Flats

The most basic component in the construction of scenery in film and theater is called a "flat". They are light and modular pieces. The building blocks that, put together, create everything from seedy motel hallways to the walls of gothic cathedrals. I built my first flat when I was about sixteen and over the decades I have built many thousands (Tens of thousands) more. I've built theater flats, movie flats, television flats, steel framed flats for a repertory opera company in the mountains of New Mexico, flats for music videos, flats for museum exhibitions and flats for trade shows. All these required different construction materials and techniques but they all required the same repetitive mindset. I would lower my head at my bench, look at my list of sizes, attempt to remove all thoughts that were telling me I could be doing something more interesting, and then I would build flats.

I haven't built a flat for a few years now and that feels really good. Whenever I get stressed or I'm presented with a difficult problem I say to myself, "You could be building flats," and then I feel instant gratitude.