MOTION PICTURE SETS The first American motion picture sets were built on outdoor stages for the strong natural light then thought necessary. Later, glass stages hung with white and black diffusing cloths which could be pulled over the top, were used to control the ever chang ing daylight. Set construction was extremely simple, consisting mainly of "flats" very similar to those of the stage, i.e., wooden frames over which were stretched linen or muslin in sizes 2'x12', 6'x12', 8'x12', All architectural details, including fireplaces, furniture, and pictures were painted on these "flats." Then came a craze for wall-paper, and whenever a high class set was required, wall-paper was used to express it. The larger the design and the more contrasting the values, the better the paper was thought to be. Before this conglomerate mass of pattern, the actor was in vigorous competition for the attention of his audi ence—and many times he lost. The screen up to this time had developed no definite ideas about set design. Anyone, from the property boy on, took a hand in composition. Scenic painters recruited from the theatre contributed their bit, though in many instances carpenters were simply given a picture torn from a book or magazine and told to copy it. Eventually, men with some degree of technical knowledge were engaged. Draughtsmen were employed to draw plans. Panelling, etc., was executed in detail, and sets began to approximate reality. Unfortunately, however, they still lacked that quality known as good taste, for it was thought that the more ornate the set—the more loaded with detail —the more would it approximate a rich home. Never was there such a plethora of ornament, incongruous furniture, and draperies, the latter being actually nailed to the walls.
of this grew a demand for more sim ple and expressive sets. Producers began to turn to the theatre for designers. In 1914, Wilfred Buckland went to Hollywood. He was the first man of recognized ability to forsake the theatre for motion pictures, and to him is owed a debt for the first consistent well-designed sets. He brought to the screen a knowledge of mood and a dramatic quality which until then had been completely lacking. After Buckland came Hugo Ballin, a noted mural and portrait painter. Ballin's approach to the problem was that of a painter with architectural knowledge. His settings had an archi tectural simplicity which was stimulating. He eliminated unneces sary detail, leaving the eye free to concentrate upon the actors and the action of the scene. Modern sets almost without excep tion are realistic and architectural. In plan they follow much the same idea as in real homes, with the exception that rooms are not necessarily connected. A hallway and living room, for instance, may be set up as a joint unit on one stage, while the dining room, as a single unit, may be placed on another. The designer depends
upon the film cutter to establish the inter-relation of rooms. One room interiors usually consist of three sides and are built on in door stages surrounded by light platforms to carry the lighting equipment.
set, as it appears to the casual observer, is much the same as a real interior, with the exception that mouldings and other breaks are exaggerated. The increased depth of mouldings and other breaks is to overcome the flattening effect of diffused lighting. The more frequently the wall is broken, either with jogs or recesses, the more interesting it becomes pho tographically, as it gives opportunity for light and shadow. The primary function of a set is to form a background for the actor. Except in cases where it is absolutely necessary to characterize a mood, any set which becomes more than a background is bad. To create an appearance of great scale, it is sometimes advisable to increase the size of detail. A close-up of a man standing at the base of a column ten feet in diameter certainly will lead the spectator to believe that he is standing before an enormous edifice of which the large column is but a detail. In the case of the pic ture Ben Hur, the Roman Circus Maximus was required. Rather than reproduce the original circus, an entirely non-existent circus was designed. The designer was confronted by three important problems. First, the circus was to be seen in its entirety in a long shot. An impression of great scale had to be created. The impe rial power of Rome had to be tangibly felt, and spectators treated as part of the design. Second, there was to be a chariot race photo graphed from practically every conceivable angle. Third, when ever groups of moving chariots were photographed, they had to appear against some background detail so increased that the audi ence would never lose consciousness of the enormous scale of the whole arena. At each end of the spina, the two crouching figures were built Soft. high, so that when the chariots in racing turned, one recognized their minute proportion in contrast to the enormous Buildings as Local Colour.—In designing for motion pic tures, there is also the problem of geography. Frequently, one motion picture will require action in several different countries. There are several methods of optically establishing these changes of scene. For instance, a plain wall with a group of people before it does not establish a particular country. But the moment a Scotsman in kilts walks through, we know we are in Scotland. This method becomes less feasible, of course, as world clothing is more and more anglicized.