In short: Plan the build against the cove's size and the grid height, and ask before you fix, paint or cut anything. Keep marks off the curve, floor protection under heavy pieces, and tell the studio about water or haze early. Send reference images and floor dimensions for a quote, and check the build through the camera before the first take.
Plan the build on paper before anyone brings a drill to the barn. The limits that matter are the size of the cove, the height to the grid, what can touch the floor, and what can be fixed to a surface. Settle each one before the day, and the build goes in on time.
The room you are building in
The White Space cove is 5.3m by 7.1m, with 4.5m up to the grid. That is the envelope for any build. A set that needs more floor or more height needs a plan for the rest of the room, and it is worth asking before you draw it.
The Green Space is a smaller pre-lit cove, 3.6m by 2.4m, with its autocue built in. A set for that room has to be smaller again. Our set building team builds to brief, from flats to full rooms, and the woodshop sells flats, plinths and risers if buying is the better option.
Floor and soles
The cove is a white sweep, and a white floor shows every mark. Ask the studio before the day what it expects for footwear on the sweep and where tape marks can go, and plan any floor markings for the flat where you can.
Heavy set pieces and anything with wheels need floor protection laid before they go down. Ask for it at the planning stage, not on the morning.
Fixings, paint and cutting
Ask before you fix anything to a wall, screw or nail into a surface, paint anything, or cut the cove or the walls. The hire terms that come with your booking set out what is allowed, and the studio's contact can explain what they mean for your build. Settle these answers before the crew arrives, because a fixing agreed at seven in the morning is the hardest to undo.
Water and haze
Water on a stage needs drainage and drying time, and it is planned in advance. The barn's rain rig is quoted per production, so raise it when you ask for the build.
Haze and smoke need telling about early, because they can set off smoke detection in many buildings. The haze guide covers what to tell the studio and why it matters.
Before you build
- Draw the set to scale against the cove plan, with heights, footprint and the camera positions.
- Check the edges in the widest shot you need. A set wall that meets the curve can show its back in a wide frame.
- Ask about fixings, paint, cutting and floor protection. Write the answers on the build sheet.
- Send reference images and the floor dimensions for a quote. The what fits on the cove guide helps with sizing.
- Check the finished build through the camera you will use, under the lights you will use, before the first take.
Common mistakes
- Designing for the lens and forgetting the curve. A set that looks right from the centre of the cove can fall apart at the edges.
- Blocking the rig. A tall set in front of the grid can stop the lights reaching the subject.
- Planning water or haze after the quote. Both change the build and the day.
- Leaving the build to the last hour. The floor, the lights and the camera all need time after the set goes up.
- Using the wrong props list. A prop and set dressing list stops things arriving that were never agreed.
For the wider art department terms, the art department glossary explains the words you will hear on the day.
Related guides
Questions we get asked
Can I screw or paint a set onto the cove?
Ask before you do. Fixings, paint and cutting are settled against the hire terms in your booking, and the studio can tell you what applies to your build. Do not assume a flat can be fixed to the cove.
How big a set can go on the White Space cove?
The cove is 5.3m by 7.1m, with 4.5m to the grid. A build needs to fit inside that envelope or have a plan for the part that does not.
Who builds sets at the barn?
Our in-house construction team builds sets to brief, from simple flats to full rooms, and the woodshop sells flats, plinths and risers if you would rather buy.
granary.digital · 01243 884993 · studio@granary.digital · The Old Grainstore, Adsdean, Chichester, West Sussex, PO18 9DN · Prices exclude VAT unless marked inc VAT