Evaluation
All the shows went well and each was different in its own way. After each performance the other technical person and I would talk about how the show had gone and discuss anything we wanted to change or adapt. This was beneficial as the performances improved each time and every show was different because the energy of the dancers varied and there were other small differences throughout. I was aware that I had rushed the first show and felt slightly stressed which may have affected my technical performance. This improved as I became more confident with the technical aspects and began to trust the dancers.
Context:
For Unit 12 I was asked to be technical director for a year 2 dance and musical theatre show. We arranged to have a production meeting every Monday to discuss key details, this was really helpful because we were able to have regular face to face discussions rather than rely on email. One item we discussed a lot was the use of the haze machine. After many discussions we decided to use the college haze machine as this was the most cost effective solution and it was a water based.
We were told that we could only have technical and stage hands from our class to help during the live shows. This was a challenge and a worry to me as my class only consists of two people. I have high standards and was anxious that I would have too much to do. I learnt to keep things simple, for example the ground package in the show were two Mac 700s and the haze on the floor. I had to explain what I was doing to my fellow class mate so that he understood what I was doing and why, that way if there was a problem he could help me solve it. Creating a good state was challenging as the dancers found it difficult to explain what ligting states they wanted.
Research:
I researched different effects to use and how to make my own custom effects. I watched Youtube to learn how to create the absolute effect for 'Take me or Leave me' and found it easier to understand what to do by watching videos that explained things step by step. I also researched how to use a hang and follow on a lighting cue. I already had some understanding about how to use them but needed to understand it better and this made my job easier during the show.
I also used forums, these were really helpful if I had problems that were non-standard as people from the industry give their advice and shared knowledge. The week before the show we were still having problems with the haze machine so I asked a question on The Blue Room forum and within minutes people had suggested ideas ways to fix it.
Using these resources during the show was a huge help as I felt more confident about what I was doing.
Planning:
Having a production meeting every Monday afternoon was a great idea as it meant we could discuss and agree on points a lot quicker. I could explain why some technical things were not possible due to time, technical restraints or not the correct equipment. I was given two hours a week access time in our theatre. This was helpful as I could try effects and lighting fixture layouts beforehand, however because of the on-going problems with the dimmers it was hard to make full use of this time as I wasn't sure what equipment would be working for the show. MENTION HOW THE DIMMERS WERE FIXED. Access to the physical lighting console was also good, straight after our first production meeting I started trying effects and ideas out on the offline pc version of out console, this was helpful as I could to try them out on a console with some of the fixtures working.
At the beginning of this process I was asked to give myself three targets. The first was to keep things simple and not over complicate things. In previous shows I had made things more complicated than was needed so this was a huge target for me. The second target was to give out jobs rather than do everything myself. I have a tendency to do everything myself and not let other people help, this is why I showed my other classmate what I was doing so that he could help me out. This was reasonably successful as my fellow class mate is not very proactive but responses well to clear instructions. The third target was to provide a professional set up to the dancers. This meant having all the cables neat and tidy for safety and to maintain good professional practice, equipment set up and maintained to a professional level and for me to have a good enough understanding of the lighting console.
In conclusion I feel that the show went well but if I was to repeat the whole process again I would try and push my ideas for lighting states, I would also write down a lot more detail and keep notes of what I have done.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unnHnEMu9A4&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGADzZQXA3g
Context:
For Unit 12 I was asked to be technical director for a year 2 dance and musical theatre show. We arranged to have a production meeting every Monday to discuss key details, this was really helpful because we were able to have regular face to face discussions rather than rely on email. One item we discussed a lot was the use of the haze machine. After many discussions we decided to use the college haze machine as this was the most cost effective solution and it was a water based.
We were told that we could only have technical and stage hands from our class to help during the live shows. This was a challenge and a worry to me as my class only consists of two people. I have high standards and was anxious that I would have too much to do. I learnt to keep things simple, for example the ground package in the show were two Mac 700s and the haze on the floor. I had to explain what I was doing to my fellow class mate so that he understood what I was doing and why, that way if there was a problem he could help me solve it. Creating a good state was challenging as the dancers found it difficult to explain what ligting states they wanted.
Research:
I researched different effects to use and how to make my own custom effects. I watched Youtube to learn how to create the absolute effect for 'Take me or Leave me' and found it easier to understand what to do by watching videos that explained things step by step. I also researched how to use a hang and follow on a lighting cue. I already had some understanding about how to use them but needed to understand it better and this made my job easier during the show.
I also used forums, these were really helpful if I had problems that were non-standard as people from the industry give their advice and shared knowledge. The week before the show we were still having problems with the haze machine so I asked a question on The Blue Room forum and within minutes people had suggested ideas ways to fix it.
Using these resources during the show was a huge help as I felt more confident about what I was doing.
Planning:
Having a production meeting every Monday afternoon was a great idea as it meant we could discuss and agree on points a lot quicker. I could explain why some technical things were not possible due to time, technical restraints or not the correct equipment. I was given two hours a week access time in our theatre. This was helpful as I could try effects and lighting fixture layouts beforehand, however because of the on-going problems with the dimmers it was hard to make full use of this time as I wasn't sure what equipment would be working for the show. MENTION HOW THE DIMMERS WERE FIXED. Access to the physical lighting console was also good, straight after our first production meeting I started trying effects and ideas out on the offline pc version of out console, this was helpful as I could to try them out on a console with some of the fixtures working.
At the beginning of this process I was asked to give myself three targets. The first was to keep things simple and not over complicate things. In previous shows I had made things more complicated than was needed so this was a huge target for me. The second target was to give out jobs rather than do everything myself. I have a tendency to do everything myself and not let other people help, this is why I showed my other classmate what I was doing so that he could help me out. This was reasonably successful as my fellow class mate is not very proactive but responses well to clear instructions. The third target was to provide a professional set up to the dancers. This meant having all the cables neat and tidy for safety and to maintain good professional practice, equipment set up and maintained to a professional level and for me to have a good enough understanding of the lighting console.
In conclusion I feel that the show went well but if I was to repeat the whole process again I would try and push my ideas for lighting states, I would also write down a lot more detail and keep notes of what I have done.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unnHnEMu9A4&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGADzZQXA3g
1. The best quality version is this but it was filmed very, very tightly:2. Dress rehearsal. This version is wider but misses some of the action at the sidesPart 1 https://youtu.be/bGADzZQXA3gPart 2 https://youtu.be/FpkxWcndrLU3. Matinee. This version was filmed from the gantry and is the widest
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