Translucency

The photo above is of the RER station at the Charles DeGualle Airport in Paris. We arrived in France as the sun was still fairly low in the sky so the sunlight filtered through the canopy to create this nice view. The material must have had some sort of frosted glazing on it.

Ugly Architecture

In my opinion, the Union is a fairly unattractive building. In particular, all of the concrete elements associated with it. After eating lunch I walked out of the Terrace Cafe I took one of the staircases to the basement level. This particular staircase was mainly constructed of the roughly textured concrete that forms many of the building's supports. The florescent lighting in the stairwell didn't make it look any better. It gave it a nice depth, but the texture looked horrible.

Concert Lighting

Photos courtesy of www.therave.com

One of the main reasons I go to concerts, aside from the music, is the experience. I believe that the lighting plays a major factor in the quality of the experience.
These photos were taken at a Death Cab For Cutie concert in 2006. The backdrop was a painted scrim that was frequently lit to reveal images on the back wall. There were also flashing lamps that hung from wires that were directly in front of the scrim.
Changes in the tempo and mood of the songs were also enhanced by changes in the quality and intensity of the light, as seen in the second image.

Pompidou Centre

This art installation is from the Pompidou Museum of Modern Art in Paris. The filtering of the light through the colored panel reminded me of colored gel that is used in theatre lighting. The white and black surfaces inside the room provided a perfect background for viewing the colors.

Daumesnil Promenade

While in Paris I stayed in an apartment building that overlooked an elevated, arched promenade. The stone structure was lit from the sides by some accent lighting that enhanced the appearance of the stone, making it look more three-dimensional.

Blinds

I captured this image in my dorm room last year. I purposely used the sepia tone setting to pick up the shadows that the ridges of the blinds created. The shadows were very defined.

Reflections

These photos were taken during tech rehearsals for the play Of Mice and Men. The first is of the water trough that represents the Salinas River. The bottom is lined with a mylar material that can also be seen on the upstage wall of the space. When the light from the instruments hits the surface it scatters. Where it lands can be seen in the second photo. The entire ceiling of the house is illuminated with the reflected surface of the water.

Theming

Outside of theatre one of my favorite hobbies is going to theme parks. There is something about their atmosphere that makes them so intriguing to me. Really, they serve the same function as theatre. They are meant to take the visitor/audience out of reality.

This photo is of Six Flags Great America's entry plaza during Fright Fest. The normally clean reflecting pool has been filled with 'blood" and contains a series of torches that create an eerie glow on the surface. The pillars of the merry-go-round are lit with colors appropriate to the theme of the event.

Brick

Today, as I ate in the Union I noticed how the track lighting hit the brick walls. In the darker areas of the building, where natural light doesn't hit, the track lights create a nice glow as they wash the walls. They also bring out the texture of the brown bricks because of the harsh angle at which they are struck.

Final 12th Night Reactions

Having seen the opening performance of the show I have to say that the entire process was successful. This was the first time I had seen the entire show from beginning to end at the actual running time. The transitions seemed to work quite well. I could see that the subtle change in intensity between acts actually was visible. I think the audience could definitely notice the change as they sat down for the second half.

Mirror Wall

The scenic design for Of Mice and Men contains a mylar "mirrored" surface on the back wall of the performance space. Because of how the material is attached, the effect is much like that of the water wall in my previous entry. The main purpose for this wall is to catch some sort of reflection. It isn't meant to reproduce a perfect image.

When light hits the material it is reflected to the stage surface. The result looks very much like the image you see when light passes through water. In my opinion it looks like the bottom of a swimming pool.

Texture

While it is hard to see in this photo, there were l.e.d.'s at the top of this water wall. Every so often they would change colors to create a little variation. Looking at the water where the light hit it, I could see a smooth texture that would not normally have been on the mirror were it not for those elements. Though texture can be seen on the wall without the light, this is an enhanced quality of the texture with it. But, without the water, and just the light, there would be no texture.

