NPR had an interesting interview with a journalist about technology and its influence in our lives. If you have a chance, take maybe 40 minutes and hear this:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129384107
It seemed relevant enough to share, and even if it turns out not to be, it's at least very thoughtful. :)
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Alot of Scenes...in need of scene changes
So, one of the big questions as set designer (and everyone else for that matter) is -- how do we get from one place to another with ease and... grace? The massive number of locations presents itself as quite a challenge for me; making each scene uniquely descriptive and encapsulating of that place's essence, how? Perhaps that difference can be developed during each scene, so that by the moment when the next scene approaches, all is ready to maintain the flow of the play.
What I'm trying to say is: people on stage all the time, working on scene changes while other scenes are happening. So that stagehands are actively a part of what's happening on stage and, shall we say, becoming a representation of Samantha's unconscious mind by constantly developing her next step?
What do you think?
What I'm trying to say is: people on stage all the time, working on scene changes while other scenes are happening. So that stagehands are actively a part of what's happening on stage and, shall we say, becoming a representation of Samantha's unconscious mind by constantly developing her next step?
What do you think?
Monday, July 19, 2010
Well this is exciting
We finally have everyone signed up as contributors!
I hope this blog starts to get some more action. It's been very sexually frustrated lately.
A big question for me is how do we create the middle of June in the middle of December? I want the audience to experience that slightly hot June summer, but without blasting them with heat. Something I've been trying to pay attention to lately is how the heat affects people physically, and take note of that. I invite you all to do the same.
That's all for now.
I hope this blog starts to get some more action. It's been very sexually frustrated lately.
A big question for me is how do we create the middle of June in the middle of December? I want the audience to experience that slightly hot June summer, but without blasting them with heat. Something I've been trying to pay attention to lately is how the heat affects people physically, and take note of that. I invite you all to do the same.
That's all for now.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Emily's Inspiration
My inspiration, thus far...
I was trying to figure out why exactly Callaghan titled the play "Dead City", and then I came across a review that revealed that it is named after one of Patti Smith's song, which you can listen to here. These are the lyrics:
This dead city longs to be
This dead city longs to be free
Seven screaming horses
Melt down in the sun
Building scenes on empty dreams
And smoking them one by one
This dead city longs to be
This dead city longs to be living
Is it any wonder there's squalor in the sun
With their broken schemes and their lotteries
They never get nowhere
Is it any wonder they're spitting at the sun
God's parasites in abandoned sites
and they never have much fun
If I was a blind man
Would you see for me
Or would you confuse
The nature of my blues
And refuse a hand to me
Is it any wonder crying in the sun
Is it any wonder I'm crying in the sun
Well I built my dreams on your empty scenes
Now I'm burning them one by one
This damn city this dead city
Immortal city
Motor city
Suc-cess city
Longs to be
Longs to be
Free
Free
Free
Why she chose that song still doesn't really make much sense to me, however. I guess maybe the city is dead because people aren't really connecting to one another...?
Which brings me to what I feel the play is about to me, at this moment in time (and it will most likely change throughout the production, though this will still be equally as important). For me, the play is about so many people's inability to make real connections, to really touch one another, when we are so dependent on technology to communicate. I think this idea came about specifically because of the scene between Samantha and the young man. They'd been flirting over the internet, and when they finally meet in person they still can't make any sort of real connection. At first I tried imagining them actually having sex on stage, as many of us know I am not afraid of portraying, but it just didn't seem right. The stage directions never actually say they are physical, so I imagined them just standing there saying their lines, and it all clicked for me.
I haven't really been able to find too many images that really speak to this idea, but here are a few:
She's totally missing out on the beauty...
I like how there is a play between soft and hard in the picture, with the blurriness of the glass in front of such a technological setting.
By far my favorite of the bunch, this photo just screams "get off the fucking phone and concentrate on washing yourself!"
These two pictures are humorous, but really make me sad.
I just like how here technology is reaching out to something so beautiful and natural, in what is clearly a very dead city.
While I lament how technology is affecting our relationships, I also want to use technology to enhance the world of the play, not only with lights, but with sound and projections. As I confessed earlier, I love Sigur Rós, and I think they do an amazing job using technology in their show. What is most interesting about that, though, is that their music is almost always inspired by the nature of Iceland. Most recently I saw their lead singer, Jónsi, in concert. His new album was all about nature, which was heavily reflected in his concert. He used very beautiful, amazingly technical projections to depict this nature. Here are some images from that concert.
Notice the layering of the windows - the one with the tree is behind and to the side of the one with the fish (at least I think that's what those are).
