Set Construction Techniques

Circular Saw

In order to make a frame for the door of our rock (the main scenery piece) we used a circular saw to cut pieces of wood down to a precise length.

We used the circular saw because it is the most efficient technique and was the easiest way to cut thewood to the precise and correct length.

We used this instead of a jigsaw because the wood was thick. In addition, the circular saw is not free hand, therefore was more accurate.

Drills, Nails and Hinges

We used a butt joint for the frame of the door because it was the most simple to make.

As we were making a frame, we needed to ensure it was firmly built and that it was secure. For this reason we used a drill with nails instead of a hammer.

We put the door on hinges because it made it much easier to open and close. This was important because in the show, the performers needed to be able to smoothly and effectively open the rock quickly.

Chicken Wire

Chicken wire was an essential part of the process of building the rock. This was because it had the ability to change shape – therefore we made a rock shape with it.

We cut it down to how much we needed using wire cutters and stapled it down on the top and bottom of the rock.

Not only did the chicken wire provide the shape, it also gave the rock strength. Another advantage was that it was cheap and relatively easy to use.

Paper-mâché & Mod rock

Paper mache was also important because it helped create the rock shape, with extra support.

We ripped up small pieces of paper – they had to be small because otherwise it would not stick to the chicken wire properly (as we later discovered for ourselves) After ripping up the paper, we dipped each piece individually into PVA glue and water and stuck it onto the chicken wire. We overlapped most pieces in order to give the rock some more strength.

Once the mache had set (dried) we covered it all with mod rock, which we again, cut down to smaller sizes and dipped in water. Then we rubbed it onto the paper-mache and ensured all areas were covered.

An advantage for using paper-mâché and mod rock, as well as providing strength is that they were cheap to use but still did the job.

Painting

We used silver, brown and green paints to decorate the rock. We started by painting the entire rock silver with large paint brushes.

Because of the shape, rollers were hard to use and we were missing out areas. We came to the conclusion that using brushes would be more useful.

Next, we used sponges and lightly added a mixture of browns and dark greens over the top to create the rock-like appearance.

I think the colours we chose were suitable and naturalistic. We kept it simple because we wanted to make the scenic element look as much like a rock as possible. Using bright colours would cause confusion.

Design / Decoration

When the rock is opened during the show, we did not want the chicken wire to be noticeable. To overcome this we decorated the interior of therock using a small variety of coloured silks (mainly dark purple.)

We used a stapler to attach the fabric to the wood.

We used silk because it added a nice shine to the rock and was more aesthetically pleasing than a plain, boring piece of material.