Set Design Courses

hey i went to Wimbledon college of art set design it is a amazing course and really the only place like it.
no you do not need a foundation they are just a good idea so you can get to no yourself as a artist.
i went to their foundation originally and its what got me interested in set design and fx but i decided i wanted to switch to tech arts more me.
if you want to get on this course it has alot to do with whats in your portfolio and as i got in i will tell you what i had.

15 Life Drawing (IMPORTANT)
5 sets i did photographed (IMPORTANT)
5 technical drawing of all my sets
i did 10 big size illustrations of a book i did on a project.
i did Story boards of all my sets they( LOVE THAT) as u do that on the course.
2 sculptures (not as important)
2 Sketch books /project books

Now on the foundation you can specialize in theatre and build up your portfolio because that's alot to do if your doing A-levels, i will run down what you do at the foundation.

1st project make a set on a famous murder scene of a serial killer
2nd project 7 deadly sins pick a sin and deisng a set i choose lust did a strip club and did a story board
3rd project they gave us a book of fairy-tales ,the book i forget it was simlar to grim fairy tales the idea was to choose a story and design a set.
4th project sum book about a traveling circus i forget the name again design a set for a scene
5th project final project was medical matters i choose to do a set on electrick shock therapy made a model with ghosts coming out the walls insane asyllum that kind of stuff.

now it was incredibly interesting so i would say do the foundation first to make sure its what you want to do.

this guy came in at the beginning of my course gave us a talk about his book about all the techniques on how to do set design it shows all the tricks on how to build a set e.g always use foam board to build.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Model-Making-Materials-Methods-David-Neat/dp/1847970176

if you have not got that get it!!!!! ( so important)

follow these steps and you will breeze the course.

just a little information everyone on the course was 25 when i was there i was the only 19 year old so its not bad to do the foundation with people your own age not gonna lie i loved it.
if i was you id be on the safe side and apply for the foundation as well.

Good Luck
Ollie

Can anyone help me find the best Set Design course - TV, Film, Theatre? I'm looking at Nottingham Trent, Mid Glamorgan and Wimbledon College of Arts, any advice? Also do I absolutely need to have an Art Foundation first? I am predicted AAA (Art, Graphics, English) if that makes any difference. Help!...

Hi, this is actually really helpful, was looking through threads to if anyone posted advice , I'm applying this year for set design and just wondered how many pages you had in your portfolio overall? I know you said how much stuff you had but how many portfolio sheets did you have in the end?