DRESSING THE SET: ENSURE THE SET SUPPORTS THE STORY

What is that behind him?

Since the onset of the pandemic and our migration into a seemingly virtual world, we’ve gotten glimpses inside the homes and offices of people you normally would have never seen before. It’s pretty cool to see how the other half live, am I right? The vast differences in what you saw during those virtual interactions did not go unnoticed. Claude Taylor and his girlfriend, Jessie Bahrey started @ratemyskyperoom aka RoomRater on Twitter – offering snarky critique not of the news or those giving it, but the rooms in which the narrative was being delivered. The goal? 10 out of 10 and escape harsh review of the painting or vase Aunt Betty gave you as a wedding gift or the trinket you picked up on your vacation to Taos. The response was electric. Pop icons, Celebs to big name politicians (Former Presidential Candidates, Senators and VP’s) often updated their outdated backgrounds or swamped their décor to bump up their @RoomRater score.  Pundits or analysts getting docked points for dangling electrical cords, dead plants or honestly, the lack of anything.

I spoke to Taylor in July of 2020 about the origins of Room Rater and why he thinks it became so significant during Covid-19 quarantine. “It was a pleasant distraction, like baking or anything people were doing while stuck at home. I’m a bit of a political junkie and watch a lot of news. I started to notice the backgrounds on TV, Jessie and I would text/talk about it and thought, this would make for good public banter. Thus @ratemyskyperoom was born.”  Their book, “How to Create your Best Room to Zoom in the Post Pandemic Era” arrives in Spring 2022.

Dressing the set

Why am I telling about you this slice of pandemic nostalgia? Professionals have been analyzing backgrounds on TV and film for as long as it’s been in existence. There are hits and misses every day. Local news rebrand their sets every few years, not because they want to spend millions of dollars (yes, millions) but they’ve heard from the viewing public they hate the couch, the plant…the painting makes them nauseous, the décor on the mantle during the Lifestyle show is horrible and reminds them of an retirement home. All of these are actual comments received across the country.

Take a moment to think about the last time you turned on the television and really noticed what was in the background. You can, but you can’t, right? Scripted television, including TV news and segments that air within those programs go to painstaking efforts to make sure that set decoration doesn’t distract from the message that is being delivered.  Industry professionals call the overall act “Dressing the Set.”

Dressing the set is not to be mistaken with props – which are objects handled by actors and managed by an entire staff, appropriately named, the Prop Department. For our purposes we are going to focus on dressing a set for TV; anything and everything from infomercials to a live TV segment with a doctor talking about the latest COVID-19 vaccine. Once a project has been secured, identify where the interview will be taking place. Will it be virtual in someone’s home? A television studio?

Less is more

My daughter calls me “extra” in most areas of my life – I overdo just about everything from simple party decorations (see photo) to holidays décor (see photo) and our Elf on the Shelf (again, see photo) – the one place I am not extra: dressing the set. Less is more. Simplicity is key. It’s 100% ok to over-shop (you’re welcome TJ Maxx and Target) but you don’t need to add everything you buy to the set. Having more options than not is ALWAYS a good thing.

You must PLAN – Think about it, you wouldn’t take a bucket-list vacation without thinking about how to really maximize your time and budget. Same principles apply here. Think of ways you can make the topic and the theme come to life on set in the most attractive, easy, and cost-effective way.

Decide on your theme. Make sure the set you’re putting together really supports the story. You’re not always going to have the money and time to buy everything you need to make your wildest dreams come true. It’s perfectly ok to borrow from friends, family, and neighbors as well! Goodwill, the Dollar Store, Target dollar bins (at the front of the store) offer a lot of bang for your buck. I once picked up a $500 expresso machine for $40 at Goodwill to use as set dressing. I don’t drink coffee, so it now has a nice home with a photographer I once worked with.

If your project combines both earned and paid (sponsored) media, you will want to make sure anything you’ve dressed the set with can be easily removed or obscured so product placement doesn’t become an issue. It’s easy to hide an ingredient for a baked good among butter, flour and eggs; it is trickier when you have a full set of “X Brand” tires or a power washer on set. Sometimes pivoting the product so the branding doesn’t show is the quick fix to avoid the cancelation of a booked interview.

Color, patterns and depth…oh my!

Color – it pops on camera and adds balance to a bland set. Designer Tip: any color or pattern should be repeated three times for maximum impact. Think holiday décor: a pop of red holly berries, red ribbon (bow/garland/ornaments) with a subtle napkin/placemat or serving platter is a repeat pattern that pleases the eye.

Fast forward to spring and you’re digging out all the pastels – make sure they are balanced and relevant to the big picture. Pick three colors, not all of them. Opt for soft over harsher patterns. Sharp edges tend to break on camera, and you don’t want the viewers eye gravitating to the bottom left corner when your talent is talking.

You need depth when setting up a shot for TV (virtual or in-studio). If not, it looks like a bad ransom video in a low budget film. If there are enough items that make sense for the story, adding more to the background can help create the depth. If you are still having trouble achieving the desired look, try a different angle or move the camera.

If you are dressing a set to advertise or talk about multiple products, there needs to be well-defined space between each product (height works too) or in a food product demo area make sure the items are well plated and spaced accordingly. What makes sense in-person doesn’t always translate to the at-home viewer.

Take photos, analyze them, ask trusted opinions, and be willing to make changes on the fly…and don’t forget to have fun!