Unit 7
Unit 7 allows us to showcase the skills and techniques we have learnt throughout the year by producing a number of different shows and also taking part in a national competition run by the Royal Opera House. When I started this course I had very little experience with the processes and techniques used in technical theatre and production arts. Most of my theatre experience was based on sound and music production. However, I have realized that I have a natural talent in the programming and operation of our lighting console, in which I had very little experience with in the past, and have since made the decision to specialize in lighting design. Because I had very little experience with production values and elements, due to a lack of experience, I made a point in developing these skills throughout the course of the year as they are extremely important when working in the industry.
September/October:
During the first month of the course I was shown how to operate both our ETC Gio lighting console and our Allen & Heath QU 32 sound desk. Because I had previous knowledge on how to use a sound desk I understood everything quite well and was able to use it confidently in a short period of time. I am now at a stage where I am also confident in explaining to others how it works and how to use it. We were shown the basics of how to operate the ETC Gio. This meant that we could turn different fixtures on and off and how to record cues. I later took the time to research the other uses of the console including how to design, map and create different effects (intensity/colour effects) as well as operate the moving lights in the rig.
November:
September/October:
During the first month of the course I was shown how to operate both our ETC Gio lighting console and our Allen & Heath QU 32 sound desk. Because I had previous knowledge on how to use a sound desk I understood everything quite well and was able to use it confidently in a short period of time. I am now at a stage where I am also confident in explaining to others how it works and how to use it. We were shown the basics of how to operate the ETC Gio. This meant that we could turn different fixtures on and off and how to record cues. I later took the time to research the other uses of the console including how to design, map and create different effects (intensity/colour effects) as well as operate the moving lights in the rig.
- Intensity effects are used to change the brightness of a fixture to a previously set level. An example of this is a random flicker (linear). This effect allows lights to change brightness randomly between 2 selected intensities, these are known as the 'boundaries.' You can then set how often you want these intensities to change over and given period of time, this can be increased or decreased.
- Colour effects are used to change the colours of lights which are capable of doing it (absolute), an example of these lights are LED battens and moving lights. These effects rely on the creation of a colour palette which can be created by turning these lights to red and recording them onto a palette labelled 'Red.' You can then select a number of these and have the selected fixtures cycle through your chosen palettes without any further input.
- Moving Lights are not only capable of changing colours. They can also be positions to light any part of the stage. This is done through the use of panning and tilting. Panning is used to turn the fixture, moving it from left to right. Tilting moves the head backwards and forwards. Absolute effects can be used on moving lights to change their positioning through the use of different preset focus palettes. This means that you can set the light to move across the stage at different intervals without having to press the 'go' button. This is incredibly helpful for use in musical theatre shows as the cue list can get very long and confusing when using a lot of moving lights. (This effect was learnt in December.)
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| Projection mapping at Disneyland |
In November our class, alongside the second year students, took a trip to Disneyland in Paris to learn about the different techniques used by large corporations and how they can be used in future shows. One effect that really stood out was the use of projection mapping in the night time shows and on the haunted mansion ride. Projection mapping is a technology that is used to turn objects into a display surface for video projection. After an object has been selected or made software is used to map the corners and edges of the video to the surface. You can then program an image, video or effect to be projected into the area you have created, filling the surface with your projection whilst not having any effect on the surrounding area. Projection mapping can be done with a high power projector and software compatible with mapping. Adobe After Effects works well and is easy to use. Following our return from France we attended TheatreCraft. Here I attended two workshops at the Aldwych Theatre, 'the art of automation' and 'lighting a new musical.' These workshops were taught by the crew that currently run "Tina: The Musical" on the west end. During the lighting workshop we learnt about the changes in concert lighting between the 1960's and 1990's, this includes the introduction of new technologies and fixtures. We were shown how to replicate these using different lights that are more common today. This workshop was extremely useful as it showed me techniques that I hadn't seen before that were eventually used in our Christmas production. Before attending the automation workshop I had no knowledge of what it was or how it worked, I now know that automation used motors to minimize human assistance when striking the set, for example. Other forms of automation include a revolving stage and trap doors.
