Theatre Production: Set Design

Learn what it takes to create professional theatrical productions, bringing the story to life through set design.

This four-week course explores the role of the scenic designer in storytelling, emphasizing the development of design concepts, period styles, drafting techniques, and model building. You'll gain hands-on experience with industry-standard software like SketchUp, while also developing your skills in script analysis, research, and visual presentation.

Scenic designers have tremendous influence on the emotional tone of performances. You'll learn about modern scenic designers, including their work and methodologies, and the collaborative nature of the scenic design process. You'll engage in script analysis to determine how character motivations and themes influence scenic choices. You'll also learn essential theatrical terminology and workflow processes, used in professional settings. 

The course emphasizes the importance of research to inform design choices, while also teaching you how to create inspiration boards that synthesize your findings into cohesive visual presentations. You'll then learn how to derive concepts from your research and experiences. 

All throughout the course, you'll gain experience with SketchUp, enabling you to begin to create theatrical set designs that reflect your unique visions. By the end of the course, you'll have a comprehensive understanding of scenic design principles and the foundational technical skills to express your creative ideas effectively.

What you will learn:

✔ Identify the roles and responsibilities of a professional scenic designer
✔ Use script analysis and research techniques to create informed set design concepts
✔ Create cohesive inspiration boards that articulate your design choices for a specific production
✔ Use SketchUp software to create basic 3D models of theatrical sets