SEMINAR DISSERTATION

SET DESIGN
Lights, Camera, Architecture !

SHERYL SHEKINAH 9919014020

CONTENTS: PREVIEW
-INTRODUCTION to set design
-Overview , Aim and Objective
-Methodology and tools for study
EVOLUTION
-Greek orgins : the first theatres
-the indian context
21ST CENTURY SET DESIGN : ART DIRECTION
THE PROCESS : stages in set design
THE THEATRE
SETTING THE STAGE :Scenic design of theatre sets
casestudy I
Importance of designing for POP CULTURE
casestudy II
Literature / Casestudies resources
 INTRODUCTION TO SET DESIGN
SCENIC DESIGN is the art, craft and practice of designing and ART DIRECTION
implementing III DIMENSIONAL ENVIRONMENTS for theatre
sets, film sets, music shows, concerts, fashion runways, video- Art direction is the management of an
television productions and themed events. artistic project, acting as an
intermediary presence between a
design team and a client, and driving
CREATES AN IMMERSIVE ENVIRONMENT. internal artistic decisions while
A seamless connection between

the performers and the implementing external feedback.

environemnt by creating the backround

context to which the
viewers can relate. viewers can relate.
SCENOGRAPHY

Set design has become a versatile field today and is the backbone of The term “Scenography” includes all of
movie sets, fashion shows, and many other exhibitions.It is a the elements that contribute to
establishing an atmosphere and mood
directional art field combining art, architecture, interior design, and
for a theatrical presentation: lighting,
psychology.
sound, set and costume design.
 OVERVIEW
AIM OBJECTIVES
Investigate the components used in the Understanding the design of visual aspects
through illusions, lights, depth and modern
creation of set design.
technology
Establishing a common ground where THEATRICAL set design Defining the purpose
architecture and set design crossover. of Art direction in POP CULTURE.

SCOPE PURPOSE
The scope of this study is to understand scenic
design with a director’s attitude and point of Importance of designing for pop
vision towards story line. culture
To be able to design a theatrical set at the end Scenic design in theatrics
of research with the gained knowledge.

 METHODOLOGY AND TOOLS FOR STUDY

ANALYZING THE THEATRE SETS OF PLAYS OR PERFORMANCES

EXTENSIVE STUDY ON EVOLUTION OF THEATRES AND SETS
CRITICALLY REVIEWING THE CONTEXT OF A PERFORMANCE
HOW THEME INSPIRES SET DESIGN IN A PERFORMANCE :
Architecture and art direction in POP CULTURE
ATTENDEING BENEFICIAL WORKSHOP ON SET DESIGN IN SRM SAID, CHENNAI
HOLDING INTERVIEWS WITH DESIGNERS IN THE INDUSTRY
STUDYING INDIAN SET DESIGNERS EXAMPLE:
SATYAJIT RAY, SABU CYRIL, THOTA THARRANI
 EVOLUTION
OF SET DESIGN
 THEATRE ... AS OLD AS MANKIND?
the greek origins
All modern theatre design can be traced back to the
DRAMA as a performance art has been around as long as
people have been living on earth…regardless of whether theatrical traditions established by the Greeks of the
people were following a script and acting on a stage. Mediterranean starting in the 6th century BCE. Records exist
There is anecdotal evidence that drama - 'people concerning independent traditions in the Middle East, Africa,
performing in front of an audience ' began in Egypt as and the Americas before the arrival of Europeans, but
early as 3000 BC, however, there are no written records of without much concrete evidences.
the actual “plays”. The Theatre didn’t really form until the In early years,whenever theatre was introduced into a
artists started witing them in scripts to be documented. culture, spaces that already existed for the gathering of
people were called into service for its display.
Any ideas for theatre design that emerged with the
It was the Greeks who initiaed the introduction of theatre into a culture blended with the
process of script writing into drama, design of these preexisting spaces.

around 800 years before Christ, GATHERING SPACES PERFORMANCE SPACE (THEATRE )
and so, The Theatre began!
 the greek origins The Greeks primarily used MUSIC and DANCE to re-enact a story or
myth to an audience. Since the content of rituals was very important,
in order to avoid mistakes, priests usually assumed responsibilities of
THEATRE AS ART…ON A STAGE the re-enactment. Masks and costumes were used to impersonate

men, animals, and supernatural beings. The performer (priest) mimed

As time progressed, Greek society evolved, and they recognized the
value of theatre as art. Moreover, the stories and myths were
the desired effect to show success in a battle or hunt, the coming of
performed in an area which showed division between an “acting area” rain, and so on.
and an audience (the tribe). As the “theatrical experience” developed, As Drama evolved, so to did the role of the priest (main/lone actor),
Greeks not only recorded and organized their stories and myths, they which grew to include additional “actors”, which they called a chorus.
also created theatre for the sake of entertainment. The chorus provided colour, movement, and powerful visual and
The early theatrical experience was predominantly a single actor auditory appeals.
experience (a person of significant power, usually a religious leader).
However, as time passed, The Greek Acting Experience evolved.
The year 534 BC marked the first recorded drama.
The drama was written by Thespis (hence,
performers are often called Thespians). According to
Aristotle, Thespis was the first actor to perform a
character on stage (aside from himself), while
singing dithyrambs, and using masks to represent
different characters and animals. Thespis is known
as the inventor of the Western Actor.


