Week 3: Vegas Pulls You In

So this picture wasn't supposed to be taken, but we did anyways. WHOOPS. But how can you not, look at that lighting!!! Beatle's love was definitely a show that gives (pardon my language, and thanks Alyssa for this term) a massive lighting boner. 

From the very moment the show starts, you can already see how much detail the light designer went in to with every single moment of the show. They used a lot of gobos, mostly Lekos, and LOTS OF BEAUTIFUL SATURATE COLORS. The cuing was also very spot on. You can see in the photo above that lights with gobos were focused to make it look like there is a source in the middle of the stage that all the little shapes are dispersing from- I thought that was a really nice touch and something I'd like to experiment with. Also, in this picture, you can see some of the lights that are being used, mainly Lekos (it looks like, though they are so far I can't be too certain). There was one moment in the show that I could never forget because of the lighting and cuing- there were dancers that moved to the beat of the song rapidly and as each one made a move a light flickered on and off of them. It was absolutely stunning. I also really like the contrast in the stage lighting versus the house lighting that you can see in this picture. It fits the vibe of the show, but also creates that much needed divide from the show--or else, lets me real, you wouldn't want to leave. I could stare at this all day--or night I should say. 

WARNING: NEXT SECTION NOT FOR SQUEAMISH PEOPLE. 

While in Vegas, we also saw the bodies exhibit, which yes, is incredibly uncomfortable and creepy,

and yet still extremely interesting and awe filled. The lighting throughout this exhibit was very spot on. Some spots had lekos with gobos of cells in them, which I thought was a nice touch. But what really got me was the lighting for each section. What ever they wanted you to focus on was lit perfectly. For being a very creepy exhibit, they kept it very welcoming, making exhibit goers feel okay to look at these frozen-in-time body parts and humans. One section in particular had down lighting on all the individual vein and artery systems while being in a dark room. It was beautiful. This heart led us into this room--and I couldn't help but snap a picture. I'm happy to say the light was very successful in making us all feel like we could look at this exhibit with an open mind, and not be scared of it.

Week 2: The Feeling of Vegas, Baby

Ah Paris... Oops I mean Las Vegas. During our (Kelsey, Tanya and I) visit to Las Vegas, we stayed at the Paris Hotel--and boy was it just filled with interesting lighting! From the moment we got there, we were able to see that the outdoor lighting really hit you with their brand-PARIS. We arrived at night, so that was awesome to see how the different hotels each used light to both attract people into their casinos and give customers a taste of who they are as casino. Above is a picture of the Eiffel Tower at the Paris hotel. The structure was lit from the inside, high lighting the intricate architecture of the structure. What they ended up successfully doing, as you can see here, is making the tower look like it was glowing. This structure looks totally different during the day, and I think the night lights really make the impact this casino is looking for. This wasn't the only hotel that did this wonderfully; others such as the Bellagio, the Flamingo and Caesar's Palace really used lighting to high light the architecture and show the customers their brand.

Once you set foot into these casinos, it's a different animal of lighting. Some were definitely more successful than others, like Paris. The Paris hotel has high ceilings and a sky scape on the ceiling as well. It also has a lot of character lighting, as you can see in the picture to the right. The light poles definitely add light for people to walk around in, but also fit the theme of the casino. The ceiling also utilizes lights that are hidden to high light the sky. The lighting in this casino was pretty darn successful--I distinctly remember my roommate saying "It feels so open in here!" all the time, and I believe this is both due to the high ceilings, but also to the care they took in lighting it appropriately. On the flip side, while Caesar's Palace is lit wonderfully outside, my friends and I felt super claustrophobic, and I believe this is partially due to the really dim lighting they have inside their casino.

Overall, this trip was very interesting as far as lighting for individual casino's goes. I believe that casino's that take more care in lighting both the inside and outside definitely make their customers feel more welcome. But people will always want gamble anyways, so there's that.

Week 3: Thoughts on Lighting in Lieu of the Colloquium

In our foyer hangs this light fixture. I put two red and green gels on it for Christmas, and I haven’t really gotten around to taking them down. Mainly because I don’t want to. Anyways, I think it’s really interesting how the lights don’t mix. As we learned, the human eye cannot distinguish between lights that are at the same angle, close enough together. This can be great for color mix, which did not happen. I just thought it was cool (as I did something like this for Halloween). Then I realized that I don’t know why the lights are doing this. Perhaps it is because they are little LED bulbs. Or maybe it is because of the cut of the glass. 