The stage from the same angle, with different projections and lighting. It is amazing how much they can change the look and feel so seamlessly...this is why I think using technology is really important for this play.
And again. Obviously, I know they are working on a much larger scale (and budget), but I still think we can use some of these ideas.
I love how they used projections to recreate rain. At one part the rain got so violent, as did the music, and the band was all rocking out so that they they were moving with the rain, making it all seem like a torrential downpour.
These next images are all from previous Sigur Rós concerts.
I love this image because that lighting is so provocative. It's like nothing else in the world matters right now except for what he is playing.
I love the texture the projection over the scrim gives that image, especially with the musician being backlit.
Just a cool example of using a scrim and lighting, which can create such a dynamic image.
Another production that has given me a lot of inspiration is The Brother/Sister Plays by Tarell Alvin McCraney. I was able to see In the Red and Brown Water, one part of the collection of three plays, at Steppenwolf this spring.
There are a lot of similarities between that play and Dead City: multiple locations all in one town, actors playing several different characters each, heavily movement and rhythm based, non-traditional structures of dialogue, and even a throbbing, sexy club scene, disco ball and all:
In the production at Steppenwolf, they had an empty stage, not really any set, and we were able to somehow figure out where they were most of the time. This is good to know, because it means we don't have to be too specific with details; plus, we will have projections telling the audience where we are. But to emulate that production would be no fun for Alex.
What I really liked was that all of the characters had base costumes that were white, and then they would add (or subtract) pieces as needed per character. I liked this because it made it easier on the eyes to just have one dominant color on stage, and brought to mind a dance piece, which was also reflected in the abundance of movement. I have more specific ideas about costumes, but I will share those at a later date.
Tina Landau, the director, was one of the developers of the Viewpoints for the stage. It's not wonder, seeing as how I am crazy about the Viewpoints, why I loved this play so much. She created such dynamic (love that word!) stage pictures, and yet they didn't seem overly choreographed.
I just think this picture is stunning. Look at that repetition of an emotional gesture (sorry, Viewpoints talk). I think it's especially amazing how everything is so dark (the floor, the backdrop, their clothes and their skin), and yet it pops so much.
Here are simply some images, all of bodies in space, that I found interesting:
This reminded me of the image of Gabriel sprouting arms. It actually came up when I did a search for "human connection technology", or something like that.
Again, arms sprouting. Also, I really love how the skin pops against all that black.
I love the anger, strength, and new beginning that comes out of this image.
Finally, I'd like to leave you with some images of Patti Smith, and some of her drawings.
I love these colors, and the texture and shapes she's created here. And the title. This could very well be a jumping off point for a lot of the design elements.
How I imagine Jewel at her mother's funeral.
This is the cover of one of her albums. If Jewel's brain could be laid out on a piece of paper, I think it would look like this.
I love how the dress is so soft, light, and sheer, against the hard darkness of the stairs. I feel like this is how Jewel and Sam butt up against each other.
So punk rock.
One of her drawings of Rimbaud.
The lines and framing of this picture is very interesting. Very sharp, yet still that human quality, especially with the softness of the drapes on the floor.
Another one of her drawings of Rimbaud. (click on the image to see it against white)
And I'll leave you with this, my favorite image of Patti:
I was trying to figure out why exactly Callaghan titled the play "Dead City", and then I came across a review that revealed that it is named after one of Patti Smith's song, which you can listen to here. These are the lyrics:
This dead city longs to be
This dead city longs to be free
Seven screaming horses
Melt down in the sun
Building scenes on empty dreams
And smoking them one by one
This dead city longs to be
This dead city longs to be living
Is it any wonder there's squalor in the sun
With their broken schemes and their lotteries
They never get nowhere
Is it any wonder they're spitting at the sun
God's parasites in abandoned sites
and they never have much fun
If I was a blind man
Would you see for me
Or would you confuse
The nature of my blues
And refuse a hand to me
Is it any wonder crying in the sun
Is it any wonder I'm crying in the sun
Well I built my dreams on your empty scenes
Now I'm burning them one by one
This damn city this dead city
Immortal city
Motor city
Suc-cess city
Longs to be
Longs to be
Free
Free
Free
Why she chose that song still doesn't really make much sense to me, however. I guess maybe the city is dead because people aren't really connecting to one another...?
