Filmmakers understand that a movie’s set design can push or pull the viewer’s attention from the story. It’s understandable to be intimidated by huge commercial successes like 2023’s “Barbie” and 2024’s “Wicked” with their grandiose film sets, especially when you have a limited budget.
However, it’s important to embrace the challenge and think outside the box when building your backdrops.
1. Repurpose Old Materials
Recycle old sets from more experienced filmmakers or studios. You can also gather discarded items like pallets or crates from local establishments. With a few tweaks, you can customize them into a new and improved film set.
Repurposing old materials is the quickest route to getting your sets at a minimal cost. It can also help with the film industry’s environmental impact. The average movie in 2022 created around 240 tons of waste, with approximately half stemming from the disposal of sets and props.
2. Make the Most of Furniture
Avoid overcomplicating film sets, especially when you seek simpler settings. In reality, you can just place down furniture to set the scene. Bring two reading chairs next to each other with a coffee table in between, and you have a makeshift talk show stage.
You can also rent the props and furniture. This route ensures you get the exact look you’re going for without exhausting too much time on sourcing. Filmmakers can also avoid using space in their own houses for storage and simplify the cleanup after filming.
3. Build a Concrete Room Set
Concrete rooms are a versatile film set. It could be a dystopian holding cell for prisoners, an interrogation room for villains, or an empty basement for monsters. With the right lighting and background music, you can create a brilliant feature.
Plus, concrete is affordable and extremely workable. You can have it flow and deform in various ways to create eerie shapes. You can also choose between smooth and textured concrete to add extra interest. Feel free to increase the water-to-cement ratio to give the team time to place and mold it as needed for the set design.
4. Create Wooden Structures
Wood is another material you can use on a limited budget. You can build many fixtures, from a grand staircase to a simple workbench. You can use them in indoor filming sets and change the lighting to make it as dramatic or inconspicuous as needed.
You can also utilize wood when filming outdoors. A handmade trellis would be beautiful for a film with a wedding. If you prefer fantasy, treat it as a gateway to a new world. Making the trellis mainly requires 2×2 posts, copper piping and a little patience.
5. Incorporate Fabric Structures
Elevate your film set by adding fabric structures. Twist pieces of cloth and hang them up to create odd shapes. You can also let the drapes freely flow from one ceiling point. Some also use it to create the illusion of separate spaces. Adjust lighting to match the depth and dimension.
Fabrics are affordable and rewarding to use, but only when they are correctly manipulated. You can run a few test shots to see how they look on camera. Try to zoom in more than usual on your subjects to minimize attention to the background.
6. Project Scenery on a Screen
Filmmakers can use the power of technology when making a set. Project the scenery that you want your actors to be in. This old-fashioned style adds a bit of whimsy to the overall shots. Keep in mind that projectors can showcase images as large as 300 inches on a screen, but depending on the quality of the photos, they may start to display pixels.
Another option would be to use an LED screen to display the background directly behind your subjects. This removes the warped projection on the actor’s face and gives the audience a better look at them. However, one thing to be mindful of is glare on the screens from your lighting fixtures.
7. Create Modular Sets
Modular sets have been utilized in a variety of mediums. In theater, they are applauded since they can adapt to different acts of a play. You can also use the same principle for your film set. It’s even easier since you have time to set everything up between takes.
When designing the sets, focus on making them easy to reconfigure for different scenes. You can build one space that can stand for different parts of the home. Swap out the furniture depending on the scene you’re shooting. That way, you can achieve multiple looks with fewer materials.
8. Paint a Mural
Borrow another page from the theater’s book and create a painting for the film set. You can use black and white to create the image of the sky or brown and dark green to emulate a forest. You could even collaborate with local artists to achieve a high-quality background. Aside from supporting the community, you get to widen your network of contacts.
Bonus: Use Green Screens
If you’re working with a lower budget, consider utilizing the art of chroma keying. Multiple Marvel movies, like “The Avengers,” were filmed in green screen sets rather than on the streets. You can also use this to create whatever setting you want your subjects to be in. Just be mindful of taking your time and making it realistic in post-production.
Create Excellent Film Sets
A film set is integral to establishing the scenes within your movie. Thankfully, there are numerous creative ways you can build these settings from scratch at an affordable cost.
Have fun and learn new skills along the way during this preproduction phase.
