Live Talk Show Set Designed with A Non-Profit Budget
My day job is in TV and film so it is not too surprising that on occasion I get to combine my love of producing with my love of decor. One such occasion was for The Greenhouse Arts & Media. If you are in LA and looking for a great, friendly artistic community I HIGHLY suggest looking them up!
One of the MANY programs and outreaches this amazing non-profit offers is a Sunday Speaker series. The host Shun Lee, has a live on-stage interview with someone in the professional, artistic, community who is willing to share their experiences and advice. Recently they underwent some re-vamping, which included a new set design. I was asked to help out and jumped at the chance!
As a non-profit the existing set design was mostly donated items and second hand goods. It was functional but not particularly stylish. I wanted to bring in a fresh look that was budget friendly and played off the company’s name: “Greenhouse”. Which in my mind meant greenery. Of course the items all have to be stored in a warehouse between shows so there couldn’t be any actual real plants.
Enter Target! I found some great modern pieces and fake plants that were in decorative pots-making the faux plants look classy and less “fake” (TV is all smoke and mirrors). For the TV stand I wanted something in natural wood that kept the natural/plant theme and found my ideal style on sale at Ikea.
The backdrop proved more problematic. Since the stage has to be taken down and assembled each time there is a show, all the set pieces needed to be easily set-up, taken-down and stored. I found a banner company local to LA who does a lot of trade shows. I used the Greenhouse backdrop of sky and grass and had it printed on retractable banners that could be placed behind the stage. With some colored lighting and a white scrim it created some nice depth. Top it all off with some marquee lettering and the stage is set!
