JORDAN SMITH
2017
2020
Portfolio
Set design Set construction Model making Concept Design Costume Design
Set designer/ dresser and model maker
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Contents THE DRIFTER
SET DESIGN, SET CONSTRUCTION, MODEL MAKING, COSTUME DESIGN, STORY BOARDING, PHOTOSHOP PAGE 6 11
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EINSTEIN’S DREAMS MODEL MAKING, RHINO, PHOTOSHOP, CNC PAGE 12 17
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PRAGUE QUADRENNIAL EXHIBITION DESIGN, INSTALLATION PAGE 18 19
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PAPER INSTALLATION DESIGN VISUALISATION, MODEL MAKING, SET CONSTRUCTION PAGE 20 23
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01 - THE DRIFTER Major Project Written by Adam Potts Designed by Jordan Smith 2020 My catalyst for Critical Practice was the first act of a western script which had been written by a peer of mine. I took the script and transported the wild west to a dystopian underground train system. I didn’t want to have cowboys underground as that would seem slapstick so I figured construction workers were the perfect way to tell the story.
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SET DESIGN
Working from the script the one of the scenes I adapted was the tall trees scene which I figured to be set on a train. The idea behind this is instead of the characters using the trees as cover they’re using the seating, along with the tall railings as trees. This was the first of the two scenes I decided to build and I began by looking into subway and train systems around the world as this the world I am designing isn’t set to one location.
CHARACTER DESIGN
I decided the drifter should be the character which had the most western motifs. Taking inspiration from Tombstone and other western movies. Using the union suit as my starting point I then began to build from this using my research. I found bracer’s were a popular accessory to have in western times alongside with a holster. I changed the holster into a tool belt as it fits the new theme. Finishing with a pair of blue jeans which can be found in both western and construction backgrounds. Alongside the two sets I planned on creating two costumes to go in the sets. The Drifter being the main character I felt this is one of the characters costumes I should create.
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THE DRIFTER COSTUME
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SET CONSTRUCTION Creating the scenes began with me building my own seating for the train scene. As I didn’t have access to any metal sheets I used plywood and bended it into shape using a frame. I began by painting a layer of black and once it was dry a layer of white on top so I could go over and remove the white layer to show a worn look to the seats. To build the set I used a black polythene to create the black surrounding and installed my seats along with a scaffolding pole acting as a hand rail.
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FINAL IMAGES
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02 - Einstein’s dreams
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Miniature Model Einstein’s Dreams Written by Alan Lightman Designed by Jordan Smith 2019
Identifying Direction was the final module for my second year at university, this was the first time we as students were able to have a grasp on what we wanted to-do. We were set a catalyst which was a verse from the book Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman and from this starting point we were allowed to create what ever we wanted to showcase our skills and head in the direction we desired.
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RHINO RENDERS Once I had the ideal shape of the mountain I was able to incorporate it into the 3-D modelling software, Rhino. This software gave me the opportunity to visualise my concept and experiment with the positioning of the miniature, in particular, I was able to design my tea houses to scale and place put them institute amongst the surrounding trees and foliage. Without this step, I would have struggled to establish the detailed composition of the mountain, and so the building process was propelled further. Once I created my model on Rhino I then took the renders over to Adobe Photoshop to edit in a background.
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MOUNTAIN BUILD
I found that a large number of the artists used a foam base to build from using plaster moulds. Adhering to a strict budget, I was to gain access to a large amount of polyurethane foam which some artists recommend. I began to test the foams capability to gauge how it could be cut and how it would look when painted in the style of the mountains’ rock. After creating numerous samples of different rock types and colours, I was able to choose a select number of testers that suited the location best. The material was easy to carve and shape, which meant I was quickly able to get an ideal structure for the mountain. Using the testers I created previously I was able to paint onto the mountain using the same technique; dry brushing and dry sponging to add detail to highlighted areas. Painting the mountain was an extensive process, as the material I used was prone to have small openings dotted over its surface, which meant I had to repeat the process several times to fill in the gaps and get a final finish.
After creating a white card sample of the tea-house, I realised it could be a possibility to use the laser cutting machines in university as it would mean I wouldn’t need to worry about working with cutting and piecing together small parts. On reflection, the only problem I came across was that the material I printed onto was too thick. I used one of the thinnest material they offered which was 3mm MDF the thinnest was 1.5 aeroply which would have been too flimsy for me to work with as I the pieces were very small. I had three houses printed out, two one storey houses and one two storey house Alongside the houses, I had a bridge printed out which consisted of small panels which I was going to weave together to create a rope bridge
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FINAL IMAGES
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03 - Prague Quadrennial
Student Exhibition Curators: Fiona Watt and Andreas Skourtis Curatorial Team: May Jennifer Davies, Vivianna Chiotini, Conor Smart, Scott Castner, Abigail McDermott, Jordan Smith, Kathryn Weaving, Rhi Binnington, Yifat Shir-Moskovitz 2019 At the begging of 2019 I was chosen alongside eight others to represent students throughout the country at Prague Quadrennial 2019. Working with the Society of British Theatre Designers we started this journey by meeting with the eight other students begin to go through the brief which had been set by PQ. We had to design and create an exhibition which represented the future for performance design students. The idea we revolved around was that the future is in our hands and we are able to do with it as we please. So, we created a playground which people are able to come in and create their own space.
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"The Future Utopias Imaginarium process began in a collaborative workshop with a group of over thirty student and early-career designers and performance makers. Over the last five months a core team of nine artists of various backgrounds from Edinburgh, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Birmingham, and London have constructed a shifting performance space for PQ19."
"The audience was invited to observe and interact with a team of "Future Makers" in a circular space that sat between a factory and a game show. An endlessly recurring process to build a future utopia is activated by chance and imagination, and overseen by a mysterious authority figure."
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04 - SUFFRAGETTE PAPER INSTALLATION Year Group Installation Suffragette Movement 2017 Practice for Design for Performance was the second module in my first year studying at university. This was a running theme on the course where the first years are given a catalyst which they would have to design and build an exhibit completely out of brown paper. In 2018 it was the 100th anniversary for the suffragette movement, so we used key figures and scenes which were made iconic. From chaining themselves to fences and throwing rocks through windows, this scene depicts the extremes women went to back in 1918. This project gained so much coverage as it was reported on several news websites, and we were given a short section on BBC West Midlands live news.
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CONSTRUCTING THE HORSE
Along with a few other students it was my job to build the horse which began researching into the horses which would have been used to tow carriages back in early 1900's. I built the wooden frame and we began to use rolled paper to give a sturdy frame and begin to add layers. Once the horse was built we were given the job to build the cart which was being drawn by the horse.
CONSTRUCTING THE CART The Suffragettes used carts covered in posters to spread awareness and their message. The cart needed to be made from wood as it was being used to counter the weight of the horse as the horse was rearing we needed to something to support the weight. Along with the cart we used stage weights hidden in the horses tail. The wheels are made out of multiple layers of cardboard which were then papier-mâchéd to look more smart and suitable, they didn’t need to withstand any weight.
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FINAL IMAGES
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m Jordansmithdesign@outlook.com
JORDAN SMITH
https://issuu.com/jordansmithdesign/docs/jordan_smith_portfolio i https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordansmithdesign/ i @jordansmithdesigns