The glass is cut a at a light angle all around the pieces of glass. The separate pieces of glass are all at an angle from each other due to the curving of the metal that is between the pieces. It made me think of the curvature of the lens we talk about two weeks ago. I’m not sure if that has a direct relation to the lack of color mixing, but it has made me ponder. In the picture, you can see how the two lights are in a way fractured. Due to the structure of the glass exterior, I draw the conclusion that the light are totally at the same angle, or the light is at least fractured enough that it does not mix.

The above pictures of a cork craving my grandfather brought back with him from China. This setting was all carved from one piece of cork. When the sun was low enough, it shined through our french doors, causing a setting sun for the artwork. It was cool to look at it a little model. The shadows of the light are pretty accurate to what this scene would look like in the real world.

Week Three: Getting Pumped

This week I had my script treatment due. I really tried to look at all of the examples my mentor provided for me, and completely changed the format and mindset of my last script treatment (for 157). I now saw the play through the lighting designer's eyes instead of a performer. In acting, we try to stay away from emotions and choose action words to use in our scenes. But while creating a script treatment, we have to focus on the feelings that emerge within us while reading the play, and go off of those feelings to make the audience feel the same way. I had so many discoveries (good and bad) in trying to explain the right "feel" I had for my scenes. I learned to take the word "scene" and make it "world", what world do we want to live in through illumination during the play? I have been having so much fun collaborating with all of these amazing grad students in my production team. I am learning how to communicate through light even more!! The script treatment turned out very well, I was congratulated by my mentor and the director, and they gave me great feedback. I am ready to dive into a new version of my treatment and make it even stronger! Even so, this whole process still terrifies me, but I am learning and being encouraged to go with my instincts, they have been proven to be pretty cool. Believing in your art is always important, and this is a learning process!!

Alyssa!

Week Three: Plotting

In this blog we get to talk about whatever we want, so since my plot is due tomorrow I figured I'd talk about that. In the previous steps for my design, I've been cutting up my ideas and switching them around to be able to be the most effective with the least amount of lights. My system magic sheet only had about 15 lights, including specials. Now that I'm actually getting to plotting I'm adding area light and such, and it's throwing me for a loop. I don't totally understand why it would be good to "Two-fer" things. Is that for color mixing, or just hitting more of the stage at the same time? I don't see any benefit, unless there's a space issue. Am I missing something there? Thank God everything is there has the option of changing the degree, otherwise I'd be really under the bus.

What I'm learning though is that I really love what I'm doing. The collaboration between the directors and I is great and I'm so glad Martha is in my life, I don't think I would have made it this far otherwise. When adding in the down light wash, she asked what color I wanted and if I wanted two sets or just one. I chose to do just one set in lavender and I'm really happy with my choice because I feel like it will be best to support all three shows. She's really great about answering my millions of questions, and meeting up with me at random hours to help me find my way. Due to that, I feel really prepared and on track with my design! I'm happy that my shows are first because I got to give them undivided attention during break-besides my siblings jumping on my back asking questions while I was trying to type! I really hope that my shows are a success, but if not I'm still going to be satisfied because I've learned so much. Then I'll know what not to do when I design shows in later quarters!

Week two: brush strokes and shadowing tech

This week was a good refresher course on brushstroke and different qualities of light. I'm glad I had our class period before the tech on Angels in America, because I was able to follow more of the conversation. Stacie was trying to figure out what degree of light to use for the prostitute sex scene behind the set, and she was discussing the merit of a 50 degree vs. a 90. I understood it was because of the throw onto the floor with the limited space behind the set.

During class I really got a grasp on the difference between the Source 4 instruments and the others, I had always been confused with the concept. The more we went over about system choice the more affirmed I was with my project, having already picked my lights.  Now I could probably pick them all out if they were on.

Tech for Angels was really interesting, one of the main things I learned from observing was the director and designer collaboration. Gavin would ask if he could see a cue slightly differently, and Stacie had her cheat sheet to quickly  alter her previous design to please the  vision.  Some cues took more work than others, but Stacie always made Gavin's ideas her own while adding his needs. She didn't give up her artistic vision, which I really respected because she pleased everyone.

I could tell that Stacie was stressed. Who isn't during tech week? I'm happy she was the one I got to ghost, she held a  collected composure no matter what happened, even the trouble with the fluorescent effect. It's a frustrating situation, but she didn't give up on the idea, just told Gavin that they were putting it on hold. She did it so confidentially, I would have been really nervous to tell that to a director. She has a great decorum even when she's unsure, a quality that I am really going to emulate when I go into tech- Lord knows I'm going to be baffled just about the entire time.

