Hot Set (2012) s01e05 Episode Script
Basement Of Horrors
Los Angeles, California.
Where Hollywood dreams come true.
3, 2, 1, make a movie! But in the world of movie magic, dreams can turn into nightmares.
Tonight on Hot Set, two production designers go head to head You're a geniuses.
to create the gruesome world of a serial killer in just 3 days.
I'm gonna turn this guy into an medical Frankenstein.
Only one team will walk away with $10,000.
To come out on top, they'll have to impress our award-winning panel of judges.
Curt Beech, whose credits include "The Social Network" and "Star Trek.
" Lilly Kilvert, two-time Oscar nominee for "The Last Samurai" and "Legends Of The Fall.
" Barry Robison, production designer of "X-Men Origins" and "The Chronicles of Narnia.
" Watch your step.
Ooh! Aah! Things are heating up Zhhh reveal.
Welcome to my madness.
Here on Hot Set.
My name is Charlotte Newman.
I've worked as an art director and production designer on numerous projects, from gritty independent film to glossy high-end commercials.
I want to win because the money is a good draw, but the real draw is going head to head like that with another artist.
My name is Roger.
I'm a production designer.
Been doing this for over 20 years.
A lot of the projects that I've done, my favorite ones are in the music video genre.
I was art director on "Return Of The Killer Tomatoes.
" I got involved with Hot Set just to say I did it and I won.
Hello, production designers.
Welcome to Hot Set.
I'm your host Ben Mankiewicz.
Right now we're on a soundstage located in the movie capital of the world, Los Angeles, California.
Films like "The Aviator," "Legally Blonde," and "Titanic" have all shot scenes right here on this lot.
Charlotte and Roger, you and your teams will have just 3 days and $15,000 to turn these empty spaces into what the film industry calls hot sets.
That is, sets that are perfectly dressed, locked, and camera ready.
At the end of 3 days, you'll present your finished sets to our panel of judges, and they are some of Hollywood's top talents in production design.
Curt Beech.
Hi, guys.
Welcome.
- Lilly Kilvert.
- Hello.
- And Barry Robison.
- Hello.
Every great set starts with a solid script, and yours is no exception.
Let's set the scene.
Interior.
John's basement.
Night.
Jessica opens the door and looks around, quickly realizing this is not a bathroom.
She has discovered John's trophy room.
Immediately I'm going, all right, he took out Bambi and Bambi's family and their heads are hanging on the wall.
That's the scene you'll be creating a set for, but there is one more thing.
Behind this curtain is a critical element you'll need to incorporate into your final set.
Charlotte, Roger, here is your inspiration.
Oh.
Wow.
Perhaps inspiration is the wrong word.
This is no Halloween prank.
Clearly, judging by this collection of severed body parts, something in your scene isn't quite right.
No, it is not.
Designers, welcome to the world of horror.
Jessica has just realized her boyfriend John is a murderous psychopath.
Very cool.
Your challenge is to design a serial killer's private space, a space that incorporates these body parts into a room that nobody else was ever intended to see.
Judges, please let Charlotte and Roger know what you're going to be looking for.
I really want to get into the tone of this room.
This is not the scary thing.
How you present it is the scary thing.
This is a dangerous set in many ways.
It can so go to silly.
This is the danger of horror movies.
The silly girl forgets to turn the light on or forgets to watch out for the man who's carrying the sawzall.
You know, you really have to be careful to make it a real world and its real horror.
I've done horror.
I know the pitfalls of horror.
And the last thing you want to do is come up with a hackneyed idea that we've seen before.
Now, you have 5 minutes to familiarize yourselves with John's gruesome trophies, and when you're ready, your team is waiting for you in the design studio.
Your challenge begins right now.
I'm seeing all these hanging body parts, and I love the idea of sort of Halloween horror, and it's such a great challenge.
I'm looking forward to it.
Now we're good to go.
Body parts hanging on hooks and blood dripping everywhere.
I know horror.
I've done creepy.
This is gonna be a walk in the park.
It's sushi time.
All right, guys, your time is up.
Please go ahead and rejoin your teams.
They're in the design studio.
And good luck to both of you.
Not exactly what we would have anticipated.
Serial killer's trophy room.
My team is comprised of two people whom I adore.
Johanna-- she's an incredibly, incredibly talented artist.
She is my decorator.
She is in his house, open the basement door to find body parts.
Chris is my other team member, who is amazing.
He handles the day to day running of our crew and keeping on top of multiple projects.
The inspirational reveal were body parts.
The team that I've selected here is part of my past.
First choice out of the gate was JR McGarrity.
He's coming on as my full-on scenic.
I realized I needed someone that could take a wall and turn it into whatever I wanted.
This guy's a serial killer.
Yay.
Second teammate is Lauren Stewart.
She's my set dresser and the person that keeps me on budget as best she can.
All right, Curt, what's the big challenge here? Decoration of whatever space they're in is a massive part of this.
You know, what are the tools, and how are they being used? How are they displayed, in addition to how these pieces are displayed? And what is the rest of that basement like? Absolutely.
Is it like a laboratory? Is it a workshop? Is it just a big fat mess and she doesn't know what she's looking at until she discovers what she's really looking at? I think that's really key.
I mean, the set decoration in a set like this is paramount.
With horror films and horror sets, it's all about reveal.
It's that small and quiet reveal, reveal, reveal.
Scare.
As always, thanks, guys.
You're welcome.
So here's what I think we're gonna go.
I want to do something that creates the arch feel of a tunnel.
Ok.
Cool.
My concept for this design is based on the idea that this is an abandoned old subway.
I'm gonna need to rent some trusses to create the arch of this subway.
I'm gonna try to create a feeling of claustrophobia and an eerie, creepy environment.
What I am thinking is, she is coming through this doorway to find a set of stairs.
And then he has created a gallery space to display and view his items.
My concept is, the serial killer is like an artist.
And he's created a display wall almost like a museum, where the body parts are being turned into artworks.
And in the center is going to be a round chamber that reveals the tools of his torture.
You're showcasing So we're showcasing the body parts.
Ok, yeah, I like that.
Hi.
I'm on my way to go shopping, but before I do that, I need to sit down with the construction team so they can just get moving and start building.
It's going to be a large round sphere that forces us to turn around, so it'll come around on a turntable.
And as it comes around and reveals itself to camera, it's locked.
And it's the remains of everything that he's done, in order to create these masterpieces.
We have one curved wall, which is sort of the cut-out sort of museum pieces displays.
I could tell by the way they were responding to what I was saying that everybody just knew exactly what they needed to get done.
I'm gonna jam, do some shopping, and you guys can get started.
Awesome.
Ok.
Thank you.
Welcome to my madness.
Let me walk you through quickly what-- just verbally what I'm gonna create.
So my storyline is, John is the building manager of a big old building in New York.
It has sub-layers that go deep underground.
I have a reputation of being long-winded.
Not talking to hear my own voice, but trying to let my team and the people around me verbally understand what I visually am seeing in my mind's eye.
There's a door at the top, but it's not a door.
It's a gate.