Which brings me to what I feel the play is about to me, at this moment in time (and it will most likely change throughout the production, though this will still be equally as important). For me, the play is about so many people's inability to make real connections, to really touch one another, when we are so dependent on technology to communicate. I think this idea came about specifically because of the scene between Samantha and the young man. They'd been flirting over the internet, and when they finally meet in person they still can't make any sort of real connection. At first I tried imagining them actually having sex on stage, as many of us know I am not afraid of portraying, but it just didn't seem right. The stage directions never actually say they are physical, so I imagined them just standing there saying their lines, and it all clicked for me.
I haven't really been able to find too many images that really speak to this idea, but here are a few:
She's totally missing out on the beauty...
I like how there is a play between soft and hard in the picture, with the blurriness of the glass in front of such a technological setting.
By far my favorite of the bunch, this photo just screams "get off the fucking phone and concentrate on washing yourself!"
These two pictures are humorous, but really make me sad.
I just like how here technology is reaching out to something so beautiful and natural, in what is clearly a very dead city.While I lament how technology is affecting our relationships, I also want to use technology to enhance the world of the play, not only with lights, but with sound and projections. As I confessed earlier, I love Sigur Rós, and I think they do an amazing job using technology in their show. What is most interesting about that, though, is that their music is almost always inspired by the nature of Iceland. Most recently I saw their lead singer, Jónsi, in concert. His new album was all about nature, which was heavily reflected in his concert. He used very beautiful, amazingly technical projections to depict this nature. Here are some images from that concert.
Notice the layering of the windows - the one with the tree is behind and to the side of the one with the fish (at least I think that's what those are).
The stage from the same angle, with different projections and lighting. It is amazing how much they can change the look and feel so seamlessly...this is why I think using technology is really important for this play.
And again. Obviously, I know they are working on a much larger scale (and budget), but I still think we can use some of these ideas.
I love how they used projections to recreate rain. At one part the rain got so violent, as did the music, and the band was all rocking out so that they they were moving with the rain, making it all seem like a torrential downpour.These next images are all from previous Sigur Rós concerts.
I love this image because that lighting is so provocative. It's like nothing else in the world matters right now except for what he is playing.
I love the texture the projection over the scrim gives that image, especially with the musician being backlit.
Just a cool example of using a scrim and lighting, which can create such a dynamic image.Another production that has given me a lot of inspiration is The Brother/Sister Plays by Tarell Alvin McCraney. I was able to see In the Red and Brown Water, one part of the collection of three plays, at Steppenwolf this spring.
There are a lot of similarities between that play and Dead City: multiple locations all in one town, actors playing several different characters each, heavily movement and rhythm based, non-traditional structures of dialogue, and even a throbbing, sexy club scene, disco ball and all:
In the production at Steppenwolf, they had an empty stage, not really any set, and we were able to somehow figure out where they were most of the time. This is good to know, because it means we don't have to be too specific with details; plus, we will have projections telling the audience where we are. But to emulate that production would be no fun for Alex.
What I really liked was that all of the characters had base costumes that were white, and then they would add (or subtract) pieces as needed per character. I liked this because it made it easier on the eyes to just have one dominant color on stage, and brought to mind a dance piece, which was also reflected in the abundance of movement. I have more specific ideas about costumes, but I will share those at a later date.
Tina Landau, the director, was one of the developers of the Viewpoints for the stage. It's not wonder, seeing as how I am crazy about the Viewpoints, why I loved this play so much. She created such dynamic (love that word!) stage pictures, and yet they didn't seem overly choreographed.
I just think this picture is stunning. Look at that repetition of an emotional gesture (sorry, Viewpoints talk). I think it's especially amazing how everything is so dark (the floor, the backdrop, their clothes and their skin), and yet it pops so much.Here are simply some images, all of bodies in space, that I found interesting:
This reminded me of the image of Gabriel sprouting arms. It actually came up when I did a search for "human connection technology", or something like that.
Again, arms sprouting. Also, I really love how the skin pops against all that black.
I love the anger, strength, and new beginning that comes out of this image.Finally, I'd like to leave you with some images of Patti Smith, and some of her drawings.
I love these colors, and the texture and shapes she's created here. And the title. This could very well be a jumping off point for a lot of the design elements.
How I imagine Jewel at her mother's funeral.
This is the cover of one of her albums. If Jewel's brain could be laid out on a piece of paper, I think it would look like this.
I love how the dress is so soft, light, and sheer, against the hard darkness of the stairs. I feel like this is how Jewel and Sam butt up against each other.
So punk rock.
One of her drawings of Rimbaud.
The lines and framing of this picture is very interesting. Very sharp, yet still that human quality, especially with the softness of the drapes on the floor.
