Enci Cong's Set Design Portfolio

Portfolio

Production Design

Enci Cong

Content Page

Site Specific Performance: Rising Sea

Melbourne's sea-level rise displays during the history and future

Waiting for Godot

Time and killing time in a modern gas station

Invisible Cities: Hypatia

A Journey in the Surreal City between Spiral Signs

The Lady in the Looking Glass

the mutual influence between the flowing consciousness and objective facts

Orlando: A Biography

The changing Space and Impression during 5 centuries

WAITING FOR GODOT

BACKGROUND RESEARCH

This project selected Samuel Beckett's play "Waiting for Godot", presenting the story of two homeless men Vladimir and Estragon waiting for a conceptual character Godot. These tendencies are showing in the play.

-Script Breakdown: Object as clues

They kill the time with several objects, and they kept forgetting.

-Main Concept

-Mood Board: Four Tones

The script mentions the change of the sky, which becomes a transmission of time and hints at the deteriorating environment. Therefore, want to organize the scenes into four time nodes with different tones.

-Collage: Research Photographs

-Research Sketching

The specific analysis of the characters and their behaviours affects the presentation of objects in the gas station. Objects are set to give them of different personalities a setting of life background and object interaction.

The reason for choosing this project is that have always been interested in religious and time themes and hope to explore the expression of these abstract things. also want to set the background of the times in the modern era and present awaiting scene that is more evocative to modern people. When searching the mood board, found that the shift of time can be reflected in the changes of colors and objects. Therefore, I made collages about the waiting scene, and chose a gas station as a representative, and used computer graphics to generate the set on the thrust stage. To show the protagonists' lives around the gas station, convey the feeling of stagnant and emptiness.

Date: Sep. 2021--Oct. 2021

Collage - modern waiting scene

Sketches - waiting

Set Iteration sketchesCommonality of Lonely Character sketches - Personality and Behavior Analysis

In the middle of an empty and lonely place with no end, the tree constitutes a place for waiting between life and death, and the image of transforming it into a gas station extracts the commonalities of these places and carries out a modern transformation.

went further to explore the effect of the objects imagined to be applied in the actual space and prepared to combine them.

-Visual Time Line

In the four divided point, a harsh environment and a strong sense of loneliness that become more pronounced over time

The fuzzy perception of time is reflected in the object as the concreteization of abstract time.

The first act went around killing time around the station but later they had to hide in the shelter, and they ran out of food. They need try to approach the phone booth from a distance.

The indicator lights on the shelter are getting brighter. The words and numbers on the price blackboard are placed in an orderly manner and gradually fall down. Time passes and develops in a bad direction.

A play by Samuel Beckett

Act 1 Act 2

- Concept Collage - Stage Setting

Plan Black

- Costume Design of Vladimir and Estragon

Transform the background of the play into a modern gas station space to describe the behavior of waiting and the visualization of time

Section

-

Between

Quilts, pillows and other supplies they have been living here for a while Lid Shelter with signs, and lights below not under actors' control

- Iterational Stage Setting

The Homeless Estragon - shabby clothes carrying some daily necessities Vladimir - some numbers and signs on his costume, holding an address book and letters for finding Godot's contact.

- Costume Design of Pozzo and Lucky

Remoted phone booth – conveying Godot’s message, the exit of current dillema

letters and books picked up from the station, there may be Godot’s phone number in the contact.

The little boy - connected with them by the phone

The Capitalist and The slave Pozzo - Wealthy capitalist with luxurious objects and clothing Lucky - Ragged, overwhelmed slave, and the mechanical parts of his limbs also suggest his unusualness with the hat on, his mind is connected to other spaces

- Act 1 Scene 1: At The Dawn

Estragon is eating the carrot while Vladimir is looking at the price blackboard Showing Trivial things at the moment.

- Act 1 Scene 2: At The Sunset

Lucky with his hat is acting as "Thinking", which annoying the others so they go to catch him.

Showing Human and time are present without Godot

- Act 2 Scene 1: In The Evening

Vladimir went to pull Podro and Lucky who fell in the mist and ended up falling himself too. Estragon tried to save them.

Showing

the blurry boundary between life and death

The position of the object is changed manually by the actors, and the indicator light is automatically controlled.

- Act 2 Scene 2: At Night

Vladimir received a call from the little boy again and was told that Godot was still not coming tonight.

Showing Fuzzy memories and time.

