Evaluation

In conclusion I think the final set design worked well because what I had hoped to achieve was carried out and the end product was aesthetically pleasing. The set layout in my original plans did not changed which I was glad about because I wanted it to be kept as similar as possible. The chairs I had requested were used, as were the menus that I asked to be made. The table decorations / features I asked to be put in place worked well in creating a French café. Props such as a bottle of wine, cigarettes, wine glasses and the menus were on each table and I thought it looked authentic.

The violin was made to scale and was 2d. I was pleased with this because I understood the complexity in constructing a 3d violin. I also think it was sensible to make it from cardboard instead of wood because it was easier to shape. Wood would have required sawing and rounded corners which is extremely difficult. Thus I was happy with the final product. Another slight change was that the violin was not hung from fishing wire from the rig. This was a surprise to me, but I was told that it would take too long to rig it properly and it was simpler to have it stood on a boom. For the performance, a stage weight supported the boom that the violin was attached to. I think this worked well because even though it was not what I had originally planned, it still stood at the correct height.

When I first met my client, we confirmed that a definite / vital piece of set was the cloth for the big table. She told me to make it exactly the same as the picture she wanted to recreate (a Georges Goursat caricature), which included a table cloth with the word 'Armenonville' on the front facing the audience. This would indicate to the examiner that recreating the original caricature was her intention and he/she would be able to recognise it.  However as we did not have the money or material to make the table cloth / stitch on the letters, the team made a collage of Georges Goursat's caricatures relating to French cafes. I would have liked the original to have been used but I think the able cloth made from paper still worked well. The same was done for the extra 2 exam desk tables, not used in the performance but was there to create a busy atmosphere in a French café.

Hanging clothes on the back of chairs looked exactly how I had hoped because it was quite unique and gave the impression that people were there also.

Looking at pictures of my final set, it became clear that I did not need as much detail as I first thought because it looked great simplistic. I was happy with all aspects of my set and I would not change any part.