Overview

The use of vehicles on or around the sound stages is subject to specific operational restrictions, approval procedures, and safety requirements governing vehicle movement, parking, staging, and filming activity within stage facilities.

Vehicles can create significant risks related to collisions, exhaust, fire hazards, equipment damage, and pedestrian safety within enclosed production environments. Clear operational guidelines help productions use stage facilities more safely while protecting crew members, equipment, and school infrastructure.

Policies

Vehicles may only be brought onto a sound stage with prior approval from the Stage Supervisor. Because vehicles introduce fire hazards, exhaust concerns, fluid leaks, and potential facility damage, productions must follow all safety requirements whenever a vehicle is used indoors.

Vehicle Preparation Requirements

Before a vehicle may enter the stage:

• The fuel tank must either be professionally removed or reduced to no more than one-quarter tank of fuel. Empty tanks are prohibited, as fuel vapors can be highly flammable.
• The vehicle battery must either be removed entirely or disconnected with the terminals covered using a non-conductive material such as rubber or leather.
• Once disconnected, the vehicle must be pushed onto the stage manually, without power steering or powered brakes.
• The battery may not be reconnected until the vehicle has been fully removed from the building.

Supervision & Scheduling

A faculty or staff member must be present whenever a vehicle is moved into or out of the stage. Productions are responsible for coordinating vehicle movement at a time when supervision can be scheduled and approved in advance.

Floor & Facility Protection

Protective material must be placed beneath the engine, transmission, and differential to catch potential fluid leaks. Acceptable materials include tarps or old foam-core. Solids and sound blankets may not be used for this purpose.

Fire Safety Restrictions

Open flames of any kind are prohibited while a vehicle is present on the stage.

Electrical & Practical Considerations

Any planned use of practical vehicle elements such as dashboard lights, headlights, windshield wipers, or similar powered features must be discussed and approved in advance as part of the production’s planning process.

Overview

Rigging activities on the sound stages—including overhead rigging, suspended equipment, pipe grids, lighting support systems, and other mounted production elements—must follow the program’s approval procedures and safety requirements.

Improper rigging can create serious risks involving falling equipment, structural damage, electrical hazards, and crew injury. Clear procedures help ensure that stage rigging is planned, supervised, and executed safely while protecting both personnel and school facilities.

Approvals

Rigging is dangerous and requires specific knowledge and skills. Anything to be rigged from the pods, grid, catwalks, or otherwise must be discussed with and approved by the Head of Set Operations in advance. The Head of Set Operations must inspect and give final approval of any rigging before it may be used as part of production.

Curtains, Cyclorama & Green Screen

The black curtains, the cyclorama, and the large green screen are equipment and must be requested. The curtains and cyclorama are for stage use only and may not be used on location. Both the VFX Department and cinematography instructor must be consulted and sign off on any use of the green screen.

If approved for use, the curtains, cyclorama, and large green screen will be checked out to the production by the Head of Set Operations and the ER staff. These items will be inspected on check-out and again on check-in.

The Head of Set Operations will teach the students proper care, hanging technique and folding of the curtains and cyclorama, and will also check for proper adherence to these guidelines.

Overview

The sound stages are equipped with motorized lighting and grip pods that may be used to rig overhead equipment during production. Use of the pods must be requested and approved by the Head of Set Operations, and all pod operations must follow established safety procedures and operational guidelines.

Because the pods involve suspended equipment, moving overhead systems, electrical infrastructure, and motorized operation, improper use can create serious risks for both personnel and facilities. Clear operating procedures help ensure that equipment is rigged safely, pod movements are communicated properly, and productions maintain safe working conditions whenever overhead systems are in use.

