# Fame Jr. The Musical Set



## taylors (Jul 30, 2012)

Any suggestions for set design for Fame Jr.? Thanks. Low budget. REALLLLLLYYYY lowwww


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## gafftaper (Aug 2, 2012)

Sorry I don't know the show, but I have done a lot of really low budget high school shows. 

First of all start with what you have: 
-Do you have flats in stock that can be re-painted? 
-Do you have any platforms, stairs, etc? 
-Do you own anything that could be part of "the set"? Choir risers, drum riser platform, Heck I did a production of Mid Summer that was in a "Pillow Pit".. no set just pillows. 

Second who are your friends and what do they have available?
-Assuming you are in a high school, are there other schools near who will loan you things? 
-What about colleges and universities?
-Are there community and semi-pro theaters in the area? Typically all but the biggest theaters will loan out furniture and other stuff to you for a "Pull fee". A pull fee is just a flat rate to cover the cost of them having an employee deal with you. Around here Pull fees run $25-$50 depending on how much stuff you borrow and how much of their time you take. 

Once you have an idea of what you can get a hold of cheap you begin your design process. Avoid building as much as possible as you will burn a huge amount of cash buying lumber. Typically the cheapest sets are ones that have a variety of levels which can be symbolic of a variety of different elements in the story. Add some sort of generic background that can work for the whole show and you've got a cheap set (or just do it in front of a colored cyc or black curtain). 

P.S. All those community theater and college theater connections are awesome for costumes too! With the right connections you can costume an entire show beautifully for $25-$100.


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## gafftaper (Aug 2, 2012)

One other note: In general, people around here don't like to give advice that can be seen as "designing for you". The feeling is, It's your set, you design it with your own creative ideas in a way that makes sense for your space and production. However, once you have an idea of what you want, let us know and you'll find plenty of help on how to get it done within your budget.


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## JohnD (Aug 2, 2012)

Having read your other threads taylors, I see you are in a new PAC, the question is, do you still have any scenic elements from your former space?
I google search shows that some groups that have done this show basically used some upstage platforms and a few scenic elements. 
I don't know what libraries you have near you, but you might check to see if any of them have any of the James Hull Miller books.
Amazon.com: Small Stage Sets on Tour: A Practical Guide to Portable Stage Sets (9780916260460): James Hull Miller: Books
His books are actually from decades ago, and he was a proponet of the open stage concept, where a few simple set pieces established the scene. With your low budget you might find something useful there. 
This seems to me to be a production that can rely very heavily on lighting. Small pools of light for intimate scenes, open out to big, colorful razz-ma-tazz moments. 
Oh, as passionate as you are, you CAN'T do everything, you need to find a way to ignite the passion in others.


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