As far as building sets, the timeframe in which the final set is required determines the way it is going to be built or chosen.
Without a natural or already existing set, you have to build it. In a computer age, this can be a pretty fast action, even though the process can be extensive and the work tough.
The main thing is space needed, depending of course on what you’re planning to build. But as a rule, you need quite some space to be able to construct walls, pillars and whatever else is needed for filming.
In general, building or finding a set starts months ahead of filming. Once someone has delineated a precise idea of what the final set should look like, the whole process of design, plan, execution and finishing starts. In order to keep the project on the rails, each contributor has to have a clear concept of the final product so his job takes all aspects into consideration.
For example, it is necessary for the designer to know the process of building a set. This way he won’t propose some drawings that are not executable down the line or that will cause major problems in finding the materials or the tools to make it. And similarly, the material choice will depend on where it will be shot, inside or outside, in the sun or in the rain or snow. Such details need to be known to the workers along the production line so they know the consequences of what they do or use and if it will be usable in the end. Read the rest of this entry »