Policies

Use of the pods must be requested and approved in advance by the Head of Set Operations. If approved, the following protocols must be observed:

• Proper hardware must be used for the installation of grip and lighting equipment. All cables and gels must be safely and solidly affixed prior to raising a pod.
• Nobody may stand under a moving pod.
• If the operator cannot see the pod or something it might hit, another student must stand where they can see the pod, the possible obstruction, and the operator, in order to assist and guide the operator.
• The operator must let everyone on stage know of pod movements by speaking loudly enough to be heard by all on the stage, for example: “Pod #1 coming down!”
• The operator or assisting student must make sure the cables are feeding in or out of the baskets properly, and that the winch cables are moving smoothly into the winch drum groove. If there is any suspicion that a pod may not be moving in a level fashion, or is laboring the motor as it moves, the operator must stop the pod immediately and summon the stage supervisor or set operations manager.
• The pods are designed to stop 3 feet from the floor and 6 feet from the grid (ceiling). If a pod moves beyond these stops, notify the Head of Set Operations immediately.

Use of the pods for purposes other than hanging grip and lighting equipment requires approval of the Head of Set Operations at the initial stage reservation.

Overview

Load-in and load-out procedures govern how productions move equipment, scenery, props, materials, and production infrastructure into and out of stages, locations, and production spaces.

Organized load-in and load-out practices are essential because productions often involve large amounts of equipment, limited access windows, shared facilities, and tight schedules. Clear operational procedures help reduce damage, improve safety, maintain cleaner workspaces, and support more efficient production workflows.

Load-In (Set-Up)

• A load-in date is set as part of the stage reservation, and the load-in date and time must be strictly followed.
• Only approved sets, effects, equipment, and procedures may be loaded in.
• The Stage Supervisor will check the stages to ascertain that all procedures and policies have been followed, and that all items are being set up and used as per the approved plan. Any infractions will be noted and presented to the student producer. In some cases, due to safety or damage concerns, the Stage Supervisor or the Set Operations Manager may stop the production until these concerns have been appropriately addressed. Violations in this or any sound stage policy will be treated as an “unprofessional act” and penalties assessed according to the College’s Professionalism Policy.

Load-Out (Strike)

• Both strike and load-out must occur during the time allotted in the original stage reservation meeting, except as noted in the policy for holding sets for dailies.
• During strike and load-out the floor must be painted back to black, and the entire reserved space returned to a cleaned and normal state.
• The sound-lock, exits, loading dock and other adjacent areas must continue to be kept clear.
• Stock sets and existing scenery must be returned to the designated corral, and built scenery must be stored according to the policy for holding sets for dailies.
• All other items, including equipment, props, scenery, trash, and other items must be removed from the College facility.
• The Stage Supervisor will check for proper adherence to these rules and will note any infractions to the student producer.

Overview

Set design involves the planning, construction, decoration, modification, and preparation of physical environments used within student productions. This includes both the creative design of the space and the practical considerations involved in building and safely operating production sets. In order to accommodate the maximum variety of sets with the least damage to the stages and related equipment, there are strict policies in place for set design.

Well-planned set design helps productions create stronger visual storytelling while also supporting safe and functional working environments for cast and crew. Clear procedures and design expectations help productions balance creative ambition against practical concerns such as safety, scheduling, facility protection, labor, and available resources.

Policies

• The Stage Supervisor must approve all set construction. Details of said construction, including a set plan showing the set’s intended position on the stage, must be provided to the Stage Supervisor before construction can begin.
• The College does not provide any building materials or tools, including power or hand tools. Students needing to construct a set must provide their own tools and materials.
• Sets must be designed and drawn out in plan and elevation form with all dimensions.
• Set plans must include all bracing and support to safely hold vertical and suspended units.
• A list of intended building materials must accompany the designs. This includes lumber, metal, and plastics, as well as coatings and textures. Certain organic or potentially toxic materials may be forbidden.
• If building on College property, a construction schedule and list of who will be building must accompany the plans. The list of personnel must include each person’s experience and tool skills.
• Sets must be made of units no larger than the area 11’8”H x 8’W x 2’D.
• The total of all units must be able to be stored in an area 11’8”H x 8’W x 8’D for Stage A, 11’8”H x 4’W x 8’D for Stage B. Larger items may not be stored on stage. It is the student’s responsibility to acquire storage for such pieces.
• Sets may be secured to catwalks, pods, grids, or stage walls only by permission from the stage supervisor.
• Sets may be screwed to the stage floor.
• If the floor is to be painted, it must be done with flat un-textured latex paint. Complicated paint schemes should be painted on masonite or other floor coverings.
• Plans for the removal and disposal of the set must be established before stage use will be approved. The student may have to pay a fee for dumpster use and disposal.