Camera now looks up the end of the stairs and we've seen a long shadow.
Roger's pretty thorough when it comes to discussion and laying out things.
Sometimes he waxes poetic, for me, 'cause I'm like, get it done.
But at the same time, like he really wants to make sure that you know where you're going.
And then we'll figure out what to do with the two of you when there's nothing to dress yet.
We'll start picking each others brains.
So-- that's the assignment.
Let's get out of here and hit the ground running.
- Great.
- Good.
The first place that I'm going to go shopping to is LCW.
They specialize in industrial-type props.
This is the kind of thing I'm looking for.
I could rivet the end into the floor.
This is the same place, isn't it, that I'm looking at, right here? - Yep, same place.
- That is what she wants.
The most important piece of set dressing that we need to get are these stairs, and it's going to be much easier to rent than to build.
And you're just under 10 feet.
118 inches.
Perfect.
We've got the stairs and a few bits and pieces, some levers and some smalls, and I'm just champing at the bit to get back to that set.
- How are you? - Hey.
- I'm Roger.
- Good to meet you.
So I've chosen LCW as my prop house, and I've got to get through a lot of their prop choices and narrow it down to the props that help define my serial killer.
- 10 of these.
- You got it.
I make quick looks around and I see this here, I'm seeing that there.
- Let me have 6 of the yellow turn-off valves.
- Gotcha.
- All 5 of those? - All of those.
That's killer.
Put this on the list.
I want to know the price.
It's big and massive and it's probably gonna blow my budget out.
So I'm looking around and I'm trying to figure this out, and there's just these wonderful medical props.
And that was it.
All of a sudden my storyline changed.
Now I know who he is.
I know who my serial killer is.
He likes to watch his victims get impaled.
Coming up Everyone's on the mad scramble.
Where's a knife? Somebody give me a knife.
Go back, go back, go back.
They're too big.
They're friggin' too big.
I just spent $3,000 and they're not gonna be able to be used the way I want it.
So I've chosen LCW as my prop house, and I've got to get through a lot of their prop choices and narrow it down to the props that help define my serial killer.
And there's just these wonderful medical props.
All of a sudden my storyline changed.
Now I know who he is.
I know who my serial killer is.
He's now just gone into a wannabe doctor that failed, and he's now gonna be taking these people apart and putting them in the refrigerator.
Nice.
And I'm gonna turn this guy into a little bit of a medical Frankenstein.
I bet I spent at least half of my budget on those props, but they're important.
They tell the story.
I gotta have 'em.
So I'm walking back onto the stage, and I can't believe in the time that I've been gone how quickly things are just happening and going.
And I see the concept really taking shape.
- Are you happy? Everything good? - Very.
Ok, props are done.
Now I'm back at the stage, and I tell you, that construction crew has just hammered it out.
They've got the stairs underway, and my scenics are painting the floor.
I'm just pleased as punch.
Hey, JR, our truss is here.
So we need to unload that truck.
- This one here.
- Ok.
We'll-- you grab the other.
I'm using the trusses, which normally are used for lighting, as a structure to help hold and house this subway.
First reaction-- ah, yay, they're here.
Then I think about it.
They're too big.
They're friggin' too big.
They're twice the size that they're supposed to be.
I have such a small space to build this set in, and the trusses that I got are huge.
We have to be able to have shock value on camera.
I know.
So it's not just good enough that we create something super cool, because it has to be scary So my team and I came up together with the idea that this psychopath is driven by the desire to recreate these body parts into artworks.
- Ok, so what is the-- - Oh, oh, oh! What if Charlotte does get very wound up.
Ohh! Why don't we make a chandelier It's like the wheels are spinning too fast in her head.
Out of hands? I get so excited, I'm just completely bursting.
I just spent $3,000, and they're not going to be able to be used the way I wanted.
The trusses that I ordered are now wider than what I wanted.
The fact that they got wider means that the interior has gotten smaller.
It's not a subway.
It's too narrow to be a subway.
So I came up with a concept-- let's turn it into a root cellar.
I gotta use what I got.
Yo! Yo! Hey, guys.
Time's up.
That's it.
We're outta here.
Thank you, guys, so, so, so much.
It's hard to leave my leg.
Thanks.
Thank you.
I see it really taking shape, but, wow, we have a lot to do tomorrow.
Because of my truss situation, I'm gonna have less acting space.
I'm just gonna have to make this work.
So I'm walking in today with a plan for all of construction and paint.
In the world of production design, particularly when it comes to budget and time, one thing that often goes away is anything curved, because it is a lot more labor intensive.
It's really a lot of hard work.
Keep coming.
Keep coming.
Keep coming.
But this is a wonderful opportunity to really do something so unique, and I just think that we want to go big or go home.
That's good.
I love it.
Day two.
New beginnings.
Here we go.
You need to focus in on 2 or 3 chiral heads.
Lauren's focus today is to do the detail.
So these things get blood.
Yeah.
These, I think, can go in the jar.
And I need her to really go through the budget to figure out where we are.
So let's go out there and get the day started.
Let's get to work.
Now it's nice.
I see out of the corner of my eye Barry and Ben approaching.
I was like, uh I don't want him to see the set in the state that it's in.
Charlotte.
Roger.
We are here to scare you.
I admire Barry so much as a designer, and I don't want to be this stressed-out mess when I'm talking to him.
So tell me, what's the concept? We have created a lair that has been cut away into a basement area.
One portion of it is almost hacked in rock, that opens up into what is sort of like this gallery arena with areas that have been cut out in arches for placement of these body parts - which have been turned into artworks almost.
- Ok.
There's a cylinder that looks like laminate with rivets in it.
Ok.
As she steps onto the ground floor, she trips a device on the stage floor and all of a sudden this thing turns-- zhhh And all the torture devices are inside the , lit up.
Wow.
Stop.
Don't tell me any more.
Let it be a surprise.
Oh, my heart's racing! No, no, no, it's like fantastic.
It's huge.
But I'm worried, with your time.
If you're not going to do it well, don't do it.
Remember, a finished set is a good set.
Hey, man.
How's it going? Well, we're getting it there.
Talk me through your world here now.
Right.
At the far end, I've got a full arch.
At this end it's a quarter.
- I wanted claustrophobic.
- Ok.
I wanted it to be, you know, this - Really - So it's oppressive.
It's-- you're in the space, you almost have to duck at points.
Ok, great.
Not bad.
Everything out here I've got crates that are a little bit older.
It takes the older rustic feel.
I have some medical shelves and medical pieces and the tools of his trade of cutting things apart will be in and around.
Listen, here's the deal.
Make sure that you've got plenty of space for the action.
Tables, trusses, arches, this, and chairs-- you got a lot going on in here.
- All right, guys.
- Thanks for explaining everything.
- Good luck.
- Thanks for coming in.
Roger's such a likeable guy, but do you feel like he's focused? It feels to me like he's got so much to do and then to also make it look great.
He believes in what he's doing, but I'm worried that he's really overreaching.
And ultimately, it's the set that speaks for itself.
Absolutely.
It'll tell us everything.
