One of my senior projects at the University of Redlands was being the Production Designer on the Spring 2021 production of 'Almost Maine'. I explored a variety of seating formats with all of them taking place outside to follow COVID-19 guidelines. The venue location was changed several times to help be more flexible for access to utilities for lighting and sound concerns. My process started with research, hand sketching, then 3D massing models in SketchUp. Later these models were then drafted in Layout for budgeting. Then drafting was used to create laser cut elements for the 1/4" scale art direction model. I participated in the fabrication process, providing art direction notes and able to resolve design problems and questions on the spot. The scenic elements were used to create a filmed based format of the show.
SketchUp, Layout, Vray, Photoshop
Sketches of layouts and scenic elements that went through many iterations.
Preliminary model shot and drafting for initial concept of the audience sitting in distanced circles on a grass lawn. A forest of artistically painted tress would envelope the audience while bridging three separate performance spaces. The design would soon change as the location was reselected, the idea of separate stages was scrapped in favor of a platform stage positioned on the base of a sloping hillside for seating.
Show Set Package
Below are some pages from the show set package I created for the production. These drawings will be used to help with the fabrication of the show. The package was created in LayOut from the SketchUp model and compiled in Adobe Acrobat.
1/4" Scale Art Direction Model
The laser cut elements were exported from the SketchUp model as DWG files and sent to AutoCAD and Illustrator. Model made from laser cut MDF, balsa wood and styrene strips.
Post-Show Project
Once the show was finished, I used the steel framing for the set pieces to create an arbor for the side yard at home. I drafted the arbor in Rhino, and I learned about the fabrication process and welding.
