Take the question of “the new” to theatre artists, some of whom have been working in the profession for decades, and the response seems to be contradictory: Theatre is bursting with new technology, the likes of which we are still not clear on how to deploy effectively—and yet there is nothing new about theatre. We tell stories. We put actors on a stage, give them an environment, ensure they can be seen and heard when necessary, and tell the story the best we can.
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The most important take-away from this article is what Larry says about the idea that there needs to be system designers, as well as visual designers, especially for media. When you look at other departments of theatre, there is a clear designer and separate personnel that are responsible for designing the" system", whether it be the a job lead, master electrician, etc. The fact of the matter is that in the theatrical industry now, it has been established, this relationship between designer and the one who executes the designs. However, this is not quite true the in the department of media. To me, it seems like it would be much more reasonable for someone to say to a media designer that they must design their whole system, as opposed to a scenic designer being responsible for figuring out how to make sense of their design into a deliverable product. The point is that there is another established person.
I think a big takeaway from this article is that collaboration is essential to all theater but especially when large amounts of technology are used because it can either help or hinder the storytelling capabilities of the show. I'm very excited about the media design program at CMU, because I'm glad that they recognize the need to learn how to visually design the show but also set up the systems and be well-versed in all the aspects of the discipline. In my opinion, the shows that use technology the most effectively are ones that blend the media into the show as part of the world, instead of trying to expand the world to fit media in it. On this note, I think understanding when it's appropriate and helpful to the show is half the battle of effectively using technology. Since media is still a novel idea, I think it's entering an awkward baby stage where everyone wants to use it regardless of its purpose in the show. Hopefully after this initial advent of the technology, there will be more direction on when exactly it should be used to improve the audience's experience.
I definitely think it is true that the knowledge theatre technicians need in the industry today has become much more complex due to the integration of technology. With the use of automation, smart lighting, sound processing, and now media technology, the realm of technical theatre knowledge has expanded to a much wider scope and at a fast pace. As more technology is integrated it is essential that technicians know the complete ins-and-outs of this new tech, to both prevent problems and address them when they arise. With the introduction of more technology, the boundaries of what we can accomplish are pushed and some human error may be reduced, but this incorporation also introduces more points of failure. It is crucial that tech be implemented with full knowledge of its capabilities. As our daily lives become more dependent on technology, technology acts to shape how we interact and communicate. Because theatre is a form of communication, it makes sense that theatre designers would incorporate this tech into productions. In doing so, we must be deliberate in how we choose what new technical elements we incorporate.
I think that it is great that theatre is changing and using new technology to enhance the experience. I am a big fan of media design and how it can transform a show and really add to it in a totally different way. I think it is very important that colleges begin to teach video and media design in their theatre programs. The only way this art form can grow and really make an impact on theatre is if there are people that know how to do it. Video and Media skills are very different than lighting and sound because it is a combination of those art forms and scenic design. There are so many different things that can be done with media and the more different kind of video and media skills a person can learn in school will greatly benefit them in the real world. There needs to be people who know how to work this new equipment and way of doing theatre. I really hope media design becomes a bigger thing in the educational theatre world soon.
I think that there are a few different topics to explore in the issue of stage technology and training in that technology. First, is in the training of designer, directors, and the like to think about what they are doing, the story they are telling, and how to accomplish the goal they set out to achieve. Another issue is incorporating new technology and design elements into a stage production that makes sense and works well on stage with all the other aspects and elements of a production. I think the most important issue to explore is one of implementation. Can you create and/or edit all the media you need in iMovie, or do you need a more powerful, more expensive computer with advanced software? The same can be said for scenery automation. While I enjoy learning the top of the line system, if the chances of using it outside of CMU are slim, wouldn’t it be better to learn something more commonly used? The important part of this seems to be how the systems work, how they are integrated, and what to look for in determining what you need for a production.
I appreciated that this article commented on not only the uprise of the inclusion of video and media in theatrical performances, but also on the importance of “system design”, and how, in the age of technology, while some aspects of theater production are becoming easier, there are still many new skills that are needed in order to properly use all of these new tools. As someone who has always preferred to do things by hand as opposed to by computer, technology has always been a bit scary for me. I think that, also, having done a lot of high school theater festival events and seen a lot of unsuccessful projection design, I was a bit wary to to into a design world that seems to be becoming more and more digitized. However, having seen some of the amazing, breath-taking design work that media is able to contribute to at CMU, I’m so excited to see how theater design continues to evolve and adapt to the world that audience members are living in. In addition, I think it’s so important that the relationship between engineers and designers is evolving, particularly in the educational environment. While I think that it’s important for each theatrical professional to have the opportunity to develop their own skills, I think it’s also beneficial for designers to know how to engineer their visions, and vice versa. I’m very excited to go into a professional theater community that continues to evolve and combine with different disciplines in order to continue to make relatable and groundbreaking performances
I definitely resonate with the statement that "we can pretty much do anything on stage these days" but our only limitation is that "directors don't seem to understand how to use modern technology to tell the story". I definitely think that of all the shows I've seen this school year, some shows utilized media a lot better/effectively than others. I definitely think that the show itself has an influence on whether media would work well with it or not, but just because you can't change the show to make it more suitable for media doesn't mean that you can't design the media around the show. Just like the article mentioned, media is still new to the theatre industry and people are definitely still in the process of exploring and adjusting. I am very excited to see how media evolves and what it can do in the very near future.
As a few people have already pointed out, I think Larry makes a great point about media designers. They need to be both visual designers and systems designers. The task of figuring out where or how many projectors are necessary is inherently artistic. You can not just set one up, point it where it needs to go, and move on to the next thing. A comprehensive understanding of the visual design and how it interacts with other elements of the show is pivotal. Without the larger understanding a design concept it can be difficult to navigate the nuances of a production. And this dilemma can be found in all of the other technical disciplines within our field. As a technical designer, I could throw together a solution that works and gets the job done, and that would ultimately be a very superficial solution. On a certain level, I need to grasp how that scenic element interacts with other elements of the show. Once I’ve developed a deeper understanding of how a piece is used, I’ve probably altered my initial tech design significantly. Though, there is not as drastic a need for tech designers to be proficient visual designers, there are parallels between the two necessities of today’s media designers and the multitude of technical artisans in our field.
This article really struck a chord with me. It managed to avoid sounding like a doomsayer standing downtown with a cardboard sign proclaiming the end of the world but it pointed out key elements of our educational practices that could hurt our ability to fully take advantage of the new developing technologies. The key, according to this article, is to educate ourselves in the new disciplines. Media design is still so new to us that it has become difficult for everyone to keep up with its progress. Most people in theatre can talk to a scenic or costume designer and are able to make reasonable assumptions about the possibility of different ideas. Media on the other hand is often misunderstood in its role leaving the media designer, who often has little help in developing the visuals of his work, alone in the design phase too.
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