CHAPTER 4 ESSENTIALS

• You need to study the fundamentals of good design and staging. Learn about the use of space, color palette, balance, harmony, lines, textures, shape, form, size, and so on. Then, examine issues related to arranging elements within those spaces—creating things like props and set pieces, developing an overall sense of decor, and figuring out how to place and use those elements wisely.
• Strategically analyze your screenplay—scene by scene, shot by shot—and come up with a design plan for how you want to use the spaces you have available: whether you can use real-world locations or build sets, how you want to arrange elements within those spaces, how you want to design each of those elements, and how you want to light and shoot them. Extensive research is crucial for launching this process.
• Find ways to previsualize how you want to design and arrange things. Methods typically revolve around creating concept art and storyboards for key sequences, and using computer storyboard or animation tools to visualize the shots in three dimensions, allowing you to experiment with design and technical options before you commit to them. This will be useful as you proceed with the construction of sets, the dressing of locations, and the detailed planning of shots.