Glossary
Set Designer Terms & Vocabulary
15 essential set designer terms with plain-English definitions: the vocabulary you’ll hear in training and on day one.
Key set designer vocabulary
These 15 terms come up constantly in set designer training, on the job and in interviews. Knowing them helps you follow instructions, document accurately and sound prepared.
- Elevation
- Front view drawing.
- Flat
- Framed wall panel.
- Fly system
- Lifts scenery.
- Ground plan
- Top-down set drawing.
- Period research
- Historic design research.
- Platform
- Raised floor.
- Production designer
- Leads film design.
- Prop
- Object used by actors.
- Rendering
- Color illustration.
- Scene shop
- Where sets are built.
- Scenic charge
- Lead scenic painter.
- Set dressing
- Decorative items.
- Sightlines
- Audience views.
- Tech rehearsal
- Rehearsal with sets and lights.
- White model
- Plain scale model.
Practice these terms
Test yourself with the free Set Designer practice test: it includes vocabulary questions built from this list. For a complete course, see Set Designer training.
Browse terms from every career in our career glossary.