The screen goes black when the telephone is not connected, and the screen lights up after the telephone is connected.

Indicator lights and markings are on

Answering the phone

STORYBOARD

- Act 1 Scene 1: At The Dawn

Estragon is eating the carrot while Vladimir is looking at the price blackboard Showing Trivial things at the moment.

Left side view

Front view Top view

The gas station The phone booth

Left side view Front view

Right side view The gas station

The quilt

Indicator lights and markings

- Act 2 Scene 1: In The Evening

• Vladimir went to pull Podro and Lucky who fell in the mist and ended up falling himself too. Estragon tried to save them.

• Showing the blurry boundary between life and death

• The position of the object is changed manually by the actors, and the indicator light is automatically controlled.

- Act 1 Scene 2: At The Sunset

Lucky with his hat is acting as "Thinking", which annoying the others so they go to catch him.

Showing Human and time are present without Godot

Front view

- Act 2 Scene 2: At Night

• Vladimir received a call from the little boy again and was told that Godot was still not coming tonight.

• Showing Fuzzy memories and time.

• The screen goes black when the telephone is not connected, and the screen lights up after the telephone is connected.

CITY AND SIGNS, HYPATIA

A novel section by Italo Calvino

Personally, I tried to build and render a model of the invisible cities in 2019. And this thorough recontact, I would like to use artistic techniques to reshape this city full of metaphors. In view of the fact that found that the selected city has a similar concept of surrealism, first investigated the expression of surrealism, and then conceived and sorted out the necessary elements and expressions of five scenes and sketched the scenes with sketches. After that, I used rhino modelling and Enscape rendering to build my set. My purpose is to explore the application of surrealism in set design, as an interdisciplinary study of architecture and theatre design.

Date: Aug.2021-- Sep.2021

This project selects the section named "City and Signs 4" in Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino, showing what Marco Polo saw and felt about the city named Hypatia he passed.

In this section, the author Italo has abstracted his thinking on the symbolization of modern cities into this allegorical city.

- Narrative Flow

Showing the sequence of Marco's exploration of the city.Unrealistic Combinations of human and environment displays the special relationship in visual shape or spirit.

- Waiting for a ship on the spire

- Addict occpying the library instead of philosopher

As the unique connection between humans and environment in Hypatia is similar as Surrealism Splicing the reality with the illusion of the subconscious surrealism could be used to conveys the concept and visual image of Hypatia. According to the three classifications of surrealist techniques to express multidivisional space I divided the reference images into three approaches.

- Project Aim

- Garden with dead people in the lake

- Prisoner occpying the palace instead of the royal family

When was looking for a language for the city, noticed that the symbol of the spiral is included in all aspects of nature and human activities, and can be used to explain the connection between humans and the environment.

As complex modern cities emphasizing function, citizens gradually lose their attention to nature. The author advocate citizens to get rid of the signs - realize the internal relationship between modern things and nature

- Musicians staying in the cemetry

Hypothetical and Dislocation Recombination,- Nature

Adding spiral trees, an eye with human limbs placed on the ground, showing the feeling of a surreal garden.With Marco’s exploration, the garden gradually changed its form hinting Marco's impression, from warm to horror.

Hypothetical and Dislocation Recombination - Human Civilization with an installation in Mobius ring as the palace. Cooperate with the palace ceiling showing vertically placed on the cyclorama, and the continous projection of the prisoners mining in the palace.

Dislocation and Replacement Recombination - Civilization and Nature

In addition to the Mobius ring installation, a Movable Octopus Device with bookshelves and books is also added as a library.

Hypothetical Reconstruction - Life Cycle

To link the tombstone and piano keys together, reflecting the concert in the cemetry Pianist jumps on the shadow of elongated keys to produce music.

Replacement Recombination - City and Signs

The spire in Marco's imagination is composed of spiral trees and stairs and leads to the Universe. As showing the impression of Hypatia.

THE OCTOPUS' TENTACLES

Costume Design

Imagining the figures of four actors appearing in five scenes, the traveler Marco appears in the form of a man in a backpack, drug addicts and philosophers are contrasted, with chaotic or definite spirals, and elements of piano and dance are shown in the musicians.

SCENE 1 ACT 1

Marco wanted to listen to music, so he came to the cemetery to find the pianist.

