Over the past few years, many people have complained about the overuse of CGI assets in TV shows and movies. The reality is that many companies use this as a cost-cutting maneuver since constructing sets can be quite expensive and time-consuming. For many long-running shows, having a physical set is the best way to maintain continuity while saving money. So, let’s look at what it takes to build the ultimate sitcom and what needs to be taken seriously when designing a set that is both long-lasting and iconic in the eyes of the viewers.
Relatability
Do you want when designing and creating a set for a sitcom the most important thing to keep in mind is that you aren’t creating the home of an average person so including things that make it relatable and realistic is very important. Mind you this doesn’t mean that you can’t include some fancy details like an elegant and affordable marble slabs countertop or some fancy appliances. It’s all about balance and creating a home that feels both lived in and designed by someone who lives in it. Viewers need to be able to see sitcom sets and feel like they could happen in their kitchens or their living rooms. This is why some of the most famous sitcoms of all time happened in the family home set.
Narrative language
When you design a set as the home of a character it’s important to take into account that while yes, it is the representation of a real home it is also a character marker. What this means is that the environment in which your characters evolve needs to also represent your characters and their current states. This goes further than making these spaces messy if your character is in a bad mood, it also goes in the direction that your set is also an extension of your characters. Having things that are important for your characters or that tell viewers things about your characters is very important. For example, if one of your characters is reckless and outdoorsy filling the environment with things that relate to his extreme sports tastes can be a great way to inform your viewers without telling them directly that your character is into extreme sports.
Cost
One thing that’s important to take into account is that if you are preparing to build a set for a sitcom it will cost you a lot of money. But as we talked earlier about the use of CGI and things like that it is not something that has crept into the sitcom space because usually, it isn’t more cost-effective to create a set that you will reuse day in and day out than to use any sort of special effect that is extremely expensive in the long run if you use it every episode. When we talk about sitcoms one of the biggest draws for studios to produce them is that they are usually pretty cheap to produce episode or episode. This means that if you create a show that is both popular and extremely cheap you can make a lot of profit long term by renewing season after season. This is why for example when you think of sitcoms like The Big Bang Theory it’s no wonder that they are massive successes both in the viewer size but also in these studios’ eyes.
Iconic Status
If you combine the relatability ending narrative language of your show in your set, you will be able to create a Saturday both instantly recognizable to fans and instantly recognizable without your characters being inside of it. This is the true iconic status of a sitcom set. This is why implementing story beats inside of your set is very important. A set like a character needs to evolve along with the story and the characters so that viewers can see their favorite story in their favorite characters and leave an impact on the environment in which they live. So at the end of the day when you create a set you are not only building it you are creating something that is an integral part of your narrative storytelling but also your show’s whole identity. This is what creating your set is all about.