the greek stage : THEATRE OF DIONYSUS

Most plays of the time occurred in front of a temple

or palace, or in a generic location out of doors
(in front of a cave or in a wooded landscape),
therefore, the “theatres” were simple in design and
look much the same then as they do today. The ruins
of one of the most famous theatres, the Theatre of
Dionysus, is located in Athens. The Theatre of
Dionysus was semicircular with a diameter of 65 feet,
and consisted of a stage house (skena), and an altar
on a stage.
 Costumes
A long sleeved, ankle-length heavily embroidered tunic called a chiton (key-ton) was
worn by all principal characters in a tragedy. A sleeved, embroidered tunic was
used to represent supernatural and non-Greek characters, and mourning dress,
ragged clothes, and distinctions between foreigners were worn as the role
determined.
 THE FIRST THEATRES :
The oldest existing spaces to be classified as “theatrical areas” are in four Minoan palaces on the island of Crete.
The oldest of these, at Phaestus, dates to as early as 2000 BCE, while the one at Amnisus may have been built as
late as 700 BCE. These are L-shaped, open-air spaces built of stone with a rectangular stage. The house is a set of
wide, low steps terminating in a blank wall on one side of the stage. A grand staircase (which leads into the palace)
provides additional audience space on an adjoining side. The wide steps seem best suited for the kind of stools
that are illustrated in a number of Minoan murals, while the grand staircase could easily accommodate dozens and
dozens of audience members either sitting or standing. The maximum audience capacity has been estimated to be
500. Nothing is known about what was witnessed in such spaces, however, so identification of them as theatres is
speculative. These spaces do share some similarities with the earliest-known theatres on mainland Greece, but
there is no evidence that the Greeks knew anything about them.
 Note-worthy people who contributed to set

17th century design from this century are Vincenzo Scamozzi,

Giovanni Battista, Nicolo Sabbattini, and
Ferdinando Galli Bibiena. Scamozzi for his solid
drop background and one-point perspective by

Initially, people used scenic painted pictures as backdrops hung on the rear wall of
enlarging the central arch; Battista for his flats,
the stage and were of lesser importance, and at times, they were announced by word the painted canvas stretched over wooden
of mouth at the start of different scenes. The 17th century was the Italian renaissance frames; Sabbattini for his lighting techniques and
period, which is said to have brought life to set design. Perspective painting Bibiena for his multiple perspectives.
originated in the era to give some sort of depth in the paintings and different
San Cassiano’s 1636 production of Andromeda featured
elevations. bright seascapes, verdant woods, starry skies, and gods
As opera gained in popularity across the Italian peninsula the idea that sets should riding across the clouds in peacock-drawn chariots, each
contribute to the ‘unity of place’ began to be superseded by a focus on the visual set replacing the next as the story required.

appeal of sets, and the surprise and wonder that they could induce in audiences. This
demand for special effects and the fascination with aesthetics, such as ‘endless’ one-
point perspectives, shaped the vision of nature presented on stage. Technical
innovations meant that set designers and opera impresarios delighted in creating ef
fects that mimicked nature, an approach that fed, and was fed by, contemporary
interest in the human capacity to control and manipulate nature.

Act 3 of Andromeda featured terrifying craggy cliffs, a

far-off island, and a sea monster
 LEGACY OF GIACOMO TORELLI
How a 17th-Century Naval Engineer Revolutionized Set Design
Venice was where opera went from a royalty-only pursuit to
one that at least certain members of the public could enjoy,
Where Torelli spent most of his evenings.
‘scenic contraptions.’ A single piece of scenic machinery
moving alongside the actors and by them creates all
spaces of the performance.
A set from Jealous Venus, staged at the Teatro Novissimo,
featuring a dizzying array of topiaries TORELLI'S COTRAPTION
Starting the Teatro Novissimo- Torelli set about making a machine that would
condense the motions required for operating set change. Torelli’s innovative
contraption, the heart of what is sometimes called his “pole-and-chariot method,”
sat beneath the stage, and was made up of a giant rotating drum attached via
ropes to a number of trolleys.
The first production Torelli worked on—La finta pazza, or The Pretended
Madwoman, a tragic Greek romance by Francesco Sacrati—opened just a year
after he arrived in Venice. By that time, he’d outfitted the brand new Teatro
Novissimo with his sorcerous contraption. The show provided plenty of draws:
heroes, gods, feigned insanity. But when the curtain dropped and people left the
theater, they were talking about the sets. Under Torelli’s tutelage, “clouds for gods
transformed seamlessly into royal courtyards or woodland glades,” all in front of
A scene from Act 5 of Andromeda, displaying Torelli’s an enraptured audience
unique use of perspective.
 18th century 19th century
This is the time when set designers started thinking about It was when the 2D backdrops of scenes started becoming
aspects like how the backgrounds speak of the purpose it was 3D’s. This period is known for its romanticism. The stages
created and how they can act as a tool to unify everything were made of wood. Elevators, slots, and traps made the play
and blend with the scene. The thought on the importance of more interesting. This not only benefited the audience but
light and shadow struck designers from this era. This is a the actors, as well as they, were able to interact with the set
period when classicism was revived. It is only in this period thus performing better. The gift of electricity gave better
when the curtain was lowered to change scenes. Chandeliers control of lights which was a great challenge imposed in the
previous period. Apart from 3D sets, historical accuracy and
became fashionable.
realistic sets were the trends.