What about Charlotte's set, Charlotte's plan? I love the idea, but will she pull it off? - All right.
Let's go.
- Ok.
After talking with Barry, I'm very aware of the fact that we may have bitten off more than we can chew and that something's going to have to give.
So this is my head here.
As we're approaching the end of the day, we have the bones up, but we haven't even started on the gallery display or even getting the rock up, let alone even begin on the torture chamber.
I'm really worried we're not going to be done on time.
I want to enjoy the moment of walking on set for a second here.
So at my moment of excitement, I'm seeing it finally coming together, in walks Lauren.
We haven't purchased our back walls yet, have we? Our budget is 14,001 right now.
We don't have the money for walls.
My maximum budget is $15,000.
I'm almost out of money.
Lauren just walks in and she tells me, you are almost over budget.
I've got $900 left, and I need walls.
One wall could cost me $150.
And I know I need more than 10.
Lauren? I need to know if I can buy a roll of visqueen.
Visqueen? Visqueen.
- Ok.
- Ok.
Visqueen-- that's that thin plastic stuff that you get from hardware stores that you roll out to protect your house when you're painting it.
This could save this entire endeavor.
I could put trusses up there, skin 'em with visqueen.
I'm gonna fake walls.
Age it down, get weird back-lighting on it, - bizarre.
- Ok.
I know it's gonna work.
In order to build this rock wall, we have decided to go with mesh over frame with spray foam, which is a time-consuming process for a wall this size.
- In the middle.
- Like that? - Yes.
- All right.
We have to cut into it and have it dry and we need to go over the paint book by tomorrow, and we have so few hours left.
The thing about the visqueen with the paint, any little flexing that the plastic does I understand.
The paint will come right off.
We can give it a shot.
Right now it just looks like plastic with streaks.
But when I put the chainlink fence up, fill the place with props, you'll never tell the difference.
Well, I want to cut their entire eye sockets out.
Yeah.
My serial killer is a frustrated artist who has created this sweeping gallery wall to display his grotesque body parts sculptures.
There's something very cool about these legs doing Some way to connect them together.
Now I've got my work cut out for me because I have to take these raw materials and make them look intricate, edgy, and scary on set.
I like the idea.
Just continue with what's These body parts sculptures, they have to bring the horror.
They have to scare the actress.
And they need to scare the judges.
I mean, that's really disturbing to see on camera.
That's going to be so graphic with the shape.
30 minutes! Ok, guys! Time's up.
End of day two, I'm wishing for another 24 hours, because it is just so much left for us to do.
I want this to be perfect, and I don't want it to be half-baked.
- We're outta here.
- Not a problem.
- Whoo! There's a satisfaction at the end of the day because I've got my superstructure done.
We still have got a lot to do.
I just gotta get this done.
So, we all know what we need to do.
The needs to get done, paintings to get on.
Ceiling's going up.
We got all the pieces of the puzzle together, we just need to put them together.
- Perfect.
- Awesome.
Here's the bottom line.
I overspent.
But I'm not over budget.
Ok? In this day, I got $60 left.
All right? We're gonna do the last of the corrugated.
You guys in dressing are going to gather the rest of the stuff.
JR, we're going to be dealing with paint.
Right? - All right, let's do it, ok? - Awesome! The paint job on the rock is looking fantastic.
Every time I tn around, it looks more and more and more tactile and more and more and more realistic.
All of a sudden you can really feel these two elements working against and with each other, between this clean, pristine wall and this ravaged organic wall.
3-hour call! 3 hours.
Loosen it up a little bit.
It's gonna kind of go around the base.
Yeah, just take it and wrap, wrap, wrap.
And then once it gets in place, we're gonna arrange it.
So, Lauren's gonna do her magic with the roots.
That'll help to create the feeling that we are underground and that this is a root cellar.
I like the moss idea of what you're doing here.
Yeah, that works really, really well.
Great.
We still have to install the door.
- It needs to go faster.
- I know.
We don't have enough time to create the right effect in behind this door.
It's gonna have to have a full off to black and behind her and just hope that nobody notices.
Lauren? I need you to quickly go and find out for me the cost of a hazer.
I still need fog to create that dampness of this space.
- I need to know what the rental cost is per production day.
- Ok.
I like atmosphere.
I need that dampness.
I'm going to get more props.
We can't afford a hazer.
It's 100 bucks.
But I can get you canned fog for $14 a can.
But that won't last me.
That's what we can afford.
Get me 3 cans.
3 cans.
Got you.
The torture chamber is an essential element that sells who the serial killer is and what he does.
This is a methodical killer that encases the victims before they're dismembered.
Coming in! Sweep it out.
Right there, Jake.
No, the laminate needs to be facing camera.
Watch your fingers on the flashing.
It needs to be mounted to a turntable in order for it to be able to rotate.
Can we plug it in? It's on now.
Is it turning at all? No.
We have to get this cylinder working on the turntable.
Isn't that a bitch.
- Is it turning? - No.
If we can't get this key prop to rotate, the concept just sort of ceases to be cohesive.
- It's, uh, it's not spinning.
- Power's up.
And right now, it won't turn around.
Something's hitting there or somewhere.
So it's the last hour and everyone's on the mad scramble.
We have a 6-foot clear glass round cylinder that encases the victims before they're dismembered, and right now it won't turn around.
Spin it.
Spin it.
Spin it.
- The other way? - Yeah.
Ok, spinning.
Yeah.
So we're up against the time crunch.
Where's a knife? Somebody get me a knife.
And it's sticking, and the guy's cutting, and everyone's doing their thing.
But if it doesn't turn, I'm screwed.
Go back, go back, go back.
Ok, reverse.
If it doesn't work, the concept just sort of ceases to be cohesive, and that could be a dealbreaker.
It's floating enough all around.
And then, finally, she does her first turn.
It's a thing of beauty.
Yay! We're running out of time, and we've got to get this set dressed.
Ah These elements are what's going to make my set.
I've just go to get this done.
I could even use another piece.
We're placing all the medical props.
Coming in! As I stand back and look at it, I realize I may have over-propped a bit.
But that's what I do.
I create a story with the props.
They're really important.
Johanna at this point has been putting the sculptural elements into the set, and I look up and they just look so good.
You gotta move it? I'm still gonna do the gate coming down.
To enhance the fear factor of the set, I'm gonna have Jessica come down the stairs, trip over a line.
That will then cause a chainlink fence to slam behind her.
She's now a lab rat in John's dark laboratory lair.
- Do it.
Go.
- Huh! You're geniuses.
It doesn't get any simpler than that.
Give me blood dripping the sides of the heads, too.
Like they got hit in the face or hit in the side, like they got hit in the face or hit in the side! We have a minute, 30 seconds.
Charlotte, Roger.
Your time is up.
I'm-- I'm ready to go.
Roger is ready to go.
Charlotte, camera ready? We are.
Each of you now have 30 minutes to shoot a scene on your set.
- Thank you.
- Whoo! And, Charlotte, Roger, good luck to both of you.