SCENE 1 ACT 2

SCENE 2 ACT 1

SCENE 2 ACT 2

SCENE 3 ACT 1

SCENE 3 ACT 2

SCENE 4 ACT 1

SCENE 5 ACT 1

- SCENE 5: LEAVING HYPATIA

Marco imagined waiting for a spaceship at the spire when he was leaving.

Marco came to the library to find the philosopher but saw that there was only a opium smoker sitting on the movable octopus.

And the Addict pointed to the grass outside and then told Marco the secret of the Hypatia.

Marco came to the palace to look for the king to inquire

He only saw the projections of the mining prisoners moving around the Mobius ring repeatedly appearing and fading.

Marco first came to the garden in Hypatia.

After seeing the dead in the water, the romantic atmosphere became horror.

- Physical Model and Story Board

- SCENE 1: GARDEN WITH DEAD

Marco first came to the garden in Hypatia.

SCENE 1 ACT 2

After seeing the dead in the water, the romantic atmosphere became horror.

Marco came to the palace to look for the king to inquire

- SCENE 2: ENDLESS MINING PALACE

He only saw the projections of the mining prisoners moving around the Mobius ring repeatedly appearing and fading.

SCENE 2 ACT 1

SCENE 2 ACT 2

SCENE 1 ACT 1

eye The spiral trees and vine

SCENE 3 ACT 2

And the Addict pointed to the grass outside and then told Marco the secret of the Hypatia.

- SCENE 4: CEMETERY CONCERT

- SCENE 5: LEAVING HYPATIA

SCENE 5 ACT 1

Marco imagined waiting for a spaceship at the spire when he was leaving.

Books combined with the octopus

SCENE 3 ACT 1

Marco came to the library to find the philosopher but saw that there was only a opium smoker sitting on the movable octopus.

Ask for the philosoper Books placed around the octopus' head

Front view

Shadow projected as piano keys

SCENE 4 ACT 1

Marco wanted to listen to music, so he came to the cemetery to find the pianist.

Front view

The octopus library

Front view

Vertical view

Top view

Marco enjoying the concert

Front view

Top view

Marco climbing the spire

Marco connecting to the space Marco waiting for the spaceship

THE LADY IN THE LOOKING GLASS

A novel by Virginia Woolf

After exploring the subjective journey crossing the 5 centuries in Orlando, I chose this novel, hoping to explore the mutual influence between the journey of consciousness and objective facts. In this project, I made the collages in four themes more structurally, and has developed a series of visual logic. In the contrast between reality and illusion, want to try a set method that cooperates with screen and stage. The prerecorded screen production can better show the unreal scene in consciousness, and I present my concept with digital renderings.

Date: Nov. 2021

- Sketchings: Three Set Of Watching BACKGROUND RESEARCH

-Script Breakdown

- Theme And Mood Board - Concept

Two sets of relationships

Letters delievered Time Line

He is watching Isabella in the living room

REAL WORLD IMAGINATION

Thinking about her social identity and appearance

“Putting oneself in her shoes” Isabella comes back showing her true image

The Lady in the Looking Glass by Virginia Woolf tells the story of a narrator sitting in the living room, observing and imagining Isabella Tyson through a mirror with constantly changing ideas.

-Research On The Concept Of Speculating

From other perspective/distance/method See through a media Showing on a media

1st Possibility: Isabella And Herself

Isabella thinking about herself simulating other's perspective

The narrator with the real Isabella passing outside the window

The narrtor with Isabella in his imagination

3rd Possibility: The Narrator And Isabella

2nd Possibility: Mirror And Isabella

According to Jean-Paul Sartre, in the experience of myself being watched, being objectified, and no longer free, that the transcendence and the freedom of others are revealed. Therefore, the theme chose is to let Isabella as the object to be watched to explore the flow of free thoughts. As showing in the third concept.

BEING WATCHED Near

WATCH Real External Still

Sketches: How watching is presented

Imagination Internal Flowing Far

I want to explore the conscious journey of speculating Isabella as the object of imagination from the narrator.

The real world Outside constantly occurring events that affect the mind

Illusory world Inside scenes shifting by the flowing mind.

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

Figure Board

Showing the throught process of Isabella during his changing perspectives and facts as the narrator is writing a journal.

Spatial Board

The collage shows the living room where the narrator is located, and the screen on the back shows the image of Isabella. She and the environment around her will appear within the scope of a golden mirror, as a visual presentation of the narrator's inner world.

Showing how interior interact with exterior on set.

