This project gave me a chance to explore how I would design a small studio space for a light-entertainment gameshow for students. Although the premise was quite simple, it was very challenging to consider all aspects of the gameshow filming, like the camera angles and the limited space. On top of all that, we had to try and fit everything within a £1000 budget. One of the hardest things for me was figuring out a cost-effective way to make the set look more interesting and less flat. One of my solutions was to have more 3-dimensional pieces that brought the flat background set pieces forward into the playing space. I also read about how director Akira Kurosawa made the backgrounds of his films look more interesting by having moving elements in the backgrounds, such as running water and moving crowds. Taking inspiration from that, I tried adding as much movement as I could into the set, which was a very challenging but fun exercise, as it would have involved mechanisms that although were simple, would have been difficult to construct and make work within the 2 week set construction deadline we got given.
Initial Sketch Versus Final Design
After the 6-week design phase, my design got chosen to be built, which was an amazing but exhausting experience, especially since this was the first project we had where we had to respond to an actual client. In the end, I had made several major changes at the behest of the client, but i was very proud to see that i still kept the essence of my design. I think the most difficult change for me was when i had to change the entire colour scheme of my set due to the client's concerns about infringing copyright. It taught me a lot about being able to quickly adapt my design and not get too bogged down with anxiety when being asked to make changes. The show's logo also went through many changes before we arrived at the final design. This also had me worried because graphic design is not my strong suit, but looking at the final logo, I'm glad I stood my ground over some design elements even though I knew their execution would be difficult and time-consuming. I'm so very grateful to all my course mates who helped skillfully construct the set to such a high production standard, and blown away by the care and hard work they put into realizing my designs. Seeing them be proud of their work also made me really happy, and made the whole experience really memorable.
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