The saga continues, as we all knew it would. So what's my beef with technology? Why have I even bothered write this? I write this because I think technology has become a bit a crutch, in many facets of design. Be it the advance work, or the actual work in the design, the more technology I see, typically, the less thought it seems there is in a show. However, there is such a drive to put technology into shows and flaunt it (ALA Broadway) that it can be hard to fight that urge. I have even heard people go as far as to say a particular show cannot be done with out scrollers, or moving lights and the like, which then bears the questions how did the brilliant designs of Tharon Musser and others happen prior to all the technology we have now?
Here are some things I've actually encountered in my life either directly or heard of later from others.
1) Morpheus CMY faders were brought in for a show I was an electrician for. Great, no issues with that. Then the designer called and asked that the entire rosco book be stored on the board as focus groups so they could pick colors "faster" in tech. My fiancee who was in this show had to stand frozen in a pose while they picked colors for an hour during tech for just one scene.
2) After the first 10 out of 12 for a musical, a production manager told me that the lighting designer for the show, after a rough notes session, told the group that they could not do the show without color scrollers. They had never asked until then
3) A designer for a show I worked on insisted on moving lights for a show. While doing the going through the show file I found that each of the 4 fixtures turned on once andcould have easily been made static specials.
The person in example 1, no advance thought. I saw this show, and the color in those Morpheus faders were definitely intended to try and drive the show, however, no prior thought went into what these faders would, how they would function, etc. The content was not originally thought out. It's the same but opposite problem with example 2. When we start blaming our inability to light a show well because of lack of technology, we are 1) Hurting our potential fot getting work in this house in the future and 2) Showing our lack of foresight to either a. ask before we get to tech or b. have solved the problem without. Plenty of designs came out before we had arsenals of scrollers, moving lights and other bells and whistles that were ground breaking. You can do it without technology too.
2 also touches on another issue. I have also heard of designers who will kick and scream that they can't do a show without X or without Y. Sometimes we need to learn how to sacrafice and be creative to solve a problem, especially in economic times as these. Example, demanding needing LED strips and then only using 6 colors over the course of the show.
Finally 3 brings about a special issue. On the one hand, why rent 4 moving lights when you aren't going to use them in more than 1 way. On the other, when your director is crazy, sometimes you need to have this tool in your back pocket. While the end result may not have shown foresight, the intention, to easily and quickly appease a director in time of crisis, shows a different kind of foresight that sometimes makes life easier.
While I know that maybe those examples are not the norm, it seems to be trending that way. It's unfortunate but I feel like less and less thought, especially advance thought, is going into the design of the worlds we are creating. We are here to tell a story through light, every single thing we do, the color, the placement, the sharpness, even the shutter cut of a light are there to tell that story. When we let these elements get away from us, when our grasp of these things slips from our fingers on any show, the design has less of an impact, and therefore we haven't done our job.
So what was the point of all this: Content, content, content. Really challenge yourself to think about every angle of light, every shade, and every scene in depth for your next show. Know the show backwards. Know why you are doing everything on a show. The best designs I've seen come from those who think this way. Then, when you need to solve a problem, or enhance your story, turn to technology. It can only make your designs stronger to start thinking without technology and then adding when you need it. Justify it in terms of the story. When you can do that, and integrate the technology in ways that go unnoticed, watch the designs soar.
Like I said in my first blog on this issue, think of it ala the movie industry. When CGI first was introduced think about how crazy movie makers went with it. And we KNEW they were using it. Now the lines are blurred. We can't tell where reality ends, and the computers begin. When we can achieve this on the stage, when we start using technology seamlessly, that it is when true magic happens, and that requires thought, not dependency.
I agree completely. My view is that more and more people use technology before even thinking about design, so when they come into the design aspect of a show, no matter how big or small, their only knowledge is LED'S, Movers and Strobes.
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