Copy! Grips! Electric! Car! Walkie! 3, 2, 1 Good to go! You're coming into the space, down the stairs.
It is needing to be a dim feel.
You're now discovering it.
So I'll be discovering this area.
You'll be discovering it.
My biggest worry coming into this film was how it's gonna work on camera.
'Cause you never know.
Camera ready Give me atmosphere.
Ok, back away, go.
Aah! Ohh! And on you.
Ready on one.
Go one.
I'm sorry.
Ready to drop it? Go.
Oh! Ohh! Help! Aah! I think we've done enough.
Got it.
That's gonna sell.
- Hi.
- How are you? - Good.
- Are you ready to go? Yes! I'm ready! Show me how you want it.
Ok.
Let's walk down the stairs first.
As you come down and you activate this step, you need to stumble and dodge out of the way.
Ok.
- Then it comes right down and attaches.
- Right.
Which is what he does-- he dismembers, - so we want it on your leg.
- Right.
So as I come down the stairs, I see each and every wall.
Which is why you're not paying attention.
The last box is completely empty.
The insinuation being that that's for you.
Can I have everyone who's activating things on set? I'm watching the shoot, and I'm worried that it's just not scary enough.
Move! And that's a cut.
Production designers, welcome to the hot set presentation.
Tonight, one of you will leave here with $10,000.
The other will leave with nothing.
You remember our judges, of course.
Curt Beech.
Hello.
Lilly Kilvert.
And Barry Robison.
Welcome back.
Heh heh heh heh.
Your challenge this week was to take us inside the mind of a serial killer by creating a trophy room of his victims.
You were give very specific stage directions that your set had to accommodate.
Interior.
John's basement.
Night.
Jessica opens the door and looks around, quickly realizing this is not a bathroom.
She has discovered John's trophy room.
Charlotte, let's start with you.
John is a frustrated artist with an incredibly sick mind who has created an underground cavern to display his dismembered body parts turned into museum pieces.
There is no blood in the set, so the fear is really in the absence of the blood and the gore.
It's the remains of it that's really terrifying.
This is my hot set.
We want to know what you think of tonight's creations.
Tell us on Twitter using hashtag #HotSet.
Charlotte, you told us about your set.
Let's see how you did.
This is my hot set.
Charlotte, now that the judges have seen your set, it's time to show them how it plays on screen.
Aah! Aah.
Aah! Charlotte, thank you.
Roger.
Tell us about your set.
John is a failed medical student with a dark secret.
And he found a house that's built over the city's old sewer system.
Jessica was visiting John and there's a power outage.
Equipped with a flashlight, she starts off to find the bathroom, but makes a fatal wrong turn and discovers what John doesn't want anyone to see.
This is my hot set.
Help! Ultimately in production design what matters most is how your work looks on screen.
We know the script.
Roger, let's see how you did.
Aah! Aah! Help! Help! Help! Help! Help! Roger, thank you.
And both of you, really nice job.
Judges, like to invite you all on set for a closer look.
This is a custom piece? Yeah.
It's pretty amazing to do in that amount of time.
Yeah, definitely.
Now, the lampshade I think is just priceless.
Great reveal.
Nice choice.
You know, once again, I think we could use some drippage and some water if this is really supposed to be a rock.
Look at the way the lighting plays on the rock.
And on the floor.
I think that's really smart.
But the staircase, the door, are the weakest parts of the set.
There's just no question about it.
The one thing I do like about the set is that there is plenty of acting area.
- Yeah.
- It's nice.
You don't feel so - Shall we move on? - Yeah.
Just walk right in.
I don't know quite how to walk right in.
There's a little of everything in this set.
Are you trying to say there should be less? Yes, absolutely.
I mean, there's elements here that you can't possibly see, because there's so much that's going on.
But it looked great on camera.
Yeah.
That's what I thought.
There's such great texture.
I mean, look at that table.
That is a wow.
But there's no acting area.
And I warned him about that.
Well, let's get you out of here carefully, all right? You don't want me to end up as one of the props.
Judges, any thoughts for Charlotte? First of all, there's a lot of high quality choices made here.
I love how much thought you've given to lighting, the way the light plays off the rock, the lighting in the alcoves, the light down into the chamber there.
Fantastic.
Thank you.
It's sophisticated.
It's elegant.
Which is the oddest thing.
And I must say, it's a really brilliant concept.
I'm with Lilly on that one.
The strongest thing you've got going for you is your concept.
I do have a few problems with the set.
Your staircase, the door, does not match the rest of the set.
On film, it fell apart in the entrance, because you didn't have any backing.
I just didn't put enough thought into it.
No, no, no.
That's not a good enough answer.
One thing slough off.
Right.
That would become a big problem.
That part's gonna have to be either cut or reshot.
It's a significant oversight.
Guys, questions for Roger.
First of all, the curtain dropped and I was very excited with what I saw.
Sculpturally, it's very interesting, but I think that you're going to have a very upset director and actor 'cause there's not a whole lot of room to move.
You've got too much in there.
I can't see the forest for the trees.
There is a lot there.
What I would have liked to have seen is a little more organization, less propage.
I did have a little trouble with the visqueen wall that is completely flat and tells you nothing.
It's almost on a different set.
If you had put, say, a fluorescent tube behind it, it can do magical things.
But all in all, it photographs beautifully.
Thank you.
Guys, thanks to both of you.
Please rejoin your teams in the design studio while the judges make their decision.
Very stark contrast, judges.
Two completely different sets.
Let's start with Charlotte.
It's well thought out.
I think the thing that's really lacking in her set is what we love, and that is the movie magic.
It's fakey mcfakerson when you walk in the door.
It's immediately false.
Takes us out of any hope of reality in the situation.
There are beautiful things on her set.
We love the concept, the empty space for the one more body part.
But I wasn't frightened.
It's her creative use of materials that I think is her strong suit.
She boiled it down.
And there's a simplicity to it that I really enjoy.
Roger's set He's taken so many different elements and brought them all together.
There is too much of it.
It has to be removed, some of it.
But there's a sculptural element that is amazing.
He has clearly had a great deal of experience making this work on a low budget and getting the most out of everything.
I do think it looked quite good on film.
I do, too.
But there's a great opportunity to strip some of that away.
Mm-hmm.
He definitely needed to edit himself, and I don't think he's got that ability.
It's not a shootable set, and that's a quality that we have to remember-- shootability.
Might we have our first split decision here? I think we've made a choice.
Let's bring them in.
So, judges, who has the hot set and will leave here tonight with $10,000? So, judges, who has the hot set? Charlotte Or Roger? Roger, your set's a sculptural wonder, and it looks fantastic on camera, but there is too much of everything and it reduces the emotional impact of your set.
Charlotte, your concept was just brilliant.
Sadly, it didn't scare me.
So, Barry, who has the hot set and will leave here tonight with $10,000? The designer with this week's hot set is Roger.
We asked you to scare us and you did, my friend.
Thank you.
It's disappointing, but I am really, really, really glad with what we did, from a design and execution standpoint.
It's an amazing set.
We won.
It made it on time, on budget, and I couldn't be happier.