December:
As part of our Christmas show I wanted to move away from solely doing lighting, instead I wanted to learn about the processes behind working with props. In our classes with Mandy we discussed how props should be properly maintained, stored and about the importance of a props list. This is used as a log to show what props are in use, when in the show they are being used, who they are being used by and whether they have been returned after being taken off-stage. I gathered all of the props, requested by Sharron and Shelley, with the assistance of Madelon and Sephora. Some of the props used in the show were rented, because of this they were not a part of our props list. We have since learnt to leave some empty rows to our sheet to allow for any additional props. On top of sorting out the props table I was also asked to design some lighting states which would be used in the show. One of these states was used when Jacob Marley's ghost appears. I used an absolute effect [see bullet-point 3 above] to produce a light that moves in a pre-recorded pattern in which Jeremy, who played this role, could follow. I feel as though this worked well but should be rehearsed more with performers as they can sometimes move in a different direction to the light. I also helped with the sourcing, downloading and processing of sound for the production. We had been given some YouTube links from Shelley and some of the students Whilst the rehearsals for this production were taking place our dimmer rack had an issue and needed to be restarted a number of times and fixtures needed to be patched in at different addresses as some of the modules, which communicates what should be done, were faulty. During our evening performance the dimmers once again became a problem and needed to be restarted so that the lighting states would change. These modules have since been repaired and work as they should.
January/February:
After returning from the Christmas holidays our main focus was on the Royal Opera House design challenge. I chose to design 5 makeup look as part of my entry. The other options included set design, costume design and marketing. I decided to choose the makeup section because it was an area in which I had no experience in. I researched a lot of different techniques which I have since used in shows since then.
March:
After returning from half term we were asked to help the first year acting and musical theatre classes with their shows of Macbeth and Little Shop of Horrors. I was placed in charge of the technical aspects of Little Shop of Horror. I wanted to utilize the skill I learned whilst working on a Christmas carol. The first thing I learnt that I wanted to use was effects that were taught to me by Tom. I used a linear effect during the number "Grow for Me" to make the moving lights continuously change positions within the cue, without any need for further input by the operator. I also used a series of submasters so that quick changes to intensities can be made. I used a submaster to add a flashing effect to the sidelights during "Da Doo" where the lyrics "total eclipse of the sun" was. I was asked to do this by the director and the performers. I was also responsible for sourcing sound effects and downloading the music provided by Shelley on Qlab. For Macbeth I was asked to design lighting states of 2 different groups. One of the groups
December:
As part of our Christmas show I wanted to move away from solely doing lighting, instead I wanted to learn about the processes behind working with props. In our classes with Mandy we discussed how props should be properly maintained, stored and about the importance of a props list. This is used as a log to show what props are in use, when in the show they are being used, who they are being used by and whether they have been returned after being taken off-stage. I gathered all of the props, requested by Sharron and Shelley, with the assistance of Madelon and Sephora. Some of the props used in the show were rented, because of this they were not a part of our props list. We have since learnt to leave some empty rows to our sheet to allow for any additional props. On top of sorting out the props table I was also asked to design some lighting states which would be used in the show. One of these states was used when Jacob Marley's ghost appears. I used an absolute effect [see bullet-point 3 above] to produce a light that moves in a pre-recorded pattern in which Jeremy, who played this role, could follow. I feel as though this worked well but should be rehearsed more with performers as they can sometimes move in a different direction to the light. I also helped with the sourcing, downloading and processing of sound for the production. We had been given some YouTube links from Shelley and some of the students Whilst the rehearsals for this production were taking place our dimmer rack had an issue and needed to be restarted a number of times and fixtures needed to be patched in at different addresses as some of the modules, which communicates what should be done, were faulty. During our evening performance the dimmers once again became a problem and needed to be restarted so that the lighting states would change. These modules have since been repaired and work as they should.
January/February:
After returning from the Christmas holidays our main focus was on the Royal Opera House design challenge. I chose to design 5 makeup look as part of my entry. The other options included set design, costume design and marketing. I decided to choose the makeup section because it was an area in which I had no experience in. I researched a lot of different techniques which I have since used in shows since then.
March:
After returning from half term we were asked to help the first year acting and musical theatre classes with their shows of Macbeth and Little Shop of Horrors. I was placed in charge of the technical aspects of Little Shop of Horror. I wanted to utilize the skill I learned whilst working on a Christmas carol. The first thing I learnt that I wanted to use was effects that were taught to me by Tom. I used a linear effect during the number "Grow for Me" to make the moving lights continuously change positions within the cue, without any need for further input by the operator. I also used a series of submasters so that quick changes to intensities can be made. I used a submaster to add a flashing effect to the sidelights during "Da Doo" where the lyrics "total eclipse of the sun" was. I was asked to do this by the director and the performers. I was also responsible for sourcing sound effects and downloading the music provided by Shelley on Qlab. For Macbeth I was asked to design lighting states of 2 different groups. One of the groups
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