Iteration - Set Developing Process - Technique Drawing

Explore the way of combining Screen - Imaginary Space and Stage The Real Room, and gradually divided them in 2 parts.

- Research on screen representation

Showing a different world or an extension of the real scene

- A luxury but dull living room where the narrator is located

- Highlight the important objects as the narrator observed

- The mirror hinting the relationship of room and the garden Interior Room Board

Outside Garden Board

- Still and quiet feeling for the whole scene with each part flowing and uncotrollable as the mind

- The mirror as an entrance to the other space

Final Iteration - Fan Stage Configuration

Plan

Setting Collage

FIGURE DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

The mysterious and charming Isabella and the type of characters who may be related to her are presented, creating the image of a high-class lady that fits the narrator's initial imagination of her.

Social Image of Isabella

Also explores what the real isabella looks like, conveying an image of ageing and fading lady, and a narrator who loves to observe and think and collecting inspirations.

Narratively Scenes

In this scene reference collage of the picture, simulate the development process of the play. Between the real event of Isabella leaving the living room, and the postman delivering the letter, to Isabella's return, interspersed with imaginary scenes in the narrator's mind, thinking about Isabella's life, socialization and death.

Imaginary Isabella in the garden

Real Isabella come back home

Narrator in the living room

STAGE AND SCREEN COMBINATION

Scene 1 Scene 2

Isabella left her living room and went to the garden.

The incomplete perception of Isabella makes her image as a still and dimly painting.

As Isabella's social life is speculated, her secret letters are unfolded in the narrator's mind, revealing the images of her friends or lovers.

The letters brought by the postman hangs on the boom, interrupting the narrator's thinking.

With the addition of more materials, the imaginary Isabella was out of the scope of his guessing and the image began to become more three-dimensional and vivid.

The narrator imagines the dark side of Isabella's life and her inevitable old age. How she will die in this garden.

The narrator believes that Isabella's inner world is inaccessible, like shadows looming behind a curtain

The approaching real Isabella makes the imaginary space began to collapse, and her feet also stepped out of the mirror.

Scene 5

Scene 6

Scene 3

Scene 4

Scene 7 Scene 8

The physical model shows the living room where the narrator is located, and the screen on the back shows the image of Isabella She and the environment around her will appear within the scope of a golden mirror, as a visual presentation of the narrator's inner world.

Showing how interior interact with exterior on set.

Explore the way of combining Screen - Imaginary Space and Stage The Real Room, and gradually divided them in 2 parts.

The cupboard and the vase

In front of the screen

The dining table and sofa

In the living room

The cabinet and the letters

Right side view

Top view

Front view

BACKGROUND RESEARCH

Orlando as a biographical play, Virginia Woolf integrated the historical period across the 5 centuries with the life experience. The exterior and interior development is showed in these images.

- Research Of Building Styles In The 5 Centuries

ORLANDO

A play by Sarah Ruhl adopted from Virginia Woolf

This project is my undergraduate graduation project, and have been selected to present the work on my university’s official website exhibition. My rendering model of set and lighting has undergone two versions of changes, and a 1:50 model conveying the set and lighting design. was looking for a suitable way to express the changes of the centuries and impression, and hope that my set has the potential to express activities at various times. In the end, I extracted the common elements of the components of these times as the platform and made it a movable device to convey the atmosphere of the times and the mood of Orlando together with the abstract projection. And also designed matching costumes for my set according to the concept.

Date: Sep. 2021--Oct. 2021

- Structure Reference

CIRCLE- A BOUNDARY OF A SPACE

SPIRALENDLESS FEELING

- Research Of Painting Styles In The 5 Centuries

- Stylize Breakdown

DOORWAYS - RANDOM ENTRANCE TO ANOTHER

- CONCEPT the contrast between the Exterior and the Interior How Orlando’s Inner space touches the Outer space Orlando's Subjective Impression.