And it was an experience that was worth taking.
Thank you, guys.
Where Hollywood dreams come true.
3, 2, 1, make a movie! But in the world of movie magic, dreams can turn into nightmares.
Tonight on Hot Set, two production designers go head to head You're a geniuses.
to create the gruesome world of a serial killer in just 3 days.
I'm gonna turn this guy into an medical Frankenstein.
Only one team will walk away with $10,000.
To come out on top, they'll have to impress our award-winning panel of judges.
Curt Beech, whose credits include "The Social Network" and "Star Trek.
" Lilly Kilvert, two-time Oscar nominee for "The Last Samurai" and "Legends Of The Fall.
" Barry Robison, production designer of "X-Men Origins" and "The Chronicles of Narnia.
" Watch your step.
Ooh! Aah! Things are heating up Zhhh reveal.
Welcome to my madness.
Here on Hot Set.
My name is Charlotte Newman.
I've worked as an art director and production designer on numerous projects, from gritty independent film to glossy high-end commercials.
I want to win because the money is a good draw, but the real draw is going head to head like that with another artist.
My name is Roger.
I'm a production designer.
Been doing this for over 20 years.
A lot of the projects that I've done, my favorite ones are in the music video genre.
I was art director on "Return Of The Killer Tomatoes.
" I got involved with Hot Set just to say I did it and I won.
Hello, production designers.
Welcome to Hot Set.
I'm your host Ben Mankiewicz.
Right now we're on a soundstage located in the movie capital of the world, Los Angeles, California.
Films like "The Aviator," "Legally Blonde," and "Titanic" have all shot scenes right here on this lot.
Charlotte and Roger, you and your teams will have just 3 days and $15,000 to turn these empty spaces into what the film industry calls hot sets.
That is, sets that are perfectly dressed, locked, and camera ready.
At the end of 3 days, you'll present your finished sets to our panel of judges, and they are some of Hollywood's top talents in production design.
Curt Beech.
Hi, guys.
Welcome.
- Lilly Kilvert.
- Hello.
- And Barry Robison.
- Hello.
Every great set starts with a solid script, and yours is no exception.
Let's set the scene.
Interior.
John's basement.
Night.
Jessica opens the door and looks around, quickly realizing this is not a bathroom.
She has discovered John's trophy room.
Immediately I'm going, all right, he took out Bambi and Bambi's family and their heads are hanging on the wall.
That's the scene you'll be creating a set for, but there is one more thing.
Behind this curtain is a critical element you'll need to incorporate into your final set.
Charlotte, Roger, here is your inspiration.
Oh.
Wow.
Perhaps inspiration is the wrong word.
This is no Halloween prank.
Clearly, judging by this collection of severed body parts, something in your scene isn't quite right.
No, it is not.
Designers, welcome to the world of horror.
Jessica has just realized her boyfriend John is a murderous psychopath.
Very cool.
Your challenge is to design a serial killer's private space, a space that incorporates these body parts into a room that nobody else was ever intended to see.
Judges, please let Charlotte and Roger know what you're going to be looking for.
I really want to get into the tone of this room.
This is not the scary thing.
How you present it is the scary thing.
This is a dangerous set in many ways.
It can so go to silly.
This is the danger of horror movies.
The silly girl forgets to turn the light on or forgets to watch out for the man who's carrying the sawzall.
You know, you really have to be careful to make it a real world and its real horror.
I've done horror.
I know the pitfalls of horror.
And the last thing you want to do is come up with a hackneyed idea that we've seen before.
Now, you have 5 minutes to familiarize yourselves with John's gruesome trophies, and when you're ready, your team is waiting for you in the design studio.
Your challenge begins right now.
I'm seeing all these hanging body parts, and I love the idea of sort of Halloween horror, and it's such a great challenge.
I'm looking forward to it.
Now we're good to go.
Body parts hanging on hooks and blood dripping everywhere.
I know horror.
I've done creepy.
This is gonna be a walk in the park.
It's sushi time.
All right, guys, your time is up.
Please go ahead and rejoin your teams.
They're in the design studio.
And good luck to both of you.
Not exactly what we would have anticipated.
Serial killer's trophy room.
My team is comprised of two people whom I adore.
Johanna-- she's an incredibly, incredibly talented artist.
She is my decorator.
She is in his house, open the basement door to find body parts.
Chris is my other team member, who is amazing.
He handles the day to day running of our crew and keeping on top of multiple projects.
The inspirational reveal were body parts.
The team that I've selected here is part of my past.
First choice out of the gate was JR McGarrity.
He's coming on as my full-on scenic.
I realized I needed someone that could take a wall and turn it into whatever I wanted.
This guy's a serial killer.
Yay.
Second teammate is Lauren Stewart.
She's my set dresser and the person that keeps me on budget as best she can.
All right, Curt, what's the big challenge here? Decoration of whatever space they're in is a massive part of this.
You know, what are the tools, and how are they being used? How are they displayed, in addition to how these pieces are displayed? And what is the rest of that basement like? Absolutely.
Is it like a laboratory? Is it a workshop? Is it just a big fat mess and she doesn't know what she's looking at until she discovers what she's really looking at? I think that's really key.
I mean, the set decoration in a set like this is paramount.
With horror films and horror sets, it's all about reveal.
It's that small and quiet reveal, reveal, reveal.
Scare.
As always, thanks, guys.
You're welcome.
So here's what I think we're gonna go.
I want to do something that creates the arch feel of a tunnel.
Ok.
Cool.
My concept for this design is based on the idea that this is an abandoned old subway.
I'm gonna need to rent some trusses to create the arch of this subway.
I'm gonna try to create a feeling of claustrophobia and an eerie, creepy environment.
What I am thinking is, she is coming through this doorway to find a set of stairs.
And then he has created a gallery space to display and view his items.
My concept is, the serial killer is like an artist.
And he's created a display wall almost like a museum, where the body parts are being turned into artworks.
And in the center is going to be a round chamber that reveals the tools of his torture.
You're showcasing So we're showcasing the body parts.
Ok, yeah, I like that.
Hi.
I'm on my way to go shopping, but before I do that, I need to sit down with the construction team so they can just get moving and start building.
It's going to be a large round sphere that forces us to turn around, so it'll come around on a turntable.
And as it comes around and reveals itself to camera, it's locked.
And it's the remains of everything that he's done, in order to create these masterpieces.
We have one curved wall, which is sort of the cut-out sort of museum pieces displays.
I could tell by the way they were responding to what I was saying that everybody just knew exactly what they needed to get done.
I'm gonna jam, do some shopping, and you guys can get started.
Awesome.
Ok.
Thank you.
Welcome to my madness.
Let me walk you through quickly what-- just verbally what I'm gonna create.
So my storyline is, John is the building manager of a big old building in New York.
It has sub-layers that go deep underground.
I have a reputation of being long-winded.
Not talking to hear my own voice, but trying to let my team and the people around me verbally understand what I visually am seeing in my mind's eye.
There's a door at the top, but it's not a door.
It's a gate.
Camera now looks up the end of the stairs and we've seen a long shadow.
