Backstage in Black

I've been a little late to update, but here we go!

These are pictures from Acting is Believing, the show I just closed. Lit in all practicals with the whole space painted white. It was quite an adventure. 

The director was great, until we got into tech. He had a very bad attitude and was incredibly rude to the Stage Manager. However, it is a part of the job to deal with people like this, and from what I was told I handled it well.

I am currently sitting in on tech for Julius Caeser in our thrust space. It has a great set design, I may be able to get a picture of it later.

Next up for me is designing lights for an original show by one of our playwrights in the black box.

After that I am happy to say I will be interning at Portland Stage for 9 months starting in August! And crossing my fingers to get the AME job for the place I worked at last summer.

Hope all is well with you guys!

Lighting class.

So This week our aim was to wander around campus, take some photos of interesting lighting situations and then take back what we saw and try re create it in the theatre space.

My campus is a beautiful old mental asylum, there is a lot of outdoor spaces and inside spaces, I took lots of photos of both around campus and in the theatre, But here is a few of the images I selected. 

It's good to have a proper Lighting designer to teach me and open my eyes to new ways of looking at light and heaps of things.

I am so glad I stuck out all the hard bits and am now being creative.

Here's a little preview of the picture frame/make-up mirror we are using in Acting is Believing. They just had their first rehearsal yesterday, which I attended, and everyone is really excited about the lights and the whole show in general.

This piece gets moved around for every scene change, and it looks incredible. It came out exactly as I pictured it would, thanks to the help of Jason.

Also, I will be going to USITT in a week! Hope to see some of you there!

Everyone should check out this company!

Johanna-Mai was at my school on monday and we did a workshop with her which was incredibly awesome. We were put in small groups and created these pieces in 2 hours and presented to the school. The groups were made up of designers, actors and technicians. The focus was on lighting and how non technically minded people can easily pick up the basics.

Here it is, Ivona Princess of Burgundia.

It was definitely an interesting process. I think we could have taken some of our ideas much further (like all the shadow play and special moments like those pictured) but certain circumstances didn't allow for this, and I was not as willing to push on this show.

Unfortunately the director was fairly unpleasant to work with (for all parties involved) which was sad because I think it was felt in the final product. The actors were tired of being yelled at and I was not eager to stay around any longer than needed.

However, you can't win 'em all, and I think what I made happen was nice and it worked with what the director was trying to do.

You live and you learn, and it's important to learn how to deal with people like unpleasant directors because you WILL have to work with people like that, and it's just part of the job. As Mitch (my lighting professor) would say: "This is a business about, for, and by people. It's all about psychology." 

- Vici

Submit here: http://backstage-in-black.tumblr.com/submit

Pictures and stories are always appreciated, feel free to advertise your own theatre/techie blog.

Rules are as follows:

Must be related to theatre or ideas that can relate to our art, practices etc. (maybe it's a photo of your crew...)

You MUST have permission to post images, names and specific things.

Well, this week was my first week back at uni, The last year!!!!!! yuss, 8 months of hard work and I will have my degree!

I started on monday by popping back to see my tutor who just gave me a small run-down of classes and shows. This year I am designing several shows but no dance shows, and I am really happy as dance shows at our institute make me really miserable because we are treated like s**t.unfortunately I couldn't make it on the second day because I had to go get blood tests because  went into my first anaphylaxis attack and they needed to check if I was okay.

Little tip: If you do have medial issues, allergies or anything that may affect the way you work or endanger yourself or others let someone know, be it your tutors, stage managers, production managers etc. I had to email my tutor to tell him what was up incase it happens again and is more serious because I'll have to get an ambulance.

So I go back this coming tuesday and meet my industry professional who is going to tutor me, She is a lighting designer, and a woman so I think we will get along well. We will get together once a week. Because I am the only lighting design student in my year we can get together wherever, her house, my house, a cafe, her work or uni. Which is great because I can go see her working in action, heck If I want a class one night during a pack in and how she does that, I can. Which is a wonderful way to work, I don't think you learn lighting design from books and essays, although those help... And I'll have a few of either to write and read this year. During the first term I have a lot of down time where I intend to absorb as much information as I can.

I am really looking forward to this.

The Other Josh Cohen, photo via Theatermania.com

I just spent some time at the Papermill Playhouse (on a class trip) with Drew, the Master Electrician. We talked about The Other Josh Cohen and the problems it presented, including needing to call in a favor to get their Ion to take more than 4000 addresses. 

Lots and lots of LEDs, pixel mapping, and moving lights.

We also had a little pixel mapping demo with the offline editor and talked about some nuts and bolts Lightwright things that make life easier. 

Drew is a really smart guy and he is super friendly and willing to answer any questions. If anybody gets a chance to go backstage or meet him please do, you can learn a lot from him!

Hope everyone's having a good week!

-Vici

Hope everyone is doing well!

In New Zealand we start the school year at the beginning of the year, Kiddies start at the beginning of february and us Uni students start at the end.

This year I am the only one studying lighting design, that is great because it means I will have the best opportunities of anyone. Which is wonderful and I'm getting a lot of bang for my buck.

My flatmate let slip that the internships I am getting set up with and the outside tutors I am getting are brilliant, But I don't know what yet. It'll be a wonderful surprise.

I pretty much have 1 term of learning and then I'll be thrown into shows.

Terrified for 2015, hopefully I can make some good contacts.

Always a concert to watch is Pink Floyds Pulse, the bf and tutor swear it's the only reason they are where they are today.

Has anybody done anything really outstanding when it comes to concerts and events? feel free to brag :)