Drafting for the Theatre

18. A Case Study of How Shop Drawings Are Made

229 18.1 Introduction Once a production has been designed and drafted, the design drawings are sent out for bid or the costs estimated in-house. During this period, changes may occur in the design due to artistic decisions and the inevitable costs of construction. In commercial theatre and similar businesses, because of time constraints , usually more than one shop will be involved in the fabrication of all the scenic elements. This points out just how important it is that all the design drawings be complete and checked several times to make certain that units that must work or fit together will do so. Decades ago, it was common for a scenic carpenter to work directly off the designer’s working drawings. An informal drawing might be created on a piece of lumber, or perhaps on scrap paper (the proverbial napkin/ envelope drawing). Today’s ever-increasing labor costs and the growing scarcity of skilled workers have nearly ended these practices. Sets have become more complex and the components too interactive to leave the task of correctly fitting pieces together to decisions made by individual carpenters. In an effort to produce scenery efficiently and with minimal errors, the current practice is to produce shop drawings for nearly everything that is built. Fabrication decisions are now determined by technical directors or project managers and their drafters. These decisions are then translated into a series of drawings that identify framing patterns, materials, finishes, and final dimensions. Most shops now have a drafter in-house who converts the design drawings into a new set of drawings known by many names, including “technical drawings,” “construction drawings,” and “shop drawings;” the latter being the term used in this book. As with design drawings,½″ = 1′-0″ scale is the most commonly used scale, with larger scales employed as an object increases in complexity or diminishes in overall size. The need to maintain a minimum ⅛″ lettering size also plays a large role in determining the scale at which a unit is drawn. 18.2 The Scope and Rationale of Shop Drawings Shop drawings differ from design work in that the responsibility of the technical drafter is to develop solutions for the purpose of executing the artistic product. The set designer describes size, shape, finish, and accessories (set dressing ), while the technical designer (drafter) produces drawings that detail what lies beneath the surface. While much of the information contained in shop drawings appears to mirror that of the set designer, the level of complexity is often greater and more specific. In the simplest versions of shop drawings, the perimeter of each unit will remain the same as it is in the design drawing, but the drawing will contain additional information, such as framing patterns, construction material identification, and notes that pertain to assembly, including fasteners. These same drawings should provide adequate installation instructions as well, noting bracing and other such requirements. The technical designer often must reinterpret the design drawings in order to provide the necessary framing and bracing required to meet overall production needs. This may include the need to use more stage space than the designer has allowed and is regularly accomplished through small, and generally imperceptible, shifts of some units, and/or resizing of others. Key to the above is a spirit of collaboration and mutual respect, with a functional communication system in place to make certain that the technical designer has not misinterpreted the set designer’s intent. A complete set of shop drawings typically will consist of those listed in figure 18.1, although not all will be necessary for every show since the need for some of these drawings is venue-driven. 18. A Case Study of How Shop Drawings Are Made 230 Fig_18.2 revised Feb 14 2011 CATEGORY NAME Base Drawings Shop Ground Plan Shop Centerline Section Fabrication (Shop) Drawings Fabrication specifications of Weightbearing Structures Fabrication specifications of Surround (Elevation) Units Millwork (door, windows, and molding) Specialty Drawings Automation Rigging Flown Scenery Rigging & Specifications, such as a grid-level Ground Plan Set Props When it comes to décor elements such as moldings, doors, and windows, frequently there is little need to redraft the designer’s work. While some construction decisions need to be made, often they can be made on top of the design drawing, a task easily accomplished whether using either pencil or CAD. A far more practical approach for transmitting these fabrication notes and details is for the technical drafter to create a bound set of shop...