Live Design Online: Willie Williams, who has designed and directed live events and concert tours for U2, George Michael, David Bowie, R.E.M, and others, a giant kinetic chandelier for a Las Vegas nightclub and other club designs, a variety of public works installations, performing arts projects, and several musicals and plays, did the video for Treatment Studio on Prima Facie.
1 comment:
Prima Facie is one of my favorite contemporary plays. It's so poignant and frankly so vital both in the US and UK. This is why when I heard that Prima Facie was going to be using projections, I was frankly concerned at first. In commercial Broadway and West-End theaters, I’ve only ever seen projections be used in a kitschy way - acting as a visual laugh track of sorts. There is simply no place for this in Prima Facie. However, after reading this article, I’m hopeful that the visual elements of Prima Facie were treated with care. I really appreciated hearing how Williams shifted his mindset from the concert spectacle to visual storytelling. Design must be rooted in the story and Williams’s quote,” The video content is the opposite of eye candy; it is there to drive & support the narrative so every cue must be justified,” sums it up beautifully. I view theatrical design in a similar vein as Williams. I am far more interested in the subtleties of the one-person play than I am in the hit musical. I’m glad to know there’s a space for this mindset in the design industry as illuminated by Williams.
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