History Main / RecycledSet

A sharp eye can sometimes catch a similar building structure or a particular wall that's rotated to different sets. This similarity is rarely noticed or remarked upon by any of the characters, except possibly as a LampshadeHanging. They simply go on their merry way, unconcerned that Bob's front door looks strikingly similar to Officer John's office door. This can also be justified through standardization of designs; things like office buildings, military armories and town squares will tend to look alike. See also PropRecycling and CaliforniaDoubling.

Since all of television and film works around a budget, there often isn't enough money to pay for all those expensive sets to be designed, constructed, and decorated and then be used for only one scene. When this is the case, the producers and/or director may opt for a Recycled Set.

A Recycled Set is [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin pretty much what you would expect:]] a set that is either entirely or in large part composed of the main sets of the project. Since walls, windows, and doors tend to be fairly simple and unremarkable, it's typically easy for set designers to rearrange specific pieces of furniture or strategically cover wall segments to create an entirely unique look.

Except in very rare circumstances, i.e. unless PlayedForLaughs, this set similarity is never noticed or remarked upon by any of the show's characters on-camera. They simply go on their merry way, unconcerned that Bob's front door looks strikingly similar to Officer John's office door.

-->-- '''Creator/MargaretCho''', on her sitcom's replacement with ''Series/TheDrewCareyShow''

Compare HeyItsThatPlace and ThreeWallSet. For the video game equivalent, see CopyAndPasteEnvironments.

* ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'' is quite notorious for having all your fights on planets take place on the same 3 or so pre-fab building floorplans -- the "mine with one large room full of enemies and two deeper chambers", "specialist base with one large room full of enemies and two deeper chambers ''connected by a corridor''", and "identical exterior buildings that closely resemble a tissue box with a door". It also made frequent use of a Kowloon-class freighter, which broke up the monotony by having ''three'' chambers that could have stuff once you got through the large room, not just two. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in the second game, with a volus and an asari on Illium playing the market regarding stocks in prefabs after the attacks on Freedom's Progress and Horizon.

A Recycled Set is [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin pretty much what you would expect:]] a set that is either entirely or in large part composed of the main sets of the project. Since walls, windows, and door tend to be fairly simple and unremarkable, it's typically easy for set designers to rearrange specific pieces of furniture or strategically cover wall segments to create an entirely unique look.