Rosco Spectrum: Lighting Designer Brandi Pick used Rosco Color Filters to portray the different identities of actress Gena Rowlands for a dance piece entitled Gena Gena! at East Carolina University. See how she used her color choices to convey a distinctive mood for each “scene” as the dancers explore the evolution of Rowland’s personality.
3 comments:
Prior to this semester most of my understanding of lighting design was how to hang and focus - the use of gels and color and how one specifies lighting by area on the stage was all lost to me, and I struggled to understand how light - something which one could not physically construct with materials they held in their hands - could be controlled to make what it does. This seemed to me some unattainable super power, to be coveted and praised but never understood. This semester's experience in Design for the Stage, however, has helped me to understand Lighting Design and its merits and uses in a whole new way. However, instead of losing my sense of wonder at it, I am even further awed by how important it is, how intelligent those who can utilize it well are, and how grand an impact it can have on every other aspect of design onstage. The images of this production only further instill in me an appreciation of the versatility of lighting design as an art form, and how integral it is to the theatre's success. I may not understand most of how it is done, but I can be grateful more than ever that it is.
I first want to say that all these specific names for colors is giving me a major Monet project PTSD. It is beautiful yet frightening at the same time. But to the actual article, I could see how the idea of the colors following a personality could be really eye striking, and especially with the mist, it gives an ominous feeling. However, (although I’m not a lightening designer), I can see how it could get really obvious and maybe a little generic. I haven’t seen the production so I can’t exactly judge fully, but I think the creative part could come in is the blends and transitions between colors, especially when it comes to a concept that might not be so obvious. I think it comes to a produce that is based on conceptions and deeper thinking, it is important to design elements that becomes part not only in the concept, but for the conversation that happens after the production by the audience.
I think it is important for lighting designers to be able to tell a story with the use of light, and this article seemed to portray that beautifully. In the past when I have designed shows I mainly think about the setting, the mood and what the characters and the audience are experiencing in that moment. This article seemed to fully focus on the main character, which I think is beautiful. It is amazing that the designer used light to help the audience understand the show. One of my favorite things that lighting designers will do is keep a specific color or texture in their back pocket and use it throughout the show to bring back moments that happened earlier. It assists the audience in understanding what is important in the show and what they should take away after it is all said and done. In this case, the show seemed to be centered on what the character was going through and the lighting design was justified and helped justify this fact. I do not think it was necessary in this article to include the specific gel number and name, since it was more focused on why the design was the way it was. It seemed as if Rosco was pushing forth its products more. But this design approach was very fun to read about and made me want to see this live.
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