12th Night

Jim's input on the lighting of the show was very helpful. Even though the show is to be lit in a very basic manner, there are certain preferences that needed to be explained. For example, there are no blackouts in the entire length of the show. Rather, there are subtle shifts in the intensity of the light between acts. Aside from that there is only one special that involves lighting a small area of the catwalk.

Sacre Cuer

One of my favorite places in Paris was the basilica Sacre Cuer, or Sacred Heart. While the outside was impressive, the inside was even more so. Adorning the interior were some of the most amazing mosaics I have ever seen. However, photos were not allowed.

The exterior of the church was of a white stone, intricately carved. This was most noticeable at the tops of the domes. Because the entire structure was lit with flood lights, you could see the depth of the carvings in the shadows that were created.

Nature's Beauty

The photo above was taken from the National Weather Service's website. I remember seeing this image in my meteorology class last semester, and it stuck with me. The tree line seems to be perfectly outlined by the green glow overhead. The crisp reflection in the water compliments it nicely.
The color in the sky reminded me vaguely of a cyclorama backdrop and how it enhances stage lighting and gives it a natural quality.

Monet

One of my favorite museums is the Orsay, in Paris. There was one group of paintings I was particularly interested in when I visited. It was Monet's Rouen Cathedral Series. These works are a collection of paintings that Monet created over a period of time that recreated how light hit the cathedral. One of these works is pictured above. Each corresponding work is painted from the same location.

The paintings give a nice insight into just how sunlight looks over periods of time. The brush strokes are quite bold and it is easy to tell what colors the artist used to recreate the scene. If someone were to recreate this on stage all they would need to do is study the artists palate.

More winter observations...

This winter has provided me with many opportunities to observe ice and its characteristics. Today, while preparing lunch, I looked out the window and watched the water drip from melting icicles hanging off of the house. The icicles were massive. I could clearly make out the ripples that circled the long structures. The sun was in the sky directly in from of me and behind the icicles. Even though I wasn't even close to the window I could clearly make out their depth. It made me think of how lighting can be utilized to create depth on the stage. Especially when, coupled with makeup, the light enhances the features on an actors face.

However, icicles have nothing to do with stage lighting. They just made me think of depth, shadow, and objects in three dimensions.

Nature

Last year when I lived in the dorms I had a great view of the Downer Woods out of my 17th floor window. As fall approached the leaves started turning, creating a beautiful mixture of color over the landscape. One day the trees caught my eye. It seemed as though the color looked more vibrant that day. The sky was partly cloudy, but in the late afternoon the sun poked through. This photo was the result. I liked how the natural sunlight brought out the colors in the leaves.

Grammy Awards

I don't think much of the Grammy Awards. There are only a couple of categories that I pay attention to. However, I still watch the show year after year to see what the production designers can pull off. This year it seemed as though they relied heavily on projections, however there was plenty of lighting to be had. Rock concert style lighting has always intrigued me. There were plenty of performances in which to show off some spectacular effects. One such performance called for pillars of smoke(or something along that line) to be shot out of cannons at a high rate. As this happened, the smoke, was lit by red light, making the performance very dramatic.
Another of the performances that interested me was that of Amy Winehouse. She was performing in an off site venue so it was able to be customized to suit her. The backdrop was really cool. It involved a draped curtain one would expect to find as a grand curtain in a theatre. Her name was then hung on the surface of the backdrop and lit. The effect that all of the lights had on the surface was much like that I had seen earlier when I had gone to see a movie.
Image from www.rollingstone.com

Snow=Cotton

The heat went out in my house today. I went to the basement to check out the furnace, which was indeed silent. While I walked through the dark and cold space I noticed the windows. The snow had piled up past the tops of them. The little sunlight that made it through appeared as though it was passing through cotton, or another fluffy material. When the light filtered through it it reminded me of a pile of cotton balls. That may seem odd, but that's what I thought. The snow was light and fluffy, and untouched.