I learned about attitude this time, whereas in focus I learned the technicalities. Both are equally important for a designer to be successful. Thanks Lonnie for making us go to these!

Week 2: Fersnel of my Heart

The fresenl is by far my favorite brushstroke. With that being said, most of the brushstroke lecture was review for me. I got to know them very in my plotting class, especially in regards to the idea of mixing them.

I’m surprised by how much was new to me (or I had forgotten) about the focal point of lights. It seemed vaguely family, and is something that I really should know. Hopefully I can get more tech experience before I graduate, especially since I was unable to help with Angels due to my illness.

One thing that was actually kind of cool about not remembering anything about the focal point was the trueness of the intuitiveness of light. My first instinct, when asked where the gobo would go for a clamp light, was to somehow attach the gobo in a way that would allow it to be several inches in front of the light fixture. Maybe it comes from having done several shows, working with lights in general, and/or focusing (especially with the cyc in the Nixon), but if I were in the position of needing a gobo for lights that don’t hold gobos, (and didn’t have this new found knowledge) I would keep putting the gobo in the space in front of the light until I got what I wanted (and then realize I need something bigger).

Knowing that the more curved a reflector is the closer the focal point is to the lamp is a good rule to know.
And the review about the 1 to 1 ratio for the 50 degree is something that will never get old.

I know in plotting we touched on the idea of coherency, but we didn’t give it a name. Again, it’s logical and intuitive. It’s like, if the photons were frosting, and the different degrees were baked goods, such as a 10 degree being a cupcake, and a 90 degree being a frosted cookie in the Guinness Book of World Records. (I’m still blown away there are lights that big).

My laptop doesn’t have the plug in for the virtual twin spin on GAM. Sad face.

Week 2: Brush Theory

This week was more of a retaught session than a review. I am really thankful that we went through the different brush strokes and what they can do for a design. I have honed it down to parcans, fresnels and lekos: raw, flooded and crisp. I knew all of this, I just totally forgot why they appeared so differently from each other. I relearned about focal points and curvatures that differentiate focal points on certain instruments. The more curved, the shorter the focal point. We also learned about beam degrees, with the ratio of 50 degrees being 1:1 (10 ft beam). This helps with designing in the Nixon, because there is limited space.

This lesson made me think about my design for Oleanna. I know that the play takes place in a very real world, so I will use brush strokes that blend in to create an interior environment. I would also consider a par for the raw and heightened situation at the end of the play, I may want a haunting feeling. This brought to my attention the use of shutters and making lines for what is visible on stage. As the lighting designer, we set this boundary, and I think that is very powerful. This lecture also helped in terms of my transitions for the show, they are going to be more technical and may involve a little theatrical flare (in opposition to the main feeling of the show)...we shall see. Overall, I have some better understandings of which brush strokes to use in my design. I am excited! Here is the picture of the beach I took the other day, I feel like the colors are pretty and could represent what a cyc would look like if we flooded it with different instruments, same color scheme:

Week one: Disneyland and Focus Training!

Disneyland is an entirely different experience when you go as a lighting designer rather than just a vacationer. I've only been a few times but  never fully realized all that goes into the seemingly small part of the park. The more I saw I came to the realization that it's one of the biggest components of what makes the different sectors of the magical world believable.

For the area lighting they could have used a generic staple light that had something to do with Disney, such as a plain cover with the D or Mickey's head. It would have been acceptable but it wouldn't have been possible to immerse into the land we were in, it would always just be Disney, instead of actually in a forest, wild west, or the future. Each shop also had it's own sort of light that made it different from the outdoor area lighting. In real life not all lights are the same, and they embraced that. The lighters of Disney really had attention to detail. One of the ways they made this work was they would have the theme light present and dimly on, then theatrical lighting to actually accomplish what they needed brightness and anglewise.

What I didn't know before I came this visit was that there are different people to lead EVERY SINGLE ASPECT of the lighting. One for the que of the ride, one for the outdoor area around the ride, one for the lights that are on the building for the ride, and one for the ride itself. There must be a lot of meetings and emails to be on the same page, no wonder Cars Land took so long! In the ride itself, the fixtures the lights were held in could be chosen by the Artistic Director but then the actual lamp or bulb is chosen by the lighting designer. Same goes for the placement of the lighting so it doesn't interfere with the overall aesthetic of the ride.

