Set designer - Definition and Overview

Scenic design also known as Stage design is the creation of theatrical scenery. Scenic designers have traditionally come from a variety of artistic backgrounds, but nowadays, generally speaking, they are trained professionals, often with M.F.A. degrees in scenic design. The scenic designer is responsible for collaborating with the theatre director and other members of the production staff to create an environment for the production and then communicating the details of this environment to the technical director, charge artist and props master. Scenic designers are responsible for creating scale models of the scenery, renderings, paint elevations and scale drawings as part of their communication with other production staff.

see also: Scenography | set construction

Some famous scenic designers: Gordon Craig, Franco Zefferelli, Adolphe Appia, Jean-Pierre Ponelle,, Boris Aronson, Josef Sovoboa,Ming Cho Lee, Robert Israel, Barry Kay, Ralph Koltai, Jo Mielziner.