Props and Costumes

            If you went to see a show and all the actors were in their underwear, talking about invisible newspapers and eating invisible cereal you have ether bought tickets to a very progressive and artistic show to the point where the show is awful or you live in a dream land where props and costumes are not thought of. Costumes and props have a lot to add to a show. They can represent social and economic status as well as personality and the settings of the times. Just like almost every other aspect of a show they are essential.

            The Costume design process is very similar to the process used by set designers. After initial meetings about the productions the costume designer will draw up sketches of costume ideas for each person and time of the production and present them. The designer must take into consideration the character's background in order to get a sense of what they think they would wear. After this the designer will need to finalize colors fabrics and lengths of the costume. Ever actor will need to have their measurements takes multiple times through out the costuming process in order to insure that the costumes will continue to fit.

Sketches

            After this actual costume construction begins. Through this process the costumes will be changed and modified and altered many times almost as if the costume makers are sculpting the costume. This process can be the longest construction element of a production depending on how many actors and costumes are need.

           Props however is a very different area. Depending on the production, the theater and who is working on the show props can be bought, borrowed, rented or in some cases made. Many props that you will see on stage are the real thing unless they need to fulfill some special function. It is simply easiest to simply find the props you need are ready made. To determine what props are needed involves close work between the set designer, props man, director, and the script. Depending on the set design some props will work and others wont. Some point in the script call for a certain action and the director needs to decide if the prop is essential to the production and whether to add a prop or scrap one. Props by far can be the simplest of all the elements, however it can become the most complex. For instance in the show Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street the show class for a chair which can drop people through the floor. This requires a close collaboration between props and set design. It also complicates things props wise because there aren't chairs like that just laying around everywhere. This is a prime example of a prop which must be manufactured here things can go wrong. The chair soon becomes very mechanical and with that things can break and repairs must be made sometimes with in the 5 mins that the prop is of stage. Depending on the show props can be a very hard job.

Chair

Set Design and Construction

            The set of any show is an integral part of the production. Even if the chosen set is no set at all it is done for a reason. Set design can have many variations and styles and it truly is a skill that not everyone can do well. It is difficult to go into set design its self due to the numerous styles in which sets as well as other objects and places can be designed from Victorian to deconstruction styles of design are as numerous as decades it seems. However something that is consistent is the process in which sets are designed. In the beginning most productions begin with a meeting of the director the producers and the designers and they discuss how the production is to be brought to life as well as what style and direction the production wishes to go in. This gives the set designer a basis to go off of and they can begin to draft their ideas.

Drafting

 

            Set design is similar to architecture in that the same drafting techniques used to show ideas on paper for a new building are generally the same as that of a set design. Once ideas have been put on paper the designer can then start working on a model of the set. Models allow for a scaled down version of a set design as a visual aid when explaining a set design to others. After this highly detailed drawings of the set design can be made which include all measurements and handed off to the set crew for construction.

Set Model

            Set construction is different from the construction of a house. Unlike a house a set piece must be movable which involves putting stress on connection points. A set piece is also up for a very shot period of time however must still be safe and stable. All of these things must be taken into consideration when constructing the set. For example in a house nails are used to hold the house together, this works because the house is a non moving object however for a set piece nails do no provide a enough grip to hold the piece together. To fix this problem screws and nuts and bolts are use. Screws uses threading in order to hold pieces together with more grip. Nuts and Bolts somewhat dig into the wooden pieces and will not come apart unless loosened or broken.


Screw vs Nail


           Material wise there are three very common materials used in set construction: 2x4, plywood, luan. 2x4's are very common and are used to create the frame, the skeleton of the set piece. An interesting fact about 2x4s is that their actual measurements are 1 1/2 x 3 1/2. Plywood an luan on the other hand are used as the walls which cover up the skeleton of the set piece.

Luan

2x4

Plywood

             Plywood and Luan are similar in that plywood is very much like layered luan, because of this it is a very sturdy material which can take a lot of force with out breaking. These materials are used in order to take the designer's plans from paper to reality. This process can take anywhere from several months to a few weeks depending on how much work is done everyday. Set design and construction are very important because these set the the areas in which the story is to take place and there for they must be done right.

Lighting

           Lighting is an area of theater which is essential for the success of a production. Without good Lighting how is a production to be seen? That is why it is important to under stand the different components of lighting in order to use them properly to show off a production. The most basic place to start are types of lighting fixtures.