Roger's pretty thorough when it comes to discussion and laying out things.
Sometimes he waxes poetic, for me, 'cause I'm like, get it done.
But at the same time, like he really wants to make sure that you know where you're going.
And then we'll figure out what to do with the two of you when there's nothing to dress yet.
We'll start picking each others brains.
So-- that's the assignment.
Let's get out of here and hit the ground running.
- Great.
- Good.
The first place that I'm going to go shopping to is LCW.
They specialize in industrial-type props.
This is the kind of thing I'm looking for.
I could rivet the end into the floor.
This is the same place, isn't it, that I'm looking at, right here? - Yep, same place.
- That is what she wants.
The most important piece of set dressing that we need to get are these stairs, and it's going to be much easier to rent than to build.
And you're just under 10 feet.
118 inches.
Perfect.
We've got the stairs and a few bits and pieces, some levers and some smalls, and I'm just champing at the bit to get back to that set.
- How are you? - Hey.
- I'm Roger.
- Good to meet you.
So I've chosen LCW as my prop house, and I've got to get through a lot of their prop choices and narrow it down to the props that help define my serial killer.
- 10 of these.
- You got it.
I make quick looks around and I see this here, I'm seeing that there.
- Let me have 6 of the yellow turn-off valves.
- Gotcha.
- All 5 of those? - All of those.
That's killer.
Put this on the list.
I want to know the price.
It's big and massive and it's probably gonna blow my budget out.
So I'm looking around and I'm trying to figure this out, and there's just these wonderful medical props.
And that was it.
All of a sudden my storyline changed.
Now I know who he is.
I know who my serial killer is.
He likes to watch his victims get impaled.
Coming up Everyone's on the mad scramble.
Where's a knife? Somebody give me a knife.
Go back, go back, go back.
They're too big.
They're friggin' too big.
I just spent $3,000 and they're not gonna be able to be used the way I want it.
So I've chosen LCW as my prop house, and I've got to get through a lot of their prop choices and narrow it down to the props that help define my serial killer.
And there's just these wonderful medical props.
All of a sudden my storyline changed.
Now I know who he is.
I know who my serial killer is.
He's now just gone into a wannabe doctor that failed, and he's now gonna be taking these people apart and putting them in the refrigerator.
Nice.
And I'm gonna turn this guy into a little bit of a medical Frankenstein.
I bet I spent at least half of my budget on those props, but they're important.
They tell the story.
I gotta have 'em.
So I'm walking back onto the stage, and I can't believe in the time that I've been gone how quickly things are just happening and going.
And I see the concept really taking shape.
- Are you happy? Everything good? - Very.
Ok, props are done.
Now I'm back at the stage, and I tell you, that construction crew has just hammered it out.
They've got the stairs underway, and my scenics are painting the floor.
I'm just pleased as punch.
Hey, JR, our truss is here.
So we need to unload that truck.
- This one here.
- Ok.
We'll-- you grab the other.
I'm using the trusses, which normally are used for lighting, as a structure to help hold and house this subway.
First reaction-- ah, yay, they're here.
Then I think about it.
They're too big.
They're friggin' too big.
They're twice the size that they're supposed to be.
I have such a small space to build this set in, and the trusses that I got are huge.
We have to be able to have shock value on camera.
I know.
So it's not just good enough that we create something super cool, because it has to be scary So my team and I came up together with the idea that this psychopath is driven by the desire to recreate these body parts into artworks.
- Ok, so what is the-- - Oh, oh, oh! What if Charlotte does get very wound up.
Ohh! Why don't we make a chandelier It's like the wheels are spinning too fast in her head.
Out of hands? I get so excited, I'm just completely bursting.
I just spent $3,000, and they're not going to be able to be used the way I wanted.
The trusses that I ordered are now wider than what I wanted.
The fact that they got wider means that the interior has gotten smaller.
It's not a subway.
It's too narrow to be a subway.
So I came up with a concept-- let's turn it into a root cellar.
I gotta use what I got.
Yo! Yo! Hey, guys.
Time's up.
That's it.
We're outta here.
Thank you, guys, so, so, so much.
It's hard to leave my leg.
Thanks.
Thank you.
I see it really taking shape, but, wow, we have a lot to do tomorrow.
Because of my truss situation, I'm gonna have less acting space.
I'm just gonna have to make this work.
So I'm walking in today with a plan for all of construction and paint.
In the world of production design, particularly when it comes to budget and time, one thing that often goes away is anything curved, because it is a lot more labor intensive.
It's really a lot of hard work.
Keep coming.
Keep coming.
Keep coming.
But this is a wonderful opportunity to really do something so unique, and I just think that we want to go big or go home.
That's good.
I love it.
Day two.
New beginnings.
Here we go.
You need to focus in on 2 or 3 chiral heads.
Lauren's focus today is to do the detail.
So these things get blood.
Yeah.
These, I think, can go in the jar.
And I need her to really go through the budget to figure out where we are.
So let's go out there and get the day started.
Let's get to work.
Now it's nice.
I see out of the corner of my eye Barry and Ben approaching.
I was like, uh I don't want him to see the set in the state that it's in.
Charlotte.
Roger.
We are here to scare you.
I admire Barry so much as a designer, and I don't want to be this stressed-out mess when I'm talking to him.
So tell me, what's the concept? We have created a lair that has been cut away into a basement area.
One portion of it is almost hacked in rock, that opens up into what is sort of like this gallery arena with areas that have been cut out in arches for placement of these body parts - which have been turned into artworks almost.
- Ok.
There's a cylinder that looks like laminate with rivets in it.
Ok.
As she steps onto the ground floor, she trips a device on the stage floor and all of a sudden this thing turns-- zhhh And all the torture devices are inside the , lit up.
Wow.
Stop.
Don't tell me any more.
Let it be a surprise.
Oh, my heart's racing! No, no, no, it's like fantastic.
It's huge.
But I'm worried, with your time.
If you're not going to do it well, don't do it.
Remember, a finished set is a good set.
Hey, man.
How's it going? Well, we're getting it there.
Talk me through your world here now.
Right.
At the far end, I've got a full arch.
At this end it's a quarter.
- I wanted claustrophobic.
- Ok.
I wanted it to be, you know, this - Really - So it's oppressive.
It's-- you're in the space, you almost have to duck at points.
Ok, great.
Not bad.
Everything out here I've got crates that are a little bit older.
It takes the older rustic feel.
I have some medical shelves and medical pieces and the tools of his trade of cutting things apart will be in and around.
Listen, here's the deal.
Make sure that you've got plenty of space for the action.
Tables, trusses, arches, this, and chairs-- you got a lot going on in here.
- All right, guys.
- Thanks for explaining everything.
- Good luck.
- Thanks for coming in.
Roger's such a likeable guy, but do you feel like he's focused? It feels to me like he's got so much to do and then to also make it look great.
He believes in what he's doing, but I'm worried that he's really overreaching.
And ultimately, it's the set that speaks for itself.
Absolutely.
It'll tell us everything.
What about Charlotte's set, Charlotte's plan? I love the idea, but will she pull it off? - All right.
