Set design Firefly (TV series)

the spacecraft serenity digitally rendered special effects house zoic studios. shape inspired shape of firefly insect, , tail section lights in imitation of it.

production designer carey meyer built ship serenity in 2 parts (one each level) complete set ceilings , practical lighting installed part of set cameras use along moveable parts. two-part set allowed second unit shoot in 1 section while actors , first unit worked undisturbed in other. whedon recalled: ...you pull away or move huge, in , around everything. meant environment worked , there weren t lot of adjustments needed made. there other benefits set design. 1 allowed viewers feel in ship. whedon, design of ship crucial in defining known space viewer, , there not fourteen hundred decks , holodeck , all-you-can-eat buffet in . wanted convey utilitarian , beat-up lived-in , ultimately, home . joss whedon discusses in dvd commentary, each room represented feeling or character, conveyed paint color. explains move of ship in engine room, toward front of ship bridge, colors , mood progress extremely warm cooler. besides evoking mood associated character spends time in each area, color scheme alludes heat generated in tail of ship. whedon keen on utilizing vertical space; thus, having crew s quarters accessible ladder important. benefit of set design allowed actors stay in moment , interact, without having stop after each shot , reset next. helped contribute documentary style whedon strove for.

the set had several influences, including sliding doors , tiny cubicles reminiscent of japanese hotels. artist larry dixon has noted cargo bay walls reminiscent of interlaced, overlapping asian designs, cleverly reminding of american-chinese alliance setting while artistically forming patterned plane background scale reference . dixon has remarked on how set design contributed storytelling through use of color, depth , composition, lighting, use of diagonals , patterned shadows.

their small budget reason use ship of storytelling. when characters did go off ship, worlds had earth atmosphere , coloring because not afford design alien worlds. didn t want go yucca flats every other episode , transform bizarro world making sky orange , recalled whedon. meyer recalled: think in end feel wound using lot of places or exteriors felt western , didn t want go way; @ point, became lesser of 2 evils—what create in 3 days?