Well Set for Photo

I want to shoot a photo of a model trapped in a well. Since the odds of finding a suitable well are nil, I want to build a set for a fake well.

I need to do some photo tests to verify the size of the well. Off hand, I think it should have an interior diameter of about three feed and a height of about ten feet. That is about 95 square feet of interior surface.

Tube

Since the stones will be made of plaster, the tube should be made of ¼" screen. The screen can be stapled to 1x2" wood for structural support (made by ripping 2x4 studs into thirds).

The 1x2" supports will be attached at the top and bottom to a round loop of wood. This will be made by glueing together several overlapping pieces of wood. The wood can be attached to the inside of the loop. At the bottom, it will all sit on a sheet of plywood.

Stones

The stones will be fake, made of plaster. I will mold them into the wire mesh that forms the tube.

Molds are available. There is an $80 set I like at moldcreations.com,

I can buy 25 pound bags of plaster at Lowe's. I don't know if they are a normally stocked item, but I can order it from their web site for $13/bag and pick it up in the store.

The stones will be painted gloss black, to give them a high-contrast wet look, as well as an evil darkness.

Basin

I'll bet I can buy a round, black plastic basin at some garden center, one made for building a fountain. The diameter of this basin will dictate the diameter of the rest of the well.

Door

There needs to be a door built into the side near the bottom so that the model can get in and out. I can cut through the plaster between the stones, and then attach that section of well wall to a backing board. I should plan to install weather stripping to block the light out. Rather than hinges, I can probably just use eye hooks to hold the door in place.

Scaffold

I will be up top shooting photos. I will need someplace steady to stand. A ladder does not seem wise. So, I want to build a small deck at the top, the floor of which being about four feet below the edge of the well. It can have just a plywood floor supported by some 2x4 studs.