            There are five main types of lighting fixtures in lighting: ERS, Fresnel, Par Can, Cyc Light, and Smart light. The most popular ERS is the ETC Brand Source 4. This type of light has a circular beam and is focus able and shape able. This light is generally used to light areas where actors will be standing.


ERS

            The Fersnel also has a circular beam how ever the light from this fixture is softer than that of an ERS. This light is there for used manly to light areas of the stage to add color to the scenery and less to light actors on stage.

Fersnel

            The Par Can unlike the ERS and Fresnel gives off an Oval shaped beam however like the Fresnel it has soft beam good for area lighting. The Cyc light is a light which does not have a beam shape.

Par Can

            The ultimate back ground of an theater is typically called the Cyc. It is typically a large off white curtain that runs along the back. The Cyc lights are used to light up this large area and when set up with Red Blue and Green color Gels they can create any color. Color gels are sheets of color which can be added to lighting instruments. As for color Red Blue and Green are the primary colors of light and there for different combinations of the 3 can be used to create any color.

Cyc Light

            The last most common type of light used in theater is the smart light. Smart lights come in a wide variety of types and all have outstanding capabilities. Smart lights have the ability to change color, shape, focus, image, and direction all from remote programing. Smartlights are used a lot when there is a desire for large variances in lighting.


Studio Spot

            The way in which these lights are hung is very important. Lighting fixtures are hung on pipes in various places through out the theater. Some of these pipe positions are fixed however typically piping above the stage is apart of the fly system if the theater is equipped with one. The fly system is a system used to fly in objects from op out of view down into view. This can be used for scenery however it is also used to fly in the pipes to hang lights to ground level. An important factor in using the fly system is to follow these 2 general rules: keep the two ends in balance or keep the heavy side down. This is because fly systems are a counter weight system. If the two sides are out of balance and the heavy side is up in the air it has a high risk of falling and slamming to the ground. This can prove very dangerous for either lights will come down where people are working or the weights will come down which can cause weights to be flung about the area. The fly system is no joke and it is important to get proper training.


Fly System

Sound

           Sound is an interesting element of a production. Some productions choose to go in depth with their sound design while others treat it as an after thought. However sound can add a lot to a production, unfortunately it can also take away a lot.

            Sound has the ability to cause many subconscious reactions with in people. Wither that be the reaction of fear or joy. The job of a sound designer is create a mood through the use of music, tones, and sound effects. In cases like the show Avenue Q, a comedy musical, the mood set should be that of joy unlike the mood set for Macbeth, a tragedy, which should be fear and unrest. This process is done by multiple read troughs of the script as well as meetings with the director to determine the direction of the production and it's interpretation of the script.

            To create these sounds various computer programs can be use. A very popular program is ProTools. This program is considered to be the industry standard in audio production. ProTools has the capabilities to record, edit, and mix audio. Once the creation process is complete a program such as QLab can be used to play back the audio through the sound system. QLab can give the user many options in fades, timing, which speakers the sound should come from and much much more.



ProTools 10

QLab

            The sound system is the combination of devices which allows sound to be projected to the intended audience. The main components of a sound system consist of a mixer, amplifier, speaker, and a source.The audio signal to be altered by the sound system originates are the source. The source is typically a microphone however an iPod, CD, or computer can all be sources. The job of a microphone is to take the physical sound waves produced from a human voice, musical instrument, or other object into an electrical signal. It a achieves this through a diaphragm which vibrates a metal coil and magnet to produce the electrical signals. The electrical signals are then sent to the mixer either through hard wire connection or wireless means depending on the application.

Inside a Microphone

            The mixer is the brains of the sound system. The mixer takes the audio signals and modifies them, changing them, telling them where to go, how much, how long, whats good and whats bad. The mixer is a very capable piece of equipment and requires extensive training and experience to utilize it's full potential.

Allen and Heath Mixer

            After the electrical signals have been processed by the mixer, and other processing devices if desired, the signals are sent to the amplifier. The amplifiers job is to take in these signals and add power to them. Up until this point the electrical signals them selves have been relatively weak. However after they have been amplified they can be very powerful depending on the amplifier. Amplifiers are very power full in electricity to the point where if one wishes to service one or repair it it is required to wait a minute for extra power in the amplifier to wear off after being unplugged. This is to insure that the person servicing the equipment does not get electrocuted.

            After amplification the signals are sent to the speakers. This is where the electrical signals are converted back into physical sound waves for our ears to hear. There are many different types of speakers for all types of applications, from small classroom settings, to huge amphitheater events. Sound is something that is very important in the entertainment world, even when the silent film was the only film entertainment there was still music and still sound.