College-Owned Set Pieces

There are three types of College-owned set pieces:

• Existing scenery are set segments, which upon approval by the Stage Supervisor, may be modified to suit the needs of the student production
• Stock sets are complete sets built for use in classes and workshops. These sets are available for checkout only when they are not in use for classes and may not be modified.
• Stock pieces are separate segments of the stock sets, which may be used in conjunction with existing scenery or newly built pieces. This must be discussed, and approval secured, at the initial meeting with the Stage Supervisor.

Supporting documentation requesting use of any or all of these items must be presented to the Stage Supervisor at the initial meeting.

Use of existing scenery, stock sets, and stock pieces is not guaranteed to any production. The Stage Supervisor will monitor the proper use and care of these items.

Building on the Stage

The student production designer must present supporting documentation, including set drawings, material and crew lists, to the Stage Supervisor at the initial meeting. Drawings may need multiple revisions before approval is granted. Once approval is secured, the production will be assigned dates for construction, load-in and strike.

The Stage Supervisor, the Set Operations Manager and ER employees will periodically check the stage for cleanliness and safety. All building materials and tools must be removed from the stage at wrap.

Handing Off Sets

In the instance where a set is built for one production but is desired for use by another, the set may remain on the stage only until the dailies from the first production have been viewed. The student production designers from both productions must sign a Hand-Off Agreement, and the new production must go through the procedure for requesting a stage for a built set. A new form must be filled out, but copies of the original set drawings may be attached, and there would be no need for a building schedule or crew list.

If the second production needs the set before or immediately after dailies screening of the first production, the set may remain in its corral on stage until the second production starts its setup. When the second production is not within the time the set is scheduled to remain on stage, the student producer and production designer from the second production must acquire an offsite storage space, and remove all items from the College facility to that space. The College does not provide, or in any way take responsibility for, off-site storage.

After the hand-off, the second production becomes the party responsible for the set and the stages.

Holding Sets for Dailies

Any set constructed for use on the stages must conform to the basic set design policy. At wrap and strike, the set must be broken down into smaller units conforming to the 11’8” x 8’ x 2’ dimension requirement. These may then be stored on the stage in a predetermined area selected by the stage supervisor. Pieces that do not fit into the predetermined area must be removed and stored at an off-site location acquired by the student production designer. Only one set can be stored on each stage. Immediately after dailies, an unneeded set must be disposed of, passed to another student production (see policy for hand-off of sets), or moved to off-site storage at a facility acquired by the student production designer. The College will not store, or be responsible for storage of, any items that do not fit into the allotted storage space.

If the supervising faculty determines that re-shoots are required, the Stage Supervisor and supervising faculty will together determine how much and what pieces of the set will be needed for re-shoots. All other pieces must then be removed from the College facility as usual. On-site storage of the required pieces will be arranged, and the student production designer must move the items to that location. After re-shoots the pieces may again be stored on stage until dailies have been screened. It will continue to be the responsibility of the student production designer to move and set-up these pieces until re-shoots are deemed finished and the items are permanently removed from the College. Only removal or hand-off to another production will resolve the student’s responsibility for these set pieces.

Overview

Productions must reserve sound stages and associated facilities in advance before using them for rehearsals, construction, filming, storage, prep, or other production activity.

Because stage space is limited and shared across multiple productions, organized reservation procedures are necessary to coordinate access fairly and maintain smooth facility operations. Clear scheduling helps reduce conflicts, improve planning, and ensure that productions can use stage resources effectively within the broader production calendar.

Priority

Stages are reserved primarily for use during College classes and workshops. When the stages are not in use for course work, then students may request them for use on productions.

