Lighting Blog Example 2

We already know that light is all around us.  How often do we really notice it?  We walk to class expecting and knowing that our path is lit.  In theatrical design, we are striving to create an atmosphere that helps to tell the story on stage.  If you were told to put sunlight on stage, what color would you use?  My mind used to go straight to the color of yellow.  It is a warm color and it is a color that is painted on the sun in cartoons.  But as I started to look at direct sunlight, I saw white light.  The image to the left was taken on a walk from the parking lot to class, showing that beautiful lighting is everywhere around us.  It just needs to be noticed.  This is a perfect example of what direct sunlight really looks like.  Also notice the intricate texture that is cast onto the ground created by the shadows of the leaves and branches.  This is an amazing example of a natural gobo or template.  How could I replicate this on stage? What brush strokes or color would I choose?  Would an audience know what this represents?

Lighting Blog Example 1

This summer I was fortunate enough to be picked to be the design fellow in the area of lighting for Chautauqua Theater Company. They set up for a 9 week season in western New York at the Chautauqua Institution which is situated on a beautiful lake. It a great mix of small town life paired with a crazy work schedule at the theater. This area was so beautiful, lush green forests and the sparkling lake framed by an ever changing, water-colored sky. Every time you stepped outside it was different.  Storms passing through, the sun reflecting off the water, and light on the clouds proved to be a lighting designers dream. It was incredible to see how Mother Nature could drastically transform the same space.  How does this image make you feel? What emotions or story is being told? How does the lighting help the story?