There are three ways a filmmaker can make it look like a character is attending an English language school in Canada. The first is to travel to Canada and film inside an actual English language school. The second is to film in front of a green screen and have the special effects wizards create an English language school behind the actors. And the third is to construct a set on a sound stage that looks like an English language school. Sets are still one of the most popular ways to go. We'll tell you all about them in this article.

The reason more filmmakers don't use CGI or locations in their films is that CGI is expensive and still carries with it an air of falseness that most directors would prefer to avoid, and locations are often impractical to film in. For example, they might not be able to get permission to film inside CFB Kingston, or the corridors might be too narrow to accommodate both the actors and the camera crew. For this reason, it often makes the most sense to construct a set.

Sets are constructed in huge warehouses called sound stages that are already wired up for the type of electricity and utilities a film crew would need. The director can then fill the space with whatever he or she needs, whether it's the bathroom of a branch of fitness gyms in Toronto or the control room of a space station. Because sound stages are not open to the air, interior locations are usually easier to make than exterior ones, but filmmakers have also been known to construct artificial streets, parks, and graveyards indoors.

Everything has to be created from scratch. Production designers and set designers create the plan. The carpenters and contractors scour the woodworking auctions for the right materials, the set decorators and dressers are out looking for the right items to give it personality. Everyone works in conjunction with the director, who has the final say over what they do and don't use, and the producer, who controls the financing of the project.

So why build a Toronto bed & breakfast from scratch instead of filming in a real B & B? Because sets are specially designed with alcoves, removable walls, removable ceilings, and special holes for the lighting, sound equipment, and cameras so that the director can place them wherever he or she wants without worrying about the limitations of the actual space.