Set Designer

The Set Designer takes the Directors vision for the production and
communicates this through visual means to promote a consistent,
accurate understanding of the set to other people involved with the
production (e.g. the production team, committee, tech team). This
supports later steps in the production process, enhancing predictability
and reducing the number of surprises when we get in the theatre!

Responsibilities
The following responsibilities are the main areas in which a Set Designer
can work. All of this work will be supported by the Director and Technical
Director. It is important that the Set Designer understands that the overall
vision of the production is determined by the Director, so although this is
a collaborative effort, they are ultimately committing to deliver what the
Director requests.

Gain a strong understanding of the Directors concept and vision

for the production, the script and technical specifications and
constraints from the Technical Director
Gather reference material to support and influence the set design
Create renderings, or other visual representations, of the set to
express the Directors vision and overall feel of the production
Create storyboards/stage plans/perspective
drawings/elevations of the set to demonstrate how the set is
used with the performers, theatre and other practical constraints.
Create sketches, illustrations and drawings to communicate the
set design to the technical workers, such as set builders and
painters.
Create and photograph a scale model of the set
NOTE: This role involves translating the production teams
vision from a concept into practical designs that can then be
constructed to go on stage, NOT DESIGNING HOW THE SET
WILL LOOK. Knowledge of tech requirements for creating set
is important.

Key Skills
There is scope to develop some aspects of the Set Designers
responsibilities as the role grows, but the following key skills are what is
essential:

Competent at drawing
Good at communicating and collaborating with people
Able to take both creative and pragmatic approaches to design
Willing to learn and improvise as the role develops