CMU School of Drama


Friday, April 10, 2020

Three Ways You Can Create Hope With Light

Rosco Spectrum: In times of crisis, communities look for symbols of hope. Tragedies also inspire us all as individuals to look for ways to help. Inspired by real world stories, below are three ways that those of us in the lighting community can use our talents to share hope, support and encouragement in our communities.

8 comments:

Bianca Sforza said...

I love the lighting community. Now more than ever, our world is going through such hard times, but it truly warms my heart to see how people are trying to light up each other's worlds to say thank you, pun totally intended. Seeing the gobos that were used on the side of a building in downtown Chicago reminded me of when I was able to go over winter break and they had a holiday lighting and media show that was projected onto the side of a building. It promoted equality, kindness, inclusivity, and general winter joy. This has very similar vibes. One thing I also really liked is how Rosco, the publisher of this article, said that there is no single color of this pandemic, which part of me thinks is really cute about how everyone can interpret this and use color at their discretion, but it also provides a way for Rosco to sell many different products rather than basically sell out of one color. Overall, I hope to see more of this happening.

Sidney R. said...

This is a simple but beautiful gesture. Finding any way to show others you are supporting them (from afar, of course) is valuable in this time. I've seen people get creative by leaving candy or snacks outside their front door for postal and delivery workers. It's heatbreaking that in such a trying time we cannot visit our family, hold our friends. At least we can hear each other's voices. I don't know. What more is there to say? I suppose that's why a grand gesture with light is so effective. It's hard to find the words anymore, especially when we don't always feel strong enough to give them ourselves. I feel like every message I type has been sent before. Photos and any sort of visuals--in this case lights--can really express emotion in a creative and uplifting way. I hope many people can see this and are moved by it.

James Gallo said...

I really love to see this popping up all over the world all while maybe this article is a little biased coming directly from Rosco, I think that they are probably really spearheading the efforts here as one of the leaders in the gobo industry. It’s such an easy thing to just drop these templates into lighting fixtures and shine some hope onto public surfaces for people to see. It has been amazing to see these pictures pop up across the internet and it really helps lift people up in a period of being so down. I love lighting in this way because there are so many opportunities to use lighting to spread a message. We saw before we left campus that a group of people used lighting to shine messages onto Purnell in protest. We are now seeing lighting be used to spread messages of hope and love. The versatility is one of the most amazing traits of lighting and I am really glad to see some good being done.

Margaret Shumate said...

Woah, I wasn't expecting to be so affected by this article. Most of these projects are small gestures, they don't cost a lot and they don't directy help anything, but sometimes they are the kind of gestures that matter. Little things often can touch people and make ttheir days a little bit better in the midst of crises. This pandemic in particular has given us an opportunity to reflect, and because of the realities of physical distancing, given us a lot of time on our hands. Most of us have some desire to do something with that time, and it yeilds projects like this. I hope that the drive for that, and the impulse to create little projects that inspire like these, doesn't disappear when we are faced with other crises. They are always important, not just when were stuck inside twiddling our thumbs. It's worth it to take a moment and make something meaningful.

Vanessa Mills said...

What I don't think many people realize is that light is a really strong way to send incredibly impactful messages. From the Eiffel Tower going dark in mourning, to the Empire State Building lighting up purple and gold in honor of Kobe Bryant, to gobos with inspirational imagery, lighting can be used to get the word out quickly and effectively. When people see a message lit up on the side of a building or a building being lit up in a completely different color than what it usually is, it grabs their attention. The other thing is that you can do so many different things with color when it comes to lighting and color is a great influencer when it comes to mood whether you're trying to create an ominous atmosphere or a joyful one. I really appreciate that different companies, buildings, etc. are taking this opportunity to spread some positivity and hope during this incredibly stressful time. One piece of the article that really caught my attention is 1144 Fifteenth Street. I would absolutely love to see the Denver skyline from afar and witness the bring pink heart lit up in the windows.

Dean Thordarson said...

It has been so encouraging and refreshing to see all the community response in thanking our first responders, medical staff, and all other essential workers keeping our world running in this time of crisis. Lighting up a window or building may not seem like much, but I can only imagine all the essential workers finishing an umpteen hour shift, exhausted to the core, seeing these signs of encouragement and love much be so refreshing for these workers. I personally believe there is no proper way to express the sheer gratitude I feel towards these workers keeping our world functioning while the rest of us are quarantined at home, but these displays are a nice touch. It is also so great to see that Rosco is offering their Hope with Light series of gobos for a discounted price, to make these displays more readily accessible, even if they lose minor profits on them. I have now seen a number of these light displays in photos of buildings from around the world, and in addition, I have seen videos of people applauding essential workers finishing shifts from balconies, and it is really heartwarming to see in the hard times the world is facing. Together, the world is learning to be strong as a community.

Mia Zurovac said...

It’s the little things that matter in the grand scheme. The hardest thing to tell someone during a tough time, especially a tough time like this that we are all experiencing, is to have hope. In a world where we don;t know what is going to happen next and in a world where everything seems so uncertain, hope is something that is rare and is not absolute for every person. To be optimistic and to look and find the brighter side of things is not easy, especially when people are dying every minute of the day all around the world and it feels like at any given moment it could potentially be you or one of your loved one. To have hope is a big thing to ask of someone and to have hope means to have strength, and in a time like this strength is hard to come by. But hopefully, hope will grace every family or person and bring everyone a bit of peace of mind.

Mia Zurovac said...

It’s the little things that matter in the grand scheme. The hardest thing to tell someone during a tough time, especially a tough time like this that we are all experiencing, is to have hope. In a world where we don;t know what is going to happen next and in a world where everything seems so uncertain, hope is something that is rare and is not absolute for every person. To be optimistic and to look and find the brighter side of things is not easy, especially when people are dying every minute of the day all around the world and it feels like at any given moment it could potentially be you or one of your loved one. To have hope is a big thing to ask of someone and to have hope means to have strength, and in a time like this strength is hard to come by. But hopefully, hope will grace every family or person and bring everyone a bit of peace of mind.