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Monday, October 09, 2023
How TikTok Is Changing Stage Design
WIRED: “You can have the world’s best idea, but if it doesn’t fit on the back of a truck then it’s a nonstarter,” says Ray Winkler, who’s been loading ideas onto the backs of trucks for close to 30 years now.
9 comments:
Julia Adilman
said...
This was such an exciting and interesting article to read as someone who is super interested in set design. I have always wondered what it would be like to design a stage for a concert, so it was really exciting to hear from someone who does that for a living. I would never think that now designers are actually factoring in the content that audiences make into their designs. It’s so interesting to think about how technology has developed and evolved our designs as artists. I do think it is brilliant to consider the content audiences are making on their phones. The videos that they post can make a considerably large impact, sometimes even greater than the artist themselves. However, I do wonder if putting so much importance onto the content that’s being created by audiences takes away from the beautiful art of performance and stage design. Sometimes the most simple designs are the best, but with factoring in social media content, the spectacle of the show is all that really matters, which is a bit disappointing.
This article was one where I felt mixed emotions to read. I think set design is very cool, especially for music and events other than theater, however I don’t know how I feel about it being spoken and thought about in a sense connected to Tiktok and social media platforms. After reading, I appreciate the ideas of using technology and platforms to boost ideas and help to really conceptualize a show. It is impressive how people are figuring out how to make ideas that seemed impossible come to life. As people are becoming more and more attached to their phones and devices, it makes sense that art is coming this way too. However, as cool as it is, I think it takes something away from the craft of what the live entertainment industry is. The more technology that is utilized, the less authentic a show becomes. The human connection becomes less impactful, but I do think that always connecting in relevant ways like Tiktok is the way the world is headed.
I do not know how I feel about this article. Obviously design is always adapting to fit a modern audience. This is just the next stage in the ever growing world of stage design. However I can still feel weird about it. The idea that a designer is now not only curating to an audience member but also their phone camera is a bit weird. It minimizes what a set can be. I also wonder how much of an impact dumbing down a design for a phone really has. I like to think that people go to concerts because they like the singer not because they want good social media content. However this article makes me think otherwise. I liked hearing about this guy’s army of 3D printers. I think 3D printing is great for so many aspects of the design process and I hope we start using them more and more in the future.
This article is not the direction I expected it to take based off of the title, but it was interesting to read and think about nonetheless. I understand that social media is changing the world in both big and small, for the better and in inconvenient ways, especially when it comes to live performances. I think it is interesting that one of the main things that became a concern when designing sets due to social media was basically sightlines. This is interesting to me as I feel as though sightlines have been an issue since the beginning of set design, and should be a main priority. Especially when it comes to concerts, and as the article says, you have to think about people who will be 60 feet away. If this was not something that was necessarily thought about before social media then I am glad that it is adding this challenge to designers, as I feel that it will better the experience for in person audience members and digital ones alike.
TikTok is known for its short-form videos that often emphasize visually appealing and creative content. These videos are short and keep their audience engaged while actually changing our brain chemistry to have shorter attention spans. Additionally an advantage of TikTok is that it is a platform driven by user-generated content, and trends can and will quickly spread across the platform. Anyone has a shot to get exposure on a platform like this, something that hasn’t been seen before. TikTok thrives on audience engagement and participation which is something that some theatres are trying to integrate more of. It's important to note that stage design is influenced by various factors of course, and TikTok is just one of many platforms shaping creative expression in the digital age. The adaptation of TikTok-inspired elements in stage design will likely depend on the specific preferences and goals of performers, directors, and producers in the entertainment industry. As a society we live in a digital space and we might as well learn how to use it to our advantage.
TikTok is changing stage design. Our eyes are positioned horizontally, but the dramatic rise of vertical videos of concerts through platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels, has pushed them into the spotlight when designers are thinking about design for the stage. This article was about how designers now need to take into consideration the fact that people are going to be filming this vertically instead of horizontally. I don’t think it’s that dramatic of a change, as the thing that makes someone want to go to a concert isn't necessarily how it looked on social media, but how it was presented on social media. If the person posting didn’t have a good time (with their presumably horizontal eyes) they’re not going to share the video at all. What’s more-a lot of theaters have copyright rules surrounding the filming of it, which is why there’s usually that announcement to not film at the beginning of the show, or massive signs in the lobby.
I never knew TikTok would be the one to change stage design this drastically. As we advanced into theatre that is filmed and more digital, designers have to approach and consider how their design will look on camera, not only onstage. I personally do not have TikTok, though I still understand the basic concept of it, which is to share short videos. These short videos have to capture and keep the viewers attention, which is what the designers have to consider in their designs. Every time I see a set onstage, I’m almost always astonished by how well it looks, but once I take a photo of it, somethings looks off, whether it be perspective, color, or the light, the stage doesn’t project itself the same way digitally. I think its a challenge for the designers, but once they get it right, it’ll blow up because of how good it looks in whichever format.
I do not understand exactly why they are trying to cater to this "Instagram Moment" instead of the live experience. The article did not mention that the live experience is less prioritized, but I do not see how if they are changing designs in order to provide better shots from phones that something else isn't being hampered in the process. Even from my own concert experience, I take videos on my phone but I don't expect them to be beautiful or perfectly angled. Even watching a live stream or someone else's recording of a concert, I feel like the quality is something you know you have to sacrifice by not being there in person. While I think it is interesting and important to consider the different perspectives and wants that different seats and people in a stadium will have, I think it is odd to try and cater to their phones than them as the person in the moment.