Another one of her drawings of Rimbaud. (click on the image to see it against white)And I'll leave you with this, my favorite image of Patti:
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Keep in mind
Ok so i figured this whole blog thing out.
when it comes to projection keep the following in mind
wherever there is projections there are no lights
You can never achieve a full blackout
You can use practicals to help show location as well as different color light
Projections I know are called for in the show and I think that they can be helpful but we do need to logistically figure out who what where etc they will happen. Ive used projection alot in other shows just keep these things in mind
Videos/Projections
In response to Nivan's question about what I want him to be taking shots of, I wanted to dialogue a bit about the use of projections and videos in this play.
I think it's really important that in the production there is a consistency in the usage of video. So I pose this question: what are the possible reasons for using video?
Some reasons that I have come up with:
To show time and place, as marked in the script.
To enhance the setting (especially since, due to the number of scene changes, it will be difficult to add too much to each setting)
To show something that is happening outside of the real world (such as when Gabriel sprouts multiple arms). This reason is further divided into a few reasons. There are three different types of unreal occurrences - those of dreams (Jewel walking along the highway in Scene 0, and Sam's dream of Jewel and Gabriel in Scene 11), what I will title hallucinations because I don't know what else to call them (Rosalind/Sam/Young Man on street corner in Scene 2, Gabriel and Sam in a jazz club in scene 9, Sam's reflective monologue in Scene 11, the five Sams in Scene 14), and then just plain weird shit happening, such as when the dead Hank answers back or Not Jewel shouting out in the subway what Samantha has probably just read. Furthermore, there are recounts of dreams, such as Gabriel's of Zachary, which could be interesting to project during the retelling.
Are there any other possible reasons we could use video?
I definitely want to use video for the first two reasons, but I am torn on the last one (showing something that is happening outside of the real world). It will definitely be challenging to do some of the dream sequences, especially the Gabriel one, but I think the physical contact of Gabriel touching Sam is important. Also, since I definitely want the dream of Jewel to be live, I think the second one needs to be live as well. I think the "hallucinations" and weird shit can all be done live.
So how can we use video projections to enhance scenes? And if we do not use video to enhance every scene, should we find some other (technical) way to enhance each scene? Or maybe that's just overkill.
Here are some ideas (and when I say no ideas, that just applies to videos. I will talk about sound, etc. in more detail at a later date):
0. Path near the highway - Alex wanted a video of the path near the highway, but I wasn't able to get that footage while I was in New York. Ben, as busy as I know you are, would there be any possible way you could get that footage?
1. The apartment - no ideas
2. Street corner - how could we should that taxis are zooming by? We can use sound, and I actually did get some footage of taxis driving by that intersection (on a Canon point and shoot, so I don't know how good that quality would be). I wish we could have a very strong, very silent fan that could shoot air past the actors to simulate the wind from the taxis. But I think that idea is just way too grand.
3. The spa - projection of steam
4. Cemetery - no ideas
5. Magazine office - no ideas
6. Stylish eating establishment - no ideas
7. Library - no ideas
8. Multiple locations - no ideas
9. Internet cafe - we will need the typed words projected. This is very similar to the scene in Closer when the two men or chatting. How can we make it different? Is it necessary to make it very different?
10. The subway - I also took videos out the windows of the subway while I was in New York. Using those might be interesting. How else can we portray that they are on a subway? Obviously seating, sounds, how the actors move. This scene will need to be choreographed.
11. Seedy basement bar - projection of Sam's dream of Zachary?
12. Nearby the Hudson in Tribeca (sexy time scene) - no ideas
In between 12 and 13 we need to show that it is raining. I would like to get videos of rain to possibly use. Nivan - remember it is at dusk, if that is at all important to the filming of the rain. How else can we show it is raining? I would love to get her as wet as possible.
13. Maternity ward - no ideas.
14. Night club - videos of bodies together. Nivan, be a creeper, please. Also, we need to address the breaking of the disco ball. Obviously, we cannot actually break the disco ball, so how else can we create the same kind of effect?
15. Inside of a taxi - lights going by on either side, or behind them? Or projected over them?
16. Apartment - no ideas
17. The bed - no ideas
So let me know what you think. There is a lot of information here, don't feel like you need to address it all, just whatever sparks some thoughts or feelings within you.
Also, Ben, if you could speak a bit about the process of working with projections and lights, that would be wonderful.
I think it's really important that in the production there is a consistency in the usage of video. So I pose this question: what are the possible reasons for using video?
Some reasons that I have come up with:
To show time and place, as marked in the script.