20th century
The Bauhaus movement inspired the century. It is when set design started making its way of
being considered an essential role in making any film or drama. This was a pioneering
period to today’s set design and a period of innovation. Though there was electric power, it
was scarce; thus, non-electrical lighting was in use.
 SET DESIGN - THE INDIAN CONTEXT

THE LIGHT AND SOUND SHOW AT THIRUMALAI NAYAKAKR

THERUKUTHU , A SOUTH INDIAN DANCE - PERFORMANCE
PALACE, MADURAI

The Theruk-k-kuthu plays are a combination of song, music, dance

and drama like any other Theatre tradition of India. The actors wear
colorful costumes and wooden exaggerated ornaments (bujai kattai).
We can define Theru-k-kuthu as a form of theatrical entertainment,
a ritual, and a medium of social institution
THOTA THARRANI'S ART DIRECTION FOR PONNIYIN SELVAN
 ART DIRECTION of the 21st century
STORYTELLING NARRATIVE
Narrative’ is a multifarious term. Its essential Art direction is the management of creative
requires a premise revolving around processes that produce visual outputs such
one or more central elements, a meaning can change according to the situation it is as publications, media, environments,
problem and a solution to the problem put into. Let us take the example of architecture. It communications and symbols. For example,
is a multi-faceted field. It can hold various subsets magazine covers, movie sets, video games,
while a ‘Narrative’ requires a context, an advertising and visual branding may all
and mean differently when put into different
emotion that is associated with it and a require the work of an art director.
scenarios like research, construction, design,
revelation that follows through the management, innovation, journalism, advertising,
emotion. and many others. Similarly, ‘Narrative’ poses with a
different tint in each of these subsets.

Architecture and Set Design - Asymbiotic relationship

In the past, people who did set design were either architects or artists—but this is a century where
dedicated courses are available to master the art and engineering of set design. Set design is a fascinating
profession. It attracts architects as the set design has fewer limitations when compared to architecture.
Architecture involves both art and engineering one has to master both to be successful, so does set design.

Set design involves diverse work as it plays around with fashion, trend, research, capturing the essence,
knowing history, replicating or recreating spaces and objects from the past when needed, sketching,
graphical illustration, and involves product designing. Set designers work with every medium possible.
 SET DESIGN - POP CULTURE
IMPORTANT TO MAKE CONSCIOUS
WHAT ATTRACTS THE AUDIENCE ? DESIGN CHOICES, WITHOUT TRIGERRING
This is important in order to connect with your ANY SOCIETY OR ENVIRONMENT.
audience. If you know which pop culture your audience
leans towards, you can make references to it implicitly
or explicitly in what you create. It can easily be argued
that pop culture and design have a symbiotic “A LOT OF ARTISTS PERPETRATE CANCEL
relationship and that one influences the other. CULTURE BUT, AT THE END OF THE DAY,
WE’RE THE ONES THAT SUFFER FROM
THAT. I’M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO
CANCEL CULTURE : HAS THOUGHT FOR YEARS [ABOUT]
Cancel culture, also known as “call-out culture”, is a phrase used to refer
to a form of ostracism in which someone is pushed out of social or WHERE DO I SEPARATE THE ARTIST FROM
professional circles, usually online on social media, because the person THEIR IDEAS, THEIR ASSOCIATIONS,
has done or said something offensive or publically regarded as wrong. ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE NEGATIVE OR

HARMFUL TO OTHER PEOPLE.”

SIGNIFICANCE OF ART DIRECTION IN K-POP, MUSIC VIDEOS, CONCERT PERFORMANCE STAGES, ALBUM – MAGAZINE COVERS, ETC

"MOON " SET BY SOUTH KOREAN VISUAL ARTIST OH

YESUL MAGAZINE COVER SET DIRECTION FOR
HARRY STYLES
 SIGNIFICANCE OF SET DESIGN IN THEATRE
The art of theatre is transitionary, dramatic,
and intimate, connecting the lives, thoughts
and feelings of the people.
It transcends these emotions from the
performers to the audience.

Scenic design supports to translate the

dramatics of the theatre in every typology of performance in
different levels.

Set design is involved in every process of the

theatrical performance. From creating a small,
short -lived prop for the set to designing the
arrangement of visual elements required for
the play.

“THEATRE IS AN ACT OF TRANSFORMATION,

AND FOR DESIGNERS IT IS THE
TRANSFORMATION OF WORDS INTO VISUAL AND
MUSICAL IMAGERY”