Tips on set designs for my first real short.

H

harmonica44

I got a cast, a DP, a make up artist, and not a sound guy who is going to be on set up, but he is teaching me a lot for shooting which is coming up.

So the locations are two houses, a living room, and a bed room. And also a prosecutors office, but we'll be using an architects office substitute most likely. Now since I suck at production design, what are some good things to have in those rooms, as far as props, the look, etc. It's a serious thriller type short, and the DP is shooting it with a very Paul Greengrass thriller style look to it, if that helps. Also, what should definitely not be shown in the rooms, for the best production design? Thanks.
 
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The houses depends on who lives there (in the film). Figure out who your characters are as people and dress their spaces accordingly. For the prosecutor's office, a brass banker's lamp, a large leather chair (preferably oxblood) and lots of law books/legal journals.
 
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Thanks. Oooo not sure where I would get those books, outside from the library, but they won't have near that many available, at least not all at one time.

The houses are just normal people, well seemingly normal, but with perhaps hidden agendas. But normal on the surface mostly.
 
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The books can be had from flea markets and thrift stores. If you can't find enough law books, consider going to an attorney's office and asking if you can photograph his bookcases. You can then print out the photographs at 1:1 (on matte), laminate them onto a rigid backer such as foamcore, melamine or luan. Size the stand-ups that you created to fit into the book shelves that you have available.

Make sure to place photographs of the characters in their spaces. You can get your actors to provide photographs from their lives and photoshop characters together where needed.
 
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I just want to wish you the best with this short, h44. Work hard, but remember to have a little fun at the same time. Remember, every frame of this short is a question you asked. ;)

Do yourself a favor with this short and keep everything as simple as possible and you'll be able to identify mistakes (and you will) without the haze of a calculus problem. Go get em' and be kind to yourself!

Break a leg.
 
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Thanks CamVader!

In The Dark Knight, Harvey Dent, had a poor and somewhat messy looking office. It was big, but the chairs and desk were not that nice I noticed. So instead photographing the books, printing them out, and laminating them, wouldn't it look more convincing, if I took a photo of the book case, and photo shopped it into the footage of the scene in post, rather than have fake laminated books in the background?
 
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Sure I will get books, I was just thinking of photo shop, just in case. I keep on thinking of several back ups, in case something goes wrong. I even will have to shoot myself and not be behind the camera a lot of the time, if the new DP drops out! Hope that won't happen this time lol. But thanks. So before on when I posted that scene I shot on here, I was told it was a bad idea, to have cords in the background of the walls of the house. Anything else I should avoid or what not, or anything other tips at all? Thanks.
 
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production design, thats what your talking about, is an art. Spend time and thought on it.

Two bits of advice.
Don't use the overhead lights in the houses or office. Use LOTS of table lamps, with dimmers or low wattage bulbs. Should be one in just about every shot.

Have some one CHECK every shot before you say action, looking not at the "movie", just looking for junk, cables, scripts lying about, empty soda cans.. etc..
 
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harmonica44 said:
Thanks CamVader!

In The Dark Knight, Harvey Dent, had a poor and somewhat messy looking office. It was big, but the chairs and desk were not that nice I noticed. So instead photographing the books, printing them out, and laminating them, wouldn't it look more convincing, if I took a photo of the book case, and photo shopped it into the footage of the scene in post, rather than have fake laminated books in the background?
Click to expand...

What happened to keeping it simple?
 
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I'm a real stickler for production design. I love it and I think it's importance is always underplayed.

So you've got a character who's a lawyer and there's a scene that's set in his office. Yadda yadda yadda. What do we need to see there? We need an office that is professional and accurate to that of someone working in the law. But that's the end of the line in terms of production design. Sure, big fat law books are nice but they're background material. Nothing looks worse than a lawyers office where a big almanac of crime is sitting on the desk, or a doctors office where there's a conveniently placed stethoscope or a garage office where there's a spanner and an oily rag. You get the idea. Fill the set with appropriate stuff but that's not the focus.

What's the character? What are his traits? Does he smoke? Does he drink coffee? Does he have a greasy burger wrapper on his desk? Is his waste paper basket full or empty? Does he have a photo of his family? Does he have a painting of a ship on the wall? Does he have a stress ball? Is he in therapy?

If you describe the characters in detail then I can certainly throw suggestions out there for intelligent, creative production design. I appreciate that not everyone enjoys prod design but it's a wonderful tool for adding depth and professionalism to your short.
 
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NickClapper said:
I'm a real stickler for production design. I love it and I think it's importance is always underplayed.

So you've got a character who's a lawyer and there's a scene that's set in his office. Yadda yadda yadda. What do we need to see there? We need an office that is professional and accurate to that of someone working in the law. But that's the end of the line in terms of production design. Sure, big fat law books are nice but they're background material. Nothing looks worse than a lawyers office where a big almanac of crime is sitting on the desk, or a doctors office where there's a conveniently placed stethoscope or a garage office where there's a spanner and an oily rag. You get the idea. Fill the set with appropriate stuff but that's not the focus.

What's the character? What are his traits? Does he smoke? Does he drink coffee? Does he have a greasy burger wrapper on his desk? Is his waste paper basket full or empty? Does he have a photo of his family? Does he have a painting of a ship on the wall? Does he have a stress ball? Is he in therapy?

If you describe the characters in detail then I can certainly throw suggestions out there for intelligent, creative production design. I appreciate that not everyone enjoys prod design but it's a wonderful tool for adding depth and professionalism to your short.
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Thanks. I don't really know what the character is like. Since it's only a 10 minute short, I haven't really developed the characters like you would in a feature, given more time. I will think about it though, but I should probably do this office scene first since the actor is available now. Perhaps I should have a picture or something in the background... Books on the shelves of law, and I'll see what I can get from the library. Perhaps a picture of his family too.
 
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harmonica44 said:
Since it's only a 10 minute short, I haven't really developed the characters like you would in a feature, given more time. I can think about it though.
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Actually, this is where you have to flesh out the characters with as many other visual clues - set/production design, wardrobe, hair/MU, etc. - as possible for just the reason you mentioned; you don't have the time for a lot of character exposition. You also use sound design to give information about the character. As an example, the swivel chair your attorney sits in is quiet on the set, but you make it old and squeaky in audio post. If it's a small town all the town offices are crowded into one building with lots of muted phones and conversation outside of the office, police cars, traffic and pedestrians outside. Planning your shots is terribly important - a long slow pan from the messy bookshelves piled with extraneous papers and files, the dirt window overlooking an alley where the custodian dumps trash into the dumpster, the desk piled with more files, empty coffee cups, stale cigar butts and a picture of the kids with the wife torn out if it; the dialog of him talking on the phone or to whomever is in the office plays over the long pan.
 
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Okay thanks, I will do something like that. No one seems to smoke in offices anymore though. I will probably have to use the chair that's already in the office, at least that was the plan. If it doesn't squeak I can add one in post if that sounds good.
 
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