Film, Theatre, and Television Set Construction

When we are called to carry out work as a film, theatre, or television set production company for your project, we will collaborate closely with you to give life to the vision you have set out in your creative brief. No matter what you need matched to your storyboard or script, our professional set construction services will assist in amazing your audience and drawing them into the action just as you have hoped.

Whether you require scenic construction services that take you back to a bygone era, or a futuristic landscape for a movie set that should be completely out of this world, we can help.

Your production will be rewarded with the precise pieces, sets, and scenery you have set out in your specifications, applied and installed through a fast, cost-effective theatre and film set construction company.

What We Provide for Production Companies

In a diverse selection of modern casting materials, we are more than capable of convincingly imitating stonework and other natural substances at a fraction of the weight and the cost, allowing you to keep to your deadline and saving you money from your production budget.

Our highly skilled workforce and project management team are fully prepared to provide anything that you need for a movie set, television studio, or theatre stage. For projects that require small, one-off pieces, or even those that would make use of larger and more complex components, our manufacturing premises will utilise state-of-the-art machinery and the knowledge and skill of our craftsmen to bring designs from paper and to make them a reality.

In order to design and build sets that meet your approval and offer a true reflection of a storyboarded idea, we also understand the necessities of working alongside your art department and other theatres, television, or film construction companies with specialised services and trades. We will be happy to do this in order to keep to your deadlines and to provide your project with the most finely executed sets and scenery.

Our Materials and Techniques for Set Construction

When providing services as a set construction company, we will make use of a range of high quality materials and practised techniques to complete the work required of us:

Decorative Plaster

Also commonly called “carved plaster” or “plasterwork”, this is a process in which plaster will be directly sculpted onto interior and exterior surfaces. The intended result is the creation of any decorative design elements that have been requested for the stage, set, or studio.

For set production, we are most often given the task of crafting wall and ceiling designs in decorative plaster. However, it is possible to manufacture a myriad of other, more complex features and effects to achieve the atmospheres and environments planned and storyboarded for your production.

Fibrous Plaster

This is a form of decorative plaster, composed of Plaster of Paris that has been reinforced with layers of hessian and secured within a sturdy timber framework. It’s also the perfect material combination for imitating traditional plasterwork, which is more often lime-based and hand-moulded.

We must note that fibrous plaster varieties are generally considered more expensive for the construction of stage scenery or a movie set, and may also be more time-consuming to prepare and apply. It is therefore highly recommended that you plan this material work into your production’s budget in advance.

Glass Reinforced Gypsum

You may also find this material shortened to the abbreviated form “GRG”. It is a modern fibrous plaster type made from a combination of gypsum casting plaster and glassfibre matting, which adds strength to the material while never compromising on a lightweight design and a faster, less labour-intensive installation.

The adaptable, flexible nature of the material while unset also means that it can be quickly cast into a range of requested shapes and designs in advance of the installation. It is also easily painted and decorated, meaning that you can achieve the correct colour scheme to match the inspired designs and plans of any director, set designer, or production designer.

To find out more about this material and the pieces we will produce with it, please see our services page.

Jesmonite

Jesmonite is a composite material made from an acrylic resin that binds gypsum powder. We have several different types of Jesmonite available for theatre, television, and film set production work, each of which can be used to replicate natural stone, granite, marble, terracotta, and sandstone for a variety of props and scenery types.

It is also possible to cast Jesmonite products for theatre, TV and movie sets that mirror the look and behaviours of moulded metallic objects, such as bronze, brass, and copper. If you would like to learn more about specific types of Jesmonite mouldings, please see our page and the product information provided.

Why Choose Specialist Plasterwork for Your Set Design?

Plaster is often considered the ideal material for set construction within film, television, and theatre production. Its popularity and frequent use is most often attributed to its lightweight design, ease of use, and cost-effectiveness, allowing a production company to meet its given deadlines for film set or theatre scenery construction and reducing the overall budget.

As plaster is so easily applicable, it is also straightforward to mould into any shape or given any finish required to complete the mise-en-scène. This means that professional set construction companies are then able to take the visions and requests of any production designer or set designer and make them into the reality audiences will want to see on stage or screen.

Common Examples of Set and Scenery Finishes

As experts in the supply and installation of finely made plasterwork, glass-reinforced gypsum, and Jesmonite, we are also more than confident in our skills and abilities as a set construction company for film, TV, and theatre. As such, you can expect us to manufacture any designs, pieces, or finishes you need.

Below, we have provided a list of the most common set and scenery finishes we will provide for theatre, television, and film production:

  • Special effects plastering
  • Bespoke fabrication with plaster
  • Custom mouldings
  • Brick sheet
  • Replica stone and concrete
  • Imitation terracotta, granite, marble, etc.
  • Moulded bronze, brass, and copper
  • Cornices and ceiling roses
  • Limestone wall effect
  • Lime render imitation
  • Textured or patterned render
  • Cracked, aged, and weathered render
  • Broken render finish
  • Hessian and plaster cracks for natural-looking cracks and tear
  • Uneven textured render
  • Imitation lath and lime plaster
  • Flat plaster
  • Silicone reverse moulds

Scenic Embellishment - classical mouldings

In addition to creative scenery and bespoke set production we also hold a catalogue of classical architectural mouldings which are perfect for scenic embellishment. These stock moulds enable us to easily manufacture a range of plaster enrichments that can dress a film or television set to reflect the ornate interiors of rooms from the Georgian, Edwardian and Victorian periods spanning the years of 1740 to around 1910.

Our scenic embellishments include plaster mouldings of ceiling roses, cornice, column capitals, friezes, niches and wall panel mouldings as well as structural-looking decorative pieces like arches and columns. Click below to browse our catalogue and bear in mind that if you can’t find the design you need it’s possible we can model it for you!

 

Contact Us for More Information

If you require assistance for a small or large scale entertainment project and you would like to learn more about what we can offer your sets and scenery in plaster, GRG, or Jesmonite, please contact us today. We are proud of our reputation amongst theatre, film, and television set construction companies, and we are certain that we will be able to accurately manufacture and produce the pieces and finishes needed.

As a UK-based manufacturer of glass-reinforced gypsum, you are also guaranteed a quick delivery, with no delays to your deadline based on shipping or overly-detailed paperwork that could potentially hold up production.

CALL US IF WE CAN HELP YOU – 01959 571 071