Sets

Sets

After we have been watching the film for a while we can easily recognise which world we are seeing. This is not only because we have become familiar with the characters which populate each world but also because we have become aware of the conventions of style within each world. The most easily recognisable features of the world of Seahaven are the sets and costumes.

Peter Weir, the film’s director, initially thought of using Los Angeles studio backlots to create the town of Seahaven from scratch, however he considered, “The town needed a feeling of having been purpose-built, and built all at one time as with any television or movie set”

The actual town used in the film is Seaside, a 90 acre planned community in northwest Florida USA, founded in 1980. Comprised of over 300 cottages, it is used by all-year-round residents and guests on vacation. Seaside features its own local post office, art galleries, antique shops, boutiques, bookshops and restaurants all within walking distance of each house. The residents of the community all conform to a specific building code to create the ‘storybook’ cottages they live in, and each of Seaside’s streets leads to the ocean.

“It looked like it had been built far our show. I knew we could enhance it to create the ideal setting for Seahaven,” notes Peter Weir.

There is another constructed world within the film 'The Truman Show'; that of the production centre and the audience watching the television series.


Questions:
 * 1) Examine the image of the production centre. What sort of world is implied by the costume and set design? From where do you think it takes its inspiration? Does this confirm Peter Weir's vision of the film? How?
 * 2) How does this contrast with the world of Seahaven and the 'real' world of the television audience? What sets and costumes do we see from the world of the television audience?
 * 3) Redesign the world of Seahaven from its seemingly cosy, comfortable world and give it a sinister, nightmarish quality. Draw or describe your ideas on how to achieve this. If you wish, start completely afresh, or use the existing sets and costumes and alter them.