“The key role of any set construction manager is to work with the designer, the production manager and the production crew to realise in the best possible way what the designer has created.”
Justin Green, Set Construction Manager, Stuff Happens
That the finished set for Stuff Happens was 24 metres wide and 9.5 metres tall. The set was made from 700 sheets of cardboard. Steel pieces held the cardboard in shape and allowed it to twist and tangle in a suggestion of the ruins of the World Trade Centre. Although it was so tall and imposing, the entire set weighed approximately 500 kilos.
The design for the floor of the set was inspired by the paintings of American artist Jasper Johns. Together with the tangled and warped girders they suggest the Stars and Stripes of the American flag.
The 48 volumes of Saddam’s answer to the UN weapons inspections were each made from 350 sheets of recycled office paper.
It was not possible to lay out the set for Stuff Happens in its entirety before it was bumped in to the theatre because the workshop in which it was being built was not big enough.
What are models boxes made from and who makes them?
Model boxes are usually made from foam core. They can sometimes be made from plywood. Model boxes are mostly made to a 1:25 scale. They are generally made by the production’s set designer, but not always.
How are the figures and furniture for the model box made?
The figures and furniture (also made to a 1:25 scale) can be made from wire, cardboard plastic, wood, scraps of aluminium ... any scrap or craft material you may have lying around. Figures can be cut-outs (two dimensional); they are not always three dimensional.
How long did it take to build the set for Stuff Happens? It took 4 people six weeks to build the set. Two weeks were spent welding the internal steel structure of the set, it took three weeks to construct and laminate the cardboard girders and cross pieces and a week of scenic art on the same pieces.
How was the set erected in the theatre? The set was erected in 6 sections (each made up of the individual girders) which were connected once they were standing in the theatre. The first section took 6 hours to put together but the next two sections took only 4 hours in total to put up.