One of the examples where this didn't go too well was Space Mountain. The opening que looked great, recently altered for to add C3PO and R2D2. But when we got to the waiting area to actually get on the ride, it was what I like to call, "A Hot Mess". There was only a small rack where the lights could go, and they were old fixtures so they were just round balls of colors tilted to hit different areas. One of the bright red ones was aimed to hit a wall, for no apparent reason. Maybe there was something there before that got removed? Who knows. Above head level there was some sort of space ship like object, and the lights hitting it were sporadic, sometimes purple and sometimes red. I couldn't tell why and it felt really forced, as though the AD just said that they wanted another color up there. For most of the wall wash they chose a light blue, which Lonnie thought was a safe color. I think that it was intended to make the walls look crisp and bright, and continue with the over all very blue tones of everything else on the ride, and maybe that color was chosen because the purple and red were both so saturate.

Cars land was very spot on. The canyons had mixtures of red, amber, and pale green to bring out the different colors in the rock, and it was the perfect mix because they were so alluring and picturesque. I wouldn't have thought to use the green, but it pulled out different tones very nicely. The lighting designers had a lot of neon to work with, but they balanced the overpowering brightness with softer lights on the main rows, and inside of the shops. There was a small snack area where the hippie bus lives, and that area was all in  glow in the dark paint with black light. They smartly put it after the Sergeants shop, because it displaced the bright colors from the neon lighting. I loved everything that they did here.

I learned a lot, and I can't wait to go next time and ride Pirates, Haunted Mansion, and others to see everything in there with a designers eye. Who ever I go with is going to be really annoyed with all of my comments :)

I'm really glad that I was able to go to focus last night. I had seen focusing be done before, and I did a primitive version of it in high school, but last night I actually learned what was going on and why we do the things we do. Stacie showed me how to find the hot spot of the light, and how to direct the focuser so the light can be exactly where you need it. It was helpful to bring up some of the lights already focused so you could match them up. Another thing I learned was how to focus gobos by bringing in the barrel to either make them soft or "blobby". I can see the difference and that is going to help me a lot when I get to my own gobos.

Before last night I didn't understand why designers would stand with their hand over their head and walk away from the light. It's because you should be able to walk to steps away from the hot spot and still be lit in your area. (Or at least that's what I got from it, is that right Lonnie?) Your hand is a really useful tool to make sure that the overlapping of light isn't going to be apparent on the actors, unless you want it to be. It's a lot easier than looking at the floor and trying to figure it out. I'm glad Martha was there too, I was able to ask her questions regarding my show as I was learning, so I was able to immediately apply the info.

Overall I got some really great tips and tricks so that my focusing goes a bit smoother. :) I'm totally excited to see Angels in America now!

Week 1: Disneyland Theme Park Lighting

Sorry for the delay. After our trip to Disneyland I ended up dying. It was too much magic for me to handle.

I think one of the most interesting parts of our Disneyland trip was seeing what failed. Disneyland, the all powerful, king of creativity, actually failed sometimes in creativity. Some of this was due to the give and take that all lighting designers must face when working with other designers. Such as Space Mountain.

The random purples, reds, and ambers thrown on to the sculpture in the center are blotchy, uneven, and don’t really do much to sever the purpose of the ride. Granted this picture (which I didn’t take because I forgot we had to blog on this) is more purplely and warm than the actual space, but one wash of a more spacey color (cools, such as blues or blue-ish greens) would have been not only cleaner, but would have brought about the ideas of space, and darkness, and a journey, which is what the ride is like. There is a disconnect with from this part of the walk through area and the ride itself.

Another part that failed was the boiler room in the Tower of Terror.

The first inside part of the ride is very fitting and successful. (except for the burned out gobos). Overall the atmosphere was realistic, but ominous. It was not difficult to see in, and created a sense of the time period we were entering.

The boiler room, however, was very unrealistic and too beautiful for the story. The purples and blues created an unrealistic lushness. I always forget that we have to walk through the boiler room to get to the ride. It’s so completely different from the hotel lobby that the two rooms are in completely different worlds. The hotel lobby was realistic and ominous, where as the boiler room -which one would think is would be scarier- was pretty and cartoonish. In the bottom picture in the back, you can see a pale green, and a more realistic amber (which isn’t as yellow in person). If the lighting designer stuck with more realistic lighting, such as the pale green and the dingy amber, they would have not only made the boiler room scarier, but also more realistic. This may have, however, been a choice of the designer. Disneyland is a children’s theme park. I don’t think parents would be too pleased if their children were being scared just by the walk through of the ride.

