The 'BBC 3 Light Entertainment Set' was our first project brief of the course. It involves many practical techniques covered in the 'Skills Passport'. The design requirements as described in the brief are below:
Initial Ideas / Concept generation
Initial Research
I began by researching the general nature and aesthetic of light entertainment shows, both in the UK and US.
From this, I concluded that there were a handful of consistent motifs:
Emphasis on bright, primary colours
Dark elements (eg. flooring, backdrop) to indicate a late-night setting
Curved and dynamic shapes
Compositional symmetry
Idea generation
I then generated three unique aesthetic concepts for light entertainment shows through mood-boards and briefs
Cat-cafe themed talk show
Guests bring cats onto the show, discuss unexpected and entertaining facts about them
‘cat-off’ competition versus cats
‘cat race’ involving catnip or fuzzy toys
Quiz aspect?
Bedtime gossip / sleepover themed quiz/news show
Night-time, glowing-stars childhood bedroom themed
canopy beds, larger than life
centrally blue aesthetic
Gossip of the week centred around the idea of a sleepover between celebrity guests
‘Sleeping bag // pity corner’ with one celebrity either ‘sleeping’ within a box or sleeping bag on the ground
Double-beds
Discussing controversial opinions on celeb life/gossip?
‘Slumber Party with [Matt Berry] [Alison Hammond]?’
Art Nouveau, 'whimsigoth' aesthetic
Supermarket themed quiz / news show
Comedic angle
Brightly coloured, 50s + 80’s amalgamation aesthetic
Mixing projected set pieces and physical props for weekly theme and content rotation
Central talk show table is an item scanner
Brief game-like interludes involving self-service, find the item, bargain bin etc
Though briefly exploring set concepts for the 'Bedtime Gossip' themed show, I preferred the aesthetic exploration elements of the 'Supermarket themed quiz/news show' and therefore settled on this idea.
My collages helped me understand that I wanted a vibrant aesthetic with a focus on primary colours and clear geometry in till designs as well as aisles, both of which have their own mood-boards.
I created a mood-board as a reference for supermarket shows in pop-culture, focusing on the set design of ‘Superstore’ (2015-22) and Supermarket Sweep (original and revival seasons).
I also created two furniture-specific mood-boards that allowed me to hone a more minimalist vibrant style.
Show Pitch
Following the exploration of my show pitch, I created concept art of my envisaged sets and its layout, including a sketch-up draft of the initial aisle placements.
Model creation
Sketch model #1
This initial sketch model was not to scale, allowing for faster generation of ideas and colour schemes (as seen in the cash register desk.
This process also allowed me to explore the practicality of furniture, for instance this early ‘fish chair’ draft, which was later replaced with a more convenient and cohesively designed set of beanbags
Sketch model #2
This second sketch model was in 1:50, focusing mainly on size accuracy and construction practicality.
This was also when I refined the shape of my performance area, allowing the entire set to ‘hug’ the audiences view and therefore obscure the studio backing from any cameras
Technical Drawing
Modelmaking development
Final Model
Overall, I am very satisfied with my work for the BBC3 project and found the model-making and technical drawing in particular to be challenging yet rewarding. In the future, I would aim to incorporate screens and a varied wall texture to the scene, alongside perhaps more interactive model elements.
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