soundstage

soundstage — noun

1. an indoor stage at a film or television studio where scenes are shot with contro

1.nounB2
Definition

an indoor stage at a film or television studio where scenes are shot with controlled lighting and sound

Example

Linh checked the rain machine before the crew entered the soundstage.

controlled indoor filming environment

A fake hospital room was built on the soundstage for tomorrow's scene.

build a set on a soundstage

Common collocations
  • shoot on a soundstage
  • build a set on the soundstage
  • soundstage floor
  • soundstage door
  • enter the soundstage
  • leave the soundstage
Synonyms
  • film stage

    a close industry synonym for an indoor stage used for shooting scenes

  • stage

    broader and less precise; it can also mean a theatre performance platform

  • studio floor

    an industry term for the shooting area inside a studio building

Grammar Patterns

on a/the soundstage

inside a/the soundstage

Soundstage + number

Usage Note

Usually refers to the whole indoor filming space, not just the walls and furniture built inside it. Use set for the made-up room or street within the space, and backlot for an outdoor studio area.

Common Mistakes

The outdoor market scene was filmed on the soundstage backlot.
The outdoor market scene was filmed on the backlot.
A backlot is an outdoor studio area, while a soundstage is indoors.
The actors waited in soundstage three.
The actors waited on Soundstage Three.
Use on for the filming floor, and named stages usually take a proper name or number.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A soundstage is the full indoor filming space inside a studio complex. It gives a crew ceiling height, rigging, and controlled light and sound. A set is the built environment inside that space, such as a fake apartment or hospital room. Studio is broader: it can mean the whole company, the whole production site, or another kind of recording room. A backlot is different again, because it is an outdoor area with permanent street fronts or open-air sets. So a crew may build a kitchen set on a soundstage, while a car chase is filmed on the backlot. If a producer says 'Meet me at the studio,' that still does not tell you whether shooting will happen indoors on a soundstage or outside.

soundstage ↗set ↗studio ↗backlot

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • shoot on a soundstage
  • build a soundstage
  • work on Soundstage Three
  • leave the soundstage

Prepositions

  • on a soundstage
  • inside a soundstage
  • at the soundstage

Etymology

English

Soundstage is a modern English compound built from sound and stage. It was formed in the film industry for indoor shooting spaces designed to control noise, lighting, and scenery more tightly than outdoor locations could.

First known use

1931

1931, in the meaning defined above