Reservation priority of the sound stages is in the following order:

1. College classes, workshops, events
2. MFA Production (in priority order of M3, MC, M2, M1)
3. BFA Productions (in priority order of FC, F3, F2, F1)

Special projects approved by the Dean or Associate Dean may reserve the stages by permission only and may not interfere with the regular curriculum and operations of the College.

The stages may not be reserved for homework assignments. Other than auditions, students are not allowed to shoot in any other College-owned spaces other than the shooting stages.

Requesting Use of the Stage

1. Check with the Head of Production about the availability of the stage.
2. Meet with Stage Supervisor to get approval of your plan.
   • No set:
     • Meet with Stage Supervisor
     • Read pertinent policies and sign off on having done so
     • Receive schedule for check-out, load-in/set up, load- out/strike, and check-in
     • Attend check-out meeting with Stage Supervisor
       
   • Stock set:
     • Meet with Stage Supervisor
     • Read pertinent policies and sign off on having done so
     • Receive schedule for check-out, load-in/set up, load-out/strike, and check-in
     • Attend check-out meeting with Stage Supervisor
     • Check out corral to gain access to stock set pieces
     • Walk through set up of stock set pieces
       
   • Built set:
     • Meet with Stage Supervisor; read pertinent policies and sign off on having done so
     • Receive schedule for check-out, construction/building period
     • Load-in/set up, load-out/strike, and check-in
     • Attend check-out meeting with Stage Supervisor
     • Check out any existing scenery or set pieces
     • Walk through set up of any stock set pieces
       
3. Get Location Agreement and Location Shooting Plan Agreement signed by Head of Production.

Overview

Sound stage policies establish the rules for using the school’s stages, including expectations for reservations, approvals, cleanup, food and trash disposal, facility protection, scheduling, and responsible use of shared production spaces.

These policies help keep the stages safe, clean, functional, and available for all productions. Because the stages are shared school facilities, students are expected to treat them professionally and leave them ready for the next class, crew, or production.

Policies

Stages are for use by College faculty, staff, and students and are intended solely for College classes and projects. Any other use is prohibited unless approved by the Associate Dean.

All sound stage use begins with the Sound Stage Reservation Form. The completed and signed reservation form becomes the basis for an agreement between the student production designer and the College as to how the stage and its equipment will be used. The student brings the completed form and, depending on the needs of the production, supporting documentation to the Head of Set Operations for approval. The sound stage is not reserved until the Head of Set Operations has approved and signed off on the reservation form.

Upon approval, the production is assigned use of the sound stage for specific dates, which may not
be altered or exceeded without written permission of the Head of Set Operations. On the equipment check-out date, immediately prior to the reserved dates, the student Production Designer and the Head of Set Operations will inspect and “check-out” the sound stage. If multiple productions will use the sound stage prior to the next equipment check out date all student Production Designers will attend the sound stage check out and all are equally responsible for adherence to the sound stage use policies.

In general:

• No changes may be made to the physical stage except by addition of approved scenic elements and standard rigging of equipment. The wood floor may be painted with a non-textured flat latex paint but must be painted back to its original flat black immediately after wrap and strike.
• Only approved equipment may be used on the stage (see policies for vehicles, fire, water, and effects).
• Water or other liquid may not be placed on the floor, and any spilled liquid must be cleaned immediately.
• Sets, equipment, or other obstacles may not block catwalks, grid ladders, and exits.
• Only standard lights and grip equipment may be rigged to the pods or grid. Other items may be used upon approval from the stage supervisor.
• The student Production Designer is responsible for ensuring that no paint is spilled or dripped onto any surface, including the loading dock. Drop cloths must be used, and any drips immediately cleaned.
• The scenery and sets stored on the stages are for use only upon permission. Stored scenery may not be moved without approval from the Stage Supervisor.
• Students assigned the use of a sound stage must clean up after themselves at the end of each day. Food and related garbage must be disposed of properly. College trash containers may not be overfilled.