12th Night: Initial Impressions

For this entry I figured it would be a good idea to write down my initial thoughts of 12th Night. At the rehearsal I attended last night I got to witness a rough run through of the first act.
Being a Studio Theatre production there isn't much opportunity to use large set props. The largest units on the stage are a piano and stair unit. Both are concentrated in upstage right corner of the stage. The only other set props of note were four bright red plastic stools. These stools are moved around the stage quite frequently, but for the most part stay in the four corners of the stage.

One word that I think described the general mood of the production was "Playful." Some of the script is thick, but overall there was an upbeat, free flowing enthusiasm radiating from the cast.
I think we should all think over color choices individually and regroup.

On a technical note...
-There are scenes that play out on the catwalk, some fixtures will need to be adjusted for visibility.
-The UR area of the stage is used the most often.
-The red stools are moved about quite a bit. However, the four locations of origin could be individually lit if practical.

Ice Fountain

Here's an old photo from Spring 2007. We had a cold snap later than expected that spring. The fountain had already been turned on. I snapped this photo as I was leaving class one night.
I liked how the water was still running, yet the base of the fountain was frozen, as well as most of the basin.
The fountain is usually lit in the evening while it is running, so I wasn't surprised to find it lit on this night. The blue light looked mystical from behind the ice walls that had formed. Ripples that had formed in the ice added an interesting quality to the light.

Fabric

There wasn't much to see outside today. The snowstorm was enough to make me not want to look. Besides, there was so much snow caked on the screen I could make anything out anyways. So, I kept my shades down.
My windows are covered with roman shades. The shades are made from a very heavy tan colored fabric That appears very plain on the surface. Once the light hits them the fabric starts to reveal flecks of darker material within the fabric. They almost appear as shadows from the window behind. Without light shining through the shades look uniform in appearance and the eye cannot penetrate through the material.
This reminded me loosely of the wire mesh scenic designers use. The artist can paint something on the surface of the material and it will look like any normal painting. However, once the mesh is lit, you are able to see what is behind.

Dust

As I dusted off my lamp today I kicked up some of the particles into the air. I did this with the lamp turned on. At just the right angle I could see the dust particles float in the air, light reflecting off them. It wasn't anything extremely interesting to see, it just reminded me of what happens when a lighting instrument gets bumped in the theatre.

Pawprints

As I prepared dinner tonight I glanced over at the neighbors yard. The snow in their backyard was illuminated by the back porch light. On the surface I could see the product of their dog's excitement(this dog is VERY energetic). Virtually the entire yard was covered with paw prints. As the light hit the very uneven surface shadows appeared everywhere.

Paris: Dark and Dreary

The vast majority of the days I spent in Paris there was cloud cover. Because of the time of year the days were also shorter. The patchy and cloudy skies provided for some interesting lighting conditions. This memorial on the Seine was no exception. The gold gilding picked up the little light that was piercing through the clouds. Much of the surrounding area consisted of dull earth tones and the gold popped against them.

Winterdances: Another Observation

During one of the dance numbers two large projection screens were set up on stage. They provided a canvas for video projections that aided in the telling of a story. But they were more than that. For the majority of the number the dancers performed behind the screens while the were lit from behind. It reminded me of a performance that I saw in Paris. In that performance the actors recreated a battle sequence from behind the curtain. The dance performance was much more graceful and fluid.

Winterdances

I'm really not the type of person you would count on see at a dance show. But, I had heard only positive things about the past dance department productions so I gave it a chance. I have to say I enjoyed much of what I saw(still not my cup of tea). The dances themselves seemed very well choreographed and the dancers put on a pretty good show.
I had been in and out of the mainstage for the few days leading up to the show so I had seen some of the equipment they would be using. They had quite a bit of equipment to work with. The product that resulted did not disappoint. Iain's lighting design was wonderful. The color palate that he used played well with the costuming and general movement of the performers.
Of particular interest to me was the "Cell Block Tango" portion. Iain included an effect that I find to be very dramatic. He used a mist machine that filled the air over the stage with water particles creating sharp shafts of light when light passed through. With the aid of gobos, this effect created jail bars that the women danced behind. It was very striking.