9 comments:
This was such an exciting and interesting article to read as someone who is super interested in set design. I have always wondered what it would be like to design a stage for a concert, so it was really exciting to hear from someone who does that for a living. I would never think that now designers are actually factoring in the content that audiences make into their designs. It’s so interesting to think about how technology has developed and evolved our designs as artists. I do think it is brilliant to consider the content audiences are making on their phones. The videos that they post can make a considerably large impact, sometimes even greater than the artist themselves. However, I do wonder if putting so much importance onto the content that’s being created by audiences takes away from the beautiful art of performance and stage design. Sometimes the most simple designs are the best, but with factoring in social media content, the spectacle of the show is all that really matters, which is a bit disappointing.
This article was one where I felt mixed emotions to read. I think set design is very cool, especially for music and events other than theater, however I don’t know how I feel about it being spoken and thought about in a sense connected to Tiktok and social media platforms. After reading, I appreciate the ideas of using technology and platforms to boost ideas and help to really conceptualize a show. It is impressive how people are figuring out how to make ideas that seemed impossible come to life. As people are becoming more and more attached to their phones and devices, it makes sense that art is coming this way too. However, as cool as it is, I think it takes something away from the craft of what the live entertainment industry is. The more technology that is utilized, the less authentic a show becomes. The human connection becomes less impactful, but I do think that always connecting in relevant ways like Tiktok is the way the world is headed.
I do not know how I feel about this article. Obviously design is always adapting to fit a modern audience. This is just the next stage in the ever growing world of stage design. However I can still feel weird about it. The idea that a designer is now not only curating to an audience member but also their phone camera is a bit weird. It minimizes what a set can be. I also wonder how much of an impact dumbing down a design for a phone really has. I like to think that people go to concerts because they like the singer not because they want good social media content. However this article makes me think otherwise. I liked hearing about this guy’s army of 3D printers. I think 3D printing is great for so many aspects of the design process and I hope we start using them more and more in the future.
This article is not the direction I expected it to take based off of the title, but it was interesting to read and think about nonetheless. I understand that social media is changing the world in both big and small, for the better and in inconvenient ways, especially when it comes to live performances. I think it is interesting that one of the main things that became a concern when designing sets due to social media was basically sightlines. This is interesting to me as I feel as though sightlines have been an issue since the beginning of set design, and should be a main priority. Especially when it comes to concerts, and as the article says, you have to think about people who will be 60 feet away. If this was not something that was necessarily thought about before social media then I am glad that it is adding this challenge to designers, as I feel that it will better the experience for in person audience members and digital ones alike.
TikTok is known for its short-form videos that often emphasize visually appealing and creative content. These videos are short and keep their audience engaged while actually changing our brain chemistry to have shorter attention spans. Additionally an advantage of TikTok is that it is a platform driven by user-generated content, and trends can and will quickly spread across the platform. Anyone has a shot to get exposure on a platform like this, something that hasn’t been seen before. TikTok thrives on audience engagement and participation which is something that some theatres are trying to integrate more of. It's important to note that stage design is influenced by various factors of course, and TikTok is just one of many platforms shaping creative expression in the digital age. The adaptation of TikTok-inspired elements in stage design will likely depend on the specific preferences and goals of performers, directors, and producers in the entertainment industry. As a society we live in a digital space and we might as well learn how to use it to our advantage.
TikTok is changing stage design. Our eyes are positioned horizontally, but the dramatic rise of vertical videos of concerts through platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels, has pushed them into the spotlight when designers are thinking about design for the stage. This article was about how designers now need to take into consideration the fact that people are going to be filming this vertically instead of horizontally. I don’t think it’s that dramatic of a change, as the thing that makes someone want to go to a concert isn't necessarily how it looked on social media, but how it was presented on social media. If the person posting didn’t have a good time (with their presumably horizontal eyes) they’re not going to share the video at all. What’s more-a lot of theaters have copyright rules surrounding the filming of it, which is why there’s usually that announcement to not film at the beginning of the show, or massive signs in the lobby.
I never knew TikTok would be the one to change stage design this drastically. As we advanced into theatre that is filmed and more digital, designers have to approach and consider how their design will look on camera, not only onstage. I personally do not have TikTok, though I still understand the basic concept of it, which is to share short videos. These short videos have to capture and keep the viewers attention, which is what the designers have to consider in their designs. Every time I see a set onstage, I’m almost always astonished by how well it looks, but once I take a photo of it, somethings looks off, whether it be perspective, color, or the light, the stage doesn’t project itself the same way digitally. I think its a challenge for the designers, but once they get it right, it’ll blow up because of how good it looks in whichever format.
I do not understand exactly why they are trying to cater to this "Instagram Moment" instead of the live experience. The article did not mention that the live experience is less prioritized, but I do not see how if they are changing designs in order to provide better shots from phones that something else isn't being hampered in the process. Even from my own concert experience, I take videos on my phone but I don't expect them to be beautiful or perfectly angled. Even watching a live stream or someone else's recording of a concert, I feel like the quality is something you know you have to sacrifice by not being there in person. While I think it is interesting and important to consider the different perspectives and wants that different seats and people in a stadium will have, I think it is odd to try and cater to their phones than them as the person in the moment.
How TikTok Is Changing Stage Design
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