To enhance the setting (especially since, due to the number of scene changes, it will be difficult to add too much to each setting)
To show something that is happening outside of the real world (such as when Gabriel sprouts multiple arms). This reason is further divided into a few reasons. There are three different types of unreal occurrences - those of dreams (Jewel walking along the highway in Scene 0, and Sam's dream of Jewel and Gabriel in Scene 11), what I will title hallucinations because I don't know what else to call them (Rosalind/Sam/Young Man on street corner in Scene 2, Gabriel and Sam in a jazz club in scene 9, Sam's reflective monologue in Scene 11, the five Sams in Scene 14), and then just plain weird shit happening, such as when the dead Hank answers back or Not Jewel shouting out in the subway what Samantha has probably just read. Furthermore, there are recounts of dreams, such as Gabriel's of Zachary, which could be interesting to project during the retelling.
Are there any other possible reasons we could use video?
I definitely want to use video for the first two reasons, but I am torn on the last one (showing something that is happening outside of the real world). It will definitely be challenging to do some of the dream sequences, especially the Gabriel one, but I think the physical contact of Gabriel touching Sam is important. Also, since I definitely want the dream of Jewel to be live, I think the second one needs to be live as well. I think the "hallucinations" and weird shit can all be done live.
So how can we use video projections to enhance scenes? And if we do not use video to enhance every scene, should we find some other (technical) way to enhance each scene? Or maybe that's just overkill.
Here are some ideas (and when I say no ideas, that just applies to videos. I will talk about sound, etc. in more detail at a later date):
0. Path near the highway - Alex wanted a video of the path near the highway, but I wasn't able to get that footage while I was in New York. Ben, as busy as I know you are, would there be any possible way you could get that footage?
1. The apartment - no ideas
2. Street corner - how could we should that taxis are zooming by? We can use sound, and I actually did get some footage of taxis driving by that intersection (on a Canon point and shoot, so I don't know how good that quality would be). I wish we could have a very strong, very silent fan that could shoot air past the actors to simulate the wind from the taxis. But I think that idea is just way too grand.
3. The spa - projection of steam
4. Cemetery - no ideas
5. Magazine office - no ideas
6. Stylish eating establishment - no ideas
7. Library - no ideas
8. Multiple locations - no ideas
9. Internet cafe - we will need the typed words projected. This is very similar to the scene in Closer when the two men or chatting. How can we make it different? Is it necessary to make it very different?
10. The subway - I also took videos out the windows of the subway while I was in New York. Using those might be interesting. How else can we portray that they are on a subway? Obviously seating, sounds, how the actors move. This scene will need to be choreographed.
11. Seedy basement bar - projection of Sam's dream of Zachary?
12. Nearby the Hudson in Tribeca (sexy time scene) - no ideas
In between 12 and 13 we need to show that it is raining. I would like to get videos of rain to possibly use. Nivan - remember it is at dusk, if that is at all important to the filming of the rain. How else can we show it is raining? I would love to get her as wet as possible.
13. Maternity ward - no ideas.
14. Night club - videos of bodies together. Nivan, be a creeper, please. Also, we need to address the breaking of the disco ball. Obviously, we cannot actually break the disco ball, so how else can we create the same kind of effect?
15. Inside of a taxi - lights going by on either side, or behind them? Or projected over them?
16. Apartment - no ideas
17. The bed - no ideas
So let me know what you think. There is a lot of information here, don't feel like you need to address it all, just whatever sparks some thoughts or feelings within you.
Also, Ben, if you could speak a bit about the process of working with projections and lights, that would be wonderful.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Sigur Ros / Jonsi
So as some of you know, I am pretty much obsessed with the band Sigur Ros. I love the aesthetic of their music, as well as their videos, artwork, and concerts (I've seen them live four times, and just saw their lead singer, Jonsi, on his solo tour). In the past they have used scrims and projections, and this has really inspired me for this production.
I've embedded the video player from Jonsi's website, and invite you all to check out the following videos:
Sinking Friendships (Live)
Making of the Live Show (Part 1)
These videos mainly highlight the use of projections, but I also really love the set, and think there are some interesting ideas there that we might be able to use instead of or with scrims. The lighting is definitely concert-style, so don't really pay attention to that. I also just really appreciate the approach they took to making the concert.
I've embedded the video player from Jonsi's website, and invite you all to check out the following videos:
Sinking Friendships (Live)
Making of the Live Show (Part 1)
These videos mainly highlight the use of projections, but I also really love the set, and think there are some interesting ideas there that we might be able to use instead of or with scrims. The lighting is definitely concert-style, so don't really pay attention to that. I also just really appreciate the approach they took to making the concert.
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