Let's go.
- Ok.
After talking with Barry, I'm very aware of the fact that we may have bitten off more than we can chew and that something's going to have to give.
So this is my head here.
As we're approaching the end of the day, we have the bones up, but we haven't even started on the gallery display or even getting the rock up, let alone even begin on the torture chamber.
I'm really worried we're not going to be done on time.
I want to enjoy the moment of walking on set for a second here.
So at my moment of excitement, I'm seeing it finally coming together, in walks Lauren.
We haven't purchased our back walls yet, have we? Our budget is 14,001 right now.
We don't have the money for walls.
My maximum budget is $15,000.
I'm almost out of money.
Lauren just walks in and she tells me, you are almost over budget.
I've got $900 left, and I need walls.
One wall could cost me $150.
And I know I need more than 10.
Lauren? I need to know if I can buy a roll of visqueen.
Visqueen? Visqueen.
- Ok.
- Ok.
Visqueen-- that's that thin plastic stuff that you get from hardware stores that you roll out to protect your house when you're painting it.
This could save this entire endeavor.
I could put trusses up there, skin 'em with visqueen.
I'm gonna fake walls.
Age it down, get weird back-lighting on it, - bizarre.
- Ok.
I know it's gonna work.
In order to build this rock wall, we have decided to go with mesh over frame with spray foam, which is a time-consuming process for a wall this size.
- In the middle.
- Like that? - Yes.
- All right.
We have to cut into it and have it dry and we need to go over the paint book by tomorrow, and we have so few hours left.
The thing about the visqueen with the paint, any little flexing that the plastic does I understand.
The paint will come right off.
We can give it a shot.
Right now it just looks like plastic with streaks.
But when I put the chainlink fence up, fill the place with props, you'll never tell the difference.
Well, I want to cut their entire eye sockets out.
Yeah.
My serial killer is a frustrated artist who has created this sweeping gallery wall to display his grotesque body parts sculptures.
There's something very cool about these legs doing Some way to connect them together.
Now I've got my work cut out for me because I have to take these raw materials and make them look intricate, edgy, and scary on set.
I like the idea.
Just continue with what's These body parts sculptures, they have to bring the horror.
They have to scare the actress.
And they need to scare the judges.
I mean, that's really disturbing to see on camera.
That's going to be so graphic with the shape.
30 minutes! Ok, guys! Time's up.
End of day two, I'm wishing for another 24 hours, because it is just so much left for us to do.
I want this to be perfect, and I don't want it to be half-baked.
- We're outta here.
- Not a problem.
- Whoo! There's a satisfaction at the end of the day because I've got my superstructure done.
We still have got a lot to do.
I just gotta get this done.
So, we all know what we need to do.
The needs to get done, paintings to get on.
Ceiling's going up.
We got all the pieces of the puzzle together, we just need to put them together.
- Perfect.
- Awesome.
Here's the bottom line.
I overspent.
But I'm not over budget.
Ok? In this day, I got $60 left.
All right? We're gonna do the last of the corrugated.
You guys in dressing are going to gather the rest of the stuff.
JR, we're going to be dealing with paint.
Right? - All right, let's do it, ok? - Awesome! The paint job on the rock is looking fantastic.
Every time I tn around, it looks more and more and more tactile and more and more and more realistic.
All of a sudden you can really feel these two elements working against and with each other, between this clean, pristine wall and this ravaged organic wall.
3-hour call! 3 hours.
Loosen it up a little bit.
It's gonna kind of go around the base.
Yeah, just take it and wrap, wrap, wrap.
And then once it gets in place, we're gonna arrange it.
So, Lauren's gonna do her magic with the roots.
That'll help to create the feeling that we are underground and that this is a root cellar.
I like the moss idea of what you're doing here.
Yeah, that works really, really well.
Great.
We still have to install the door.
- It needs to go faster.
- I know.
We don't have enough time to create the right effect in behind this door.
It's gonna have to have a full off to black and behind her and just hope that nobody notices.
Lauren? I need you to quickly go and find out for me the cost of a hazer.
I still need fog to create that dampness of this space.
- I need to know what the rental cost is per production day.
- Ok.
I like atmosphere.
I need that dampness.
I'm going to get more props.
We can't afford a hazer.
It's 100 bucks.
But I can get you canned fog for $14 a can.
But that won't last me.
That's what we can afford.
Get me 3 cans.
3 cans.
Got you.
The torture chamber is an essential element that sells who the serial killer is and what he does.
This is a methodical killer that encases the victims before they're dismembered.
Coming in! Sweep it out.
Right there, Jake.
No, the laminate needs to be facing camera.
Watch your fingers on the flashing.
It needs to be mounted to a turntable in order for it to be able to rotate.
Can we plug it in? It's on now.
Is it turning at all? No.
We have to get this cylinder working on the turntable.
Isn't that a bitch.
- Is it turning? - No.
If we can't get this key prop to rotate, the concept just sort of ceases to be cohesive.
- It's, uh, it's not spinning.
- Power's up.
And right now, it won't turn around.
Something's hitting there or somewhere.
So it's the last hour and everyone's on the mad scramble.
We have a 6-foot clear glass round cylinder that encases the victims before they're dismembered, and right now it won't turn around.
Spin it.
Spin it.
Spin it.
- The other way? - Yeah.
Ok, spinning.
Yeah.
So we're up against the time crunch.
Where's a knife? Somebody get me a knife.
And it's sticking, and the guy's cutting, and everyone's doing their thing.
But if it doesn't turn, I'm screwed.
Go back, go back, go back.
Ok, reverse.
If it doesn't work, the concept just sort of ceases to be cohesive, and that could be a dealbreaker.
It's floating enough all around.
And then, finally, she does her first turn.
It's a thing of beauty.
Yay! We're running out of time, and we've got to get this set dressed.
Ah These elements are what's going to make my set.
I've just go to get this done.
I could even use another piece.
We're placing all the medical props.
Coming in! As I stand back and look at it, I realize I may have over-propped a bit.
But that's what I do.
I create a story with the props.
They're really important.
Johanna at this point has been putting the sculptural elements into the set, and I look up and they just look so good.
You gotta move it? I'm still gonna do the gate coming down.
To enhance the fear factor of the set, I'm gonna have Jessica come down the stairs, trip over a line.
That will then cause a chainlink fence to slam behind her.
She's now a lab rat in John's dark laboratory lair.
- Do it.
Go.
- Huh! You're geniuses.
It doesn't get any simpler than that.
Give me blood dripping the sides of the heads, too.
Like they got hit in the face or hit in the side, like they got hit in the face or hit in the side! We have a minute, 30 seconds.
Charlotte, Roger.
Your time is up.
I'm-- I'm ready to go.
Roger is ready to go.
Charlotte, camera ready? We are.
Each of you now have 30 minutes to shoot a scene on your set.
- Thank you.
- Whoo! And, Charlotte, Roger, good luck to both of you.
Copy! Grips! Electric! Car! Walkie! 3, 2, 1 Good to go! You're coming into the space, down the stairs.
