Edexcel GCSE Drama: Designing Drama

RESEARCH FOR SET DESIGN Don’t start online! Your first instinct might be to browse the internet, but there is no better place for inspiration and information than the real world. ASSESSMENT CHECK This research will help you towards AO1: ‘Create and develop ideas to communicate meaning for theatrical performance.’ FOCUS How to start generating ideas for you set designs. If your design allows it, a print or painting that strongly identifies the period or social context is well worth hanging on a wall. This 1960s film poster adds atmosphere as well as a sense of the period. Watch… There have been some entertaining television documentaries on social history. Turn Back Time , for example, placed different families in various historical eras. A House Through Time put a modern family in a house that changed to show life from the 19th century to the present day. Track down some films that are made or set in the period for your drama. Focus on the settings as you watch. Online research Use specific key words in your internet searches. Furniture is a good place to start, and ‘Ikea 1970s’, for example, should bring up some very useful images. A heritage website will also provide inspiration and information. Just a couple of props and furnishings or pieces of stage furniture will give your set an authentic feel and help to communicate meaning. It is important to reflect the social and economic contexts of your drama. TASK 1.6 1 Search for ‘1930s house interior’ and choose an image that interests you. (If you want to, narrow down your search by specifying ‘working class’ or ‘art deco’, for example.) 2 From it, pick an item or two that you might be able to use in a set. 3 What colours and patterns from the image might also be suitable for your set? Ask… If your set text or devised piece is set in the 20th century, try talking to your family and their friends. You can’t beat first-hand experience, and they might have photos. Visit… Museums and galleries often have exhibitions linked to particular periods in history. You might get ideas for furnishings and props as well as the set. A visit to a heritage site can be highly inspirational. These places include back-to-back terraces, art deco houses and so on. Take notes and photos, if permitted. Chapter 1 Practical Guide to Set Design 19