. 6-8 evenly spaced screws should work fine.

• To make it easier to work, you can also use wood glue along the edge of the board before attaching the screws.