It is needing to be a dim feel.
You're now discovering it.
So I'll be discovering this area.
You'll be discovering it.
My biggest worry coming into this film was how it's gonna work on camera.
'Cause you never know.
Camera ready Give me atmosphere.
Ok, back away, go.
Aah! Ohh! And on you.
Ready on one.
Go one.
I'm sorry.
Ready to drop it? Go.
Oh! Ohh! Help! Aah! I think we've done enough.
Got it.
That's gonna sell.
- Hi.
- How are you? - Good.
- Are you ready to go? Yes! I'm ready! Show me how you want it.
Ok.
Let's walk down the stairs first.
As you come down and you activate this step, you need to stumble and dodge out of the way.
Ok.
- Then it comes right down and attaches.
- Right.
Which is what he does-- he dismembers, - so we want it on your leg.
- Right.
So as I come down the stairs, I see each and every wall.
Which is why you're not paying attention.
The last box is completely empty.
The insinuation being that that's for you.
Can I have everyone who's activating things on set? I'm watching the shoot, and I'm worried that it's just not scary enough.
Move! And that's a cut.
Production designers, welcome to the hot set presentation.
Tonight, one of you will leave here with $10,000.
The other will leave with nothing.
You remember our judges, of course.
Curt Beech.
Hello.
Lilly Kilvert.
And Barry Robison.
Welcome back.
Heh heh heh heh.
Your challenge this week was to take us inside the mind of a serial killer by creating a trophy room of his victims.
You were give very specific stage directions that your set had to accommodate.
Interior.
John's basement.
Night.
Jessica opens the door and looks around, quickly realizing this is not a bathroom.
She has discovered John's trophy room.
Charlotte, let's start with you.
John is a frustrated artist with an incredibly sick mind who has created an underground cavern to display his dismembered body parts turned into museum pieces.
There is no blood in the set, so the fear is really in the absence of the blood and the gore.
It's the remains of it that's really terrifying.
This is my hot set.
We want to know what you think of tonight's creations.
Tell us on Twitter using hashtag #HotSet.
Charlotte, you told us about your set.
Let's see how you did.
This is my hot set.
Charlotte, now that the judges have seen your set, it's time to show them how it plays on screen.
Aah! Aah.
Aah! Charlotte, thank you.
Roger.
Tell us about your set.
John is a failed medical student with a dark secret.
And he found a house that's built over the city's old sewer system.
Jessica was visiting John and there's a power outage.
Equipped with a flashlight, she starts off to find the bathroom, but makes a fatal wrong turn and discovers what John doesn't want anyone to see.
This is my hot set.
Help! Ultimately in production design what matters most is how your work looks on screen.
We know the script.
Roger, let's see how you did.
Aah! Aah! Help! Help! Help! Help! Help! Roger, thank you.
And both of you, really nice job.
Judges, like to invite you all on set for a closer look.
This is a custom piece? Yeah.
It's pretty amazing to do in that amount of time.
Yeah, definitely.
Now, the lampshade I think is just priceless.
Great reveal.
Nice choice.
You know, once again, I think we could use some drippage and some water if this is really supposed to be a rock.
Look at the way the lighting plays on the rock.
And on the floor.
I think that's really smart.
But the staircase, the door, are the weakest parts of the set.
There's just no question about it.
The one thing I do like about the set is that there is plenty of acting area.
- Yeah.
- It's nice.
You don't feel so - Shall we move on? - Yeah.
Just walk right in.
I don't know quite how to walk right in.
There's a little of everything in this set.
Are you trying to say there should be less? Yes, absolutely.
I mean, there's elements here that you can't possibly see, because there's so much that's going on.
But it looked great on camera.
Yeah.
That's what I thought.
There's such great texture.
I mean, look at that table.
That is a wow.
But there's no acting area.
And I warned him about that.
Well, let's get you out of here carefully, all right? You don't want me to end up as one of the props.
Judges, any thoughts for Charlotte? First of all, there's a lot of high quality choices made here.
I love how much thought you've given to lighting, the way the light plays off the rock, the lighting in the alcoves, the light down into the chamber there.
Fantastic.
Thank you.
It's sophisticated.
It's elegant.
Which is the oddest thing.
And I must say, it's a really brilliant concept.
I'm with Lilly on that one.
The strongest thing you've got going for you is your concept.
I do have a few problems with the set.
Your staircase, the door, does not match the rest of the set.
On film, it fell apart in the entrance, because you didn't have any backing.
I just didn't put enough thought into it.
No, no, no.
That's not a good enough answer.
One thing slough off.
Right.
That would become a big problem.
That part's gonna have to be either cut or reshot.
It's a significant oversight.
Guys, questions for Roger.
First of all, the curtain dropped and I was very excited with what I saw.
Sculpturally, it's very interesting, but I think that you're going to have a very upset director and actor 'cause there's not a whole lot of room to move.
You've got too much in there.
I can't see the forest for the trees.
There is a lot there.
What I would have liked to have seen is a little more organization, less propage.
I did have a little trouble with the visqueen wall that is completely flat and tells you nothing.
It's almost on a different set.
If you had put, say, a fluorescent tube behind it, it can do magical things.
But all in all, it photographs beautifully.
Thank you.
Guys, thanks to both of you.
Please rejoin your teams in the design studio while the judges make their decision.
Very stark contrast, judges.
Two completely different sets.
Let's start with Charlotte.
It's well thought out.
I think the thing that's really lacking in her set is what we love, and that is the movie magic.
It's fakey mcfakerson when you walk in the door.
It's immediately false.
Takes us out of any hope of reality in the situation.
There are beautiful things on her set.
We love the concept, the empty space for the one more body part.
But I wasn't frightened.
It's her creative use of materials that I think is her strong suit.
She boiled it down.
And there's a simplicity to it that I really enjoy.
Roger's set He's taken so many different elements and brought them all together.
There is too much of it.
It has to be removed, some of it.
But there's a sculptural element that is amazing.
He has clearly had a great deal of experience making this work on a low budget and getting the most out of everything.
I do think it looked quite good on film.
I do, too.
But there's a great opportunity to strip some of that away.
Mm-hmm.
He definitely needed to edit himself, and I don't think he's got that ability.
It's not a shootable set, and that's a quality that we have to remember-- shootability.
Might we have our first split decision here? I think we've made a choice.
Let's bring them in.
So, judges, who has the hot set and will leave here tonight with $10,000? So, judges, who has the hot set? Charlotte Or Roger? Roger, your set's a sculptural wonder, and it looks fantastic on camera, but there is too much of everything and it reduces the emotional impact of your set.
Charlotte, your concept was just brilliant.
Sadly, it didn't scare me.
So, Barry, who has the hot set and will leave here tonight with $10,000? The designer with this week's hot set is Roger.
We asked you to scare us and you did, my friend.
Thank you.
It's disappointing, but I am really, really, really glad with what we did, from a design and execution standpoint.
It's an amazing set.
We won.
It made it on time, on budget, and I couldn't be happier.
And it was an experience that was worth taking.
Thank you, guys.