The Aladin Musical Spectacular was surprisingly bad. That’s not to say it didn’t have it’s moments. It just was a lot worse than I expected. In the image above (which I obviously didn’t take), Prince Ali is making his grand entrance. For being a musical spectacular it was rather unspectacular. The more energetic, and colorful lighting was on the audience. It was such a let down considering how huge the Prince Ali song is. This overall wash was very common throughout the show. It was ok in the beginning when he’s running around (however, the sky is nighttime in the back), but the designer went back to this too much. It really came off as a lazy design. 

There was also a lot that was successful. I just need to return to my death bed. Yay Disneyland!

Week One- The Magical Land of Disney Themed Lighting

First of all, I would like to exclaim how amazing this field trip was. It was incredibly fun and informative, and I am very thankful for the resources that we have been granted in order to experience something so memorable!

This picture was taken at DCA during our snack break. It really grabbed my attention after we had been discussing the different types of themed lighting. It brings many types to surface, for example, the signs are considered architectural lighting because they are on the building, but also character lighting because they are being used to specifically create and depict a style (western rodeo-esque). The lights that are in the interior are brought by the lighting designer, for basic illuminating reasons. The lights outside and underneath the roof fixture I would say are considered architectural, character and area development. Overall, the lights set the tone and stick with the concept of the environment all while staying practical to the use of illuminating.



I must add this shot that was taken in the sorceress' area because I fell in love with this room. The amount of character lighting was breath taking, and all of the colors made it majestic. I don't remember seeing any theatrical lights in this room, but I do know that some were hidden above the ceiling fixtures in the next room we visited. I just wanted to add the point of recognizing the difference between character and theatrical lights. They both aim to create a scene and set a mood, but character lights are meant to be visible to add to the existing environment while theatrical lights tend to focus on illuminating objects or people. This room was very efficient in succeeding the feel of the evil queen's lairs, it made me feel intrigued and special.

Add caption

Week 2: Disney- Where Themed Lighting Dreams Come True (Mostly)

In the many, many years that I have spent weekends, days, and nights in Disneyland, I never realized just how much lighting made a difference in all the attractions. I always knew that lighting played a large role for how magical everything felt at night, but even then, it wasn't until recently that I realized theatrical lighting bled into the lighting for a theme park. Our field trip made me pay way more attention to what lights were doing and what each of their jobs were- perhaps facade lighting, theatrical lighting, or character lighting. 

While I didn't take as many photos as I would have liked to, I did manage to get a few pictures of specific things I wanted to address. In the picture above, you can see what I am talking about for night time magic at Disneyland. The only reason we see anything is because of light. But if you look closely, you can also see that while a lot of the light was mostly done by an art director designing the attraction. However, there are also lights that illuminate the pathway, which a lighting designer may have come in and added to provide enough light for disney-goers to walk around at night. 

While on the subject of outdoor lighting, a buildings architecture often gets lost when the sun goes down. This is where architectural lighting comes in. In the photo to the left, you can see the tower illuminated with a backdrop of black night. The building itself is quite beautiful, but without all upward lighting in the top sections of the building, we wouldn't see all the detail. Architectural lighting is perhaps one of my favorite kinds of lighting. The idea that a designer can come in and say "I want this to stand out, lets add a light here" has always sounded like an interesting job to me. Often with architecture, seen a little here and definitely more throughout this section of the park, you can see how light from certain angles create shadows that almost transform the building completely from day to night. It's really quite beautiful.

As I mentioned before, there are different types of lighting fixtures used within the attractions. In the picture to the right, characters are hanging all over the room and are actually being used to illuminate this section of the area (you can also see Lonnie). This lighting designer filled the space up with many different shapes and kinds of light, and it worked out very well, in my opinion. Despite being all different, they kept with the theme of the room. While the room below was completely lit from theatrical lighting.

This room had an assortment of theatrical lighting. Some of the lights were Source 4's and many of them were actually moving lights. It was interesting to see how the lighting designers provided what was needed for both of these environments. The space above was purely for aesthetic-creating a soft, warm cozy feeling. While the room to the left was all about multimedia and complimenting the images being show on the screens. The colors of the lights would shift with each different disney movie being highlighted at the time. This was probably one of my favorite aspects- the fact that lighting designers can record their light cues to time. I don't remember what this was called, but I still thought it was really cool. 

All in all, I think the field trip to Disneyland was very successful for seeing how themed lighting affects amusement park-goers- both subconsciously and consciously (but mostly subconsciously...)