How has technology changed set design?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Technology has changed the way set designers work, as well as their set designs themselves. Computers offer artists new ways to visualize their work in three dimensions before setting foot in an actual theatre, and solve technical problems before carpenters begin building the set. Set designers can use computer-aided drafting (CAD) programs, such as AutoCAD or Vectorworks to help them draft precise and uniform drawings. Computer-generated designs can be converted into software that programs the power tools used in the construction of scenery. Since the invention of film in the late nineteenth century, theatre directors have used projections to create scenery and provide visual and factual support or counterpoint to stage action. Erwin Piscator used projections and film sequences in his political theatre in the 1920s to draw connections between recent historical events and the dramatic action and to distance the audience emotionally from the play. Today some artists are now experimenting with creating scenery by projecting virtual computer models on stage.