It starts with a sheet of plywood. I’ll stare at it for awhile, make some measurements, think about where I might put the lights, the props, where the action will take place, scribble some notes, sit down and stare some more. It’s a little more involved than that. I usually do a hell of a lot of visual research before I start a new set. For a major set like this I will print out dozens of images for floors, ceilings, furniture and any unique apparatus/props. I’ll have studied the storyboards, purchased supplies and made some sort of scale drawing but something always changes when that sheet of plywood goes up. That’s why I stare. I see for the first time the actual size and shape of what I’m planning to build and I’m trying to SEE the finished set. Even after all these years it doesn’t come easy.