- Solid Structure

SPHEREHOLDING A WORLD INSIDE

- SCENIC PROJECTION

Studied from the Period Elements

Highlighting and Exaggerating the important parts of her impression

Projection will show the representative elements

or atmosphere, or artistic style in that era and suggest the period vaguely Bring the Recognizable Real-world and the Abstract Impression together

ROTATERESHIFTING AND CONNECTING TO OTHER PLACES

Araya Art Centure

Lequeu's Momument

Etienne- Louis Boullee, Planof Newton's Cenotaph Jeaan- Jacques Lequeu's Temple

PROCESSING WORK FINAL VERSION MODEL: SOLID AND IMPRESSION

Period Changing: the start and end of the architectural feature overlaping to intersection and stagger

The level of interaction: Transformation from period to the modern times

Drafting

Solid Void

White Facade

The old times - symbolizing 16th Stable, slowing moving

Processing Renderings

Self illuminated Steel Frame

The modern - symbolizing 20th Turbulent, fast-moving

The set results in an abstract and minimalist style approach. These two moveable solid facades with regular openings as an uncharacterized abstract architectural symbol sit on a circular track, used to shift Orlando’s journey. The space surrounds by the facades allows Orlando's impression of the world to inhabit. On the facades will appear the projection, representing the image of the real world in his mind, and express the transformation of both spatial and emotional.

- Structure Details

Inner

Orlando's mind as Lighting inside the facades

Outer

The world in Orlando's impression as Projection showing on the facades

Front View

- Model Images

- Projection Guide Plan

Top View

Front View

With Projection image paste on showing Act 2

Top View

Sitting on a Black metaphorical reflective surface

The abstract 17th century Bed

Extracted Baroque shape

circular track to guide projectors

circular track to guide facades

solid facades projectors circular track for facades circular track for projectors

projectors

solid facades

door case

solid facades could be fixed projectors

circular track for facades

Universal wheels running into 4 Trails

The adding layer of Track tangently guides the wheels to slide in

The structure sit on a circular track that can move by the Chorus slowly or automatically move

The Steel frame is in truss structure and the outer side of the frame has more supportings

SCENES RENDERING

River

The renders explored how these facades form soft thresholds under the changing times and moods.

The facade is static for most of the time, but it will turn quickly when the period changes or things happen, symbolizing the inner influence of Orlando.

War

Home

Different moods would make the facades composited in different angles From the 16th century, the opening size between the facades gradually decreases, but it reverted to the original 180 degrees, hinting that Orlando went from arrogant bravery to firmly self-confidence at the end.

Candle

Inspiration Collage

Impression: Candle light up a warm home

Act1-1: The Oak Tree

Impression: Tree and life - Spring

Projection: Slow moving as the wind blowing

Act1-3: Skating with Sasha

Impression: The ice in a romantic feeling

Projection: Sliding while they are skating

Impression: Finding an exit of the current life

Projection: Fast shifting to many places as seaking for the exit

The movement of the projection includes fast movement and slow displacement as rolling, shifting, or sliding, combines with the movement of the facades showing the moving elements or the forward journey.

Act3-1: In The Home

Projection: Around the moving

Act1-2: Queen in Orlando’s Home

Impression: Old Queenbranches

Projection: Growing up

Act1-4: The Escape

Impression: Raining space

Projection: Rain falling down

Impression: The war- Fire outside the room

Projection: Showing burining fires

Impression: The abstract Thames River

Projection: Sliding sideways to show they are sailing

Act3-2: Sails Back to England

Inspiration Collage

Inspiration Collage

WEDDING

Act4-1: Rings Everywhere

Impression: Rings as spot hanging

COSTUME DESIGM

- Period Element & Character Visualization

16th Sasha

Layering mysterious Charming and impenetrable

Chorus

The void

Bystander, builder of the workd

The fixed and moving projectors in different locations will work with other lighting devices, to make the inner space being an extension of the projection as the outer space to form an overall atmosphere.

Projection: Shining

Act4-2: The Wedding

Impression: The space is spliting and splashing

Projection: Spinnign faster and faster

Inspiration Collage Inspiration Collage

18th Orlando

Layering myserious Decorative and obedience

20th Orlando

The best self Modern and free

Act5-1: The Department Store

Impression: Crowded strangers

Projection: Moving

Act5-2: Queen Comes Back

Impression: Memory as fabrics

Projection: Flowing slowly

The projectors also work for showing a different mood in the inner space contrasting with the image of the outer space, separating Orlando from the surrounding world, showing a kind of loneliness or antagonize.

- Act 5 20th Century

16th Queen Elizabeth Decaying flower Appreciation and possession

17th Orlando

Tulle dancer Romantic and gorgeous

Shelmerdine

The wave Freedom and bravery

20th Sasha

The true Bold and lively

16th Orlando Ruffle peacock Youth and arrogant

19th Orlando

In the fence

Restricted by the age