The Designs: The Painful Process/Destruction of Model box (PART 2)

Like I mentioned previously these designs were a process we went through to figure out the best way to include a full live band onto the stage, we also had to get the directors approval and make sure the designs were possible.
This period of time was incredibly stressful and many of our model boxes went through major surgery and reconstruction to create new set designs and figure how we were going to make it possible, we also had to take into consideration the amount of Sound equipment that would also have to go onto this platform to power and be able to mix the band.

As I said most of our model boxes had some surgery and alterations done to them, but most of all mine and Danielle's, mainly because they included the vital parts to the set. It was a period of time were we were having to think very hard to get things right and we all had to work as a team to get the new models made so we could evaluate each design and figure out if it was right or not.



Design 1:

The first of the designs is shown in the picture (Right) and it was the fist in the raised platform idea, this is pretty much the design that Danielle used in her set design just we double the amount of platforms used. We placed them in the T shape because of the effect we wanted to make, allowing set/cast/crew to come on from the sides and also for set it sit flush up against it. The platform is 2 meters tall, this allows for people to walk underneath it, this would mean that cast could come onto stage via this 'walkway' and also make transitions between scene changes faster because it allows a quick exit off stage. We then said that we would plan to decorate and create flats to fit onto the raised platform decorating but also supporting the whole structure, we would be able to decorate to whatever fitted best (personally the Wedding Venues corridor).
In terms of Health and Safety for this idea we knew that railings would have to be used to avoid band members falling off of the platform (these would of added an extra £15 each to the price). The Scaffold legs that would hold up the platform would be 2 meters high and have bracing down the sides, also there would of been a set of stairs down stage right allowing for everyone to get onto the platform.

Design 2:

The second design as you can see is just a slightly altered version of the first design that I showed you, this actually came first and really is the prototype to the one above. The reason behind the 2 Level platform was to allow for the whole band to be seen by the audience and none to be hidden behind others. Of course by lowering the first set of platforms by 0.5 meters meant that there was no access to come out from underneath it but there was the possibility of using it as a backstage walkway with the sides covered by flats. The block that is positioned in front of the band stand is purely for set and visual purposes. This was for the wedding singer band to use during certain scenes, in the end this was not needed and just a waste of space.

Design 3:
Hard to explain without a picture (Oops) but this again ran with the concept to a double raised platform this time to the stage left of the theatre, this still allowed for access through the doors for cast/crew and also would of allowed for set to merge into the structure.

After the director said yes to looking into the designs we phoned and email Impact Productions with questions about the designs and found out that they were possible, the downfall came when we got the quote through to do DESIGN 1 and it came in over the quote for all the lighting, sound and microphones at £1,000+. If we had the money we might of proceeded with the idea and then use of these designs but it was just far to much money.
So in the end we went with a much more basic, affordable and really more sensible and realistic design, the

Design 4: (The Chosen One)
This literally was Design 1 just with it legs chopped dramatically down to only 0.25 meters. We still had the same T Shape and the same amount of platforms just at a much lower level. (In the end this worked out to be very practical as the amount of sound equipment/work that went into setting up the live band was huge and was easier when they were down low).
This change in design didn't seem to effect the look of the set design when we placed it into the model box and it fitted together nicely.