Have you ever wondered what it's like to work behind the scenes at QVC? We spoke with one of our set dressers to find out a little bit more…
"My role as a set dresser at QVC is very varied and we work in a small team of four in-house Studio Set Dressers. We work long hours but we only work 15 days in a month, which we spend in the live studios, and we have one prop buying day or a styling day for shooting promo videos.
On an early shift, I will start work at 6:30am (unsociable I know) by reading my emails that may inform me about show changes and/or particular shows that need specific dressing or props. I then look through the day's schedule and start planning my day.
At about 7am, I take a quick walk around all of our studios and usually the person who was on the night shift has helped me out by prepping parts of my first show. This is what we try to do for one another.
At 7:20, we have a production meeting when we meet with the Producers, Directors and Floor Managers to discuss the day ahead. I gather information from the Directors about camera angles so I know where to place furniture and other props and the producers often give their suggestions on the sets that each show should use.
Generally, between 7.30-9am is the most fast-paced time of my day! You may have noticed that The Morning Show takes place in many different sets – up to seven sets can be used! Most of our other shows use one or possibly two sets so this means I have to dress up to seven sets before 9am!
We have many different sets to use and some are quite tricky to set up. For example, for kitchen shows I push into a set all of the kitchen units, two kitchen hobs and two ovens, then connect the gas for the hobs. I then have to dress the background of the set with things that would be in a real kitchen so I'll need to source jars of pasta, crockery, utensils, cake stands, microwaves, tea towels, oven gloves, martini glasses, cocktail shakers (to name a few) from our prop storeroom.
Normally, I set and dress about six live shows which could take up all 14 of our sets! For shows that follow each other and need the same set, I have to strike (remove props) and reset within the two minute advertising break… we call this a ‘Quick Change’ and it really is! In cases like this, I have to have all of the furniture and props on standby so that as soon as we go to the adverts I can run in and do the Quick Change.
One day a month I style promo shoots (adverts between each show). These generally take place in a fabulous rented location house so my job is to style the house and style products according to the Promo Director's brief and occasionally I also style the fashion for our models as well.
My absolute favourite promos to style are the Christmas adverts as these involve loads of sparkle and fake snow (by the way, the hundreds of Christmas presents on set and in our promos are all wrapped and bow’d by us the Set Dressers).
My job is very fast paced and physical but I love it."
Who else would you like to take you behind the scenes? Let us know by commenting below…
5 Comments
I am addicted to QVC and found your story above very interesting. It must give you a real buzz to work there and be really exciting as well, but I know I couldn’t cope with your early starts in the mornings!! But what a thoroughly exciting, fast pace job you have. I thoroughly enjoyed the Home Day (Tuesday) and hope there will be more like these in the future.
A day in the life of the presenters perhaps?
Thanks for giving us this insight. I have jusr arrived home to Birmingham from this years besu
Beauty Bash’ What a fantastic day!! Thank you qvc. I think it would be interesting to see how the decision is made for a TSV
Would it be possible to see behind the scenes of the camera persons as they are the eyes we see the presenters and goods through
That was really interesting – sounds great fun! Hearing from a buyer would be good. Thanks