Hot Set

TV review by Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media
Hot Set Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 13+

Hollywood set design competition has a few violent images.

Syfy Reality TV 2012
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age 13+

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that the competition series Hot Set featuring production designers creating Hollywood sets for a cash prize is pretty tame. But some of the set designs revolve around violent stories (like kidnapping and serial killing) and incorporate props like bones, dead people, and other potentially scary images. Teammates sometimes bicker; occasional curses like "s--t" and "f--k" are bleeped.

Community Reviews

allanco
allanco Adult
November 3, 2012
age 13+

Hot Set: Just Movie Sets or a Lesson in Life?

I believe that the other reviewer was somewhat shortsighted in her appraisal of Hot Set. I discovered the season opener by accident. As a film lover, I was engaged almost immediately. As a psychologist, I found many valuable features. Aside from informing viewers of the considerable work that takes place behind the films we see, it is a lesson in balancing creativity and innovation with practicality, operating within time and fiscal limits. It shows set designers working--harmoniously for the most part--with their team members. There are disagreements, but they have not been distasteful. Valuable tips are given during a judge's walk- through. Some designers ignore the advice and lose. Others are guided by their faith in their concepts and win. There is a lesson in discriminating sound advice here for everyone. Looking beyond the obvious, Hot Set demonstrates the value of creativity, the need for practicality (the time and budget), and the capacity for a people to work together towards a common goal. Yes, there are bleeps. This is to be expected and far less distasteful than the language (and violence) that children hear and violence they see on TV and in theaters. I have seen all the shows and never saw some of the extreme and distasteful reactions and behaviors I witnessed on, for example, Face Off, where one judge appears to have been influenced by Simon Cowell and there are far too many contestants. A personal challenge my wife and share is to pick the winners before the judges announce them. This adds even more fun to the show. So far, we have a perfect score, focusing almost completely on the short film clip of the final set in use. Overall, this is a fun show to watch for adults and children (13+) and adults. Enjoy the creation of another reality, but don't lose sight of its being a model of life in general with all of its challenges, rewards, frustrations, and need to work together.

This title has:

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What's the Story?

HOT SET is a competition show that features production designers attempting to successfully design and build camera-ready Hollywood sets for a cash prize. Each episode, which is hosted by Ben Mankiewicz, features two designers who, along with their teams, must create an entire world based on brief hints from a script. A special clue is also offered to help them understand the story that the set must convey to an audience. After three days of designing, building, and working with props and special effects, a scene must be filmed on each set to see how the designs work on camera. After the panel of judges, including award-nominated production designers Curt Beech, Lilly Kilvert, and Barry Robison, closely examines their work, a winner is selected and awarded $10,000.

Is It Any Good?

Hot Set showcases the creative and technical work that goes into creating a "hot set" (a set that is fully built and camera-ready) that conveys a sense of emotion while seamlessly helping to tell a story. It also shows some of the various ways that production designers achieve the looks and effects that they want by using specialty props, lights, and even basic household items.



The designers and the judges use lots of terms that are common in set production, making the experience seem closely connected to the behind-the-scenes world of Hollywood sound stages. As a result, folks who are interested in this sort of thing will feel like they are learning something about the profession while watching. But the show's real entertainment value comes from seeing how a small empty space can be transformed into a magical story world.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about careers in set design. Are set designers artists? Engineers? When you watch t.v. or films, do you pay attention to the set design?

  • What are some of your favorite film and movie backgrounds? What is it about these designs that make them noticeable? Did they feel real? Magical? Scary?

  • How do the set designers and their team members work together? What leadership styles seem the most effective? Why do you think the designers agreed to be on a show like this?

TV Details

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