The initial planning started with only a 15-page script and notes from Maniutiu to have minimal scenery. While Carter and Price had their work cut out, they kept the set simple, only creating a giant pendulum for the background. With just one major piece of scenery, they had to look to other techniques to fill out their stage and bring the audience into a world Maniutiu described as “being everywhere and nowhere” with an ethereal feel. The lighting needed to create shadows, but the setting still needed to be filled out. Carter decided to use low fog and haze effects to create the mood the director wanted.
“In the end, the fog and haze really came together to create another character on stage. It became the anger and frustration behind Electra’s struggles,” said Carter. “We used the atmospheric effects during key parts of the play where there was a feeling of depression or strength which helped emphasize the stillness we tried to create in other moments without the fog. This contrast really helped pull the audience into Electra’s world and to feel what she felt in those specific moments.”
Like other before them, the team had to learn the optimal conditions for atmospheric effects. First, the conditions within their theater caused the fog to be pulled stage right on some days and then stage left on other days. In the end, Carter and her team were able to make the best of their theater’s quirks by making the fog seem like it was originating from behind the pendulum. They also had issues with a wet deck due to the low lying fog effect. The solution was to lower the intensity of the fog and increase the density. They also only used the fog during key moments, which added to its dramatic effect while allowing for safer conditions.
Students at UCI made up most of the team involved with the production including the actors and designers. For them, it was an opportunity to learn tips from the Martin team on how to overcome some of the challenges that come with atmospheric effects. They were also delighted to be able to use one of the latest Martin products, the JEM Ready 365 hazer. For Carter, being trusted with the latest equipment was something unexpected, but something she felt enhanced the production immensely.
“The addition of the JEM Hazer added depth to the stage that would have otherwise been sparse,” said Carter. “We were able to create the ethereal look the director wanted because the haze added a light and airy feeling to the production.”
Martin Equipment List
JEM Glaciator X-Stream
JEM Ready 365 Hazer
MAC 700
Credits
Mihai Maniutiu: Director
Martha Carter: Lighting Designer
Morgan Price: Scenic Designer
Brian Svoboda: Sound Designer
Julie Carr: Costume Designer
Joe Forehand: Lighting Supervisor
Wes Chew: Master Electrician
Image credit: Joseph Forehand
For more information, please visit: www.martin.com
As a world leader in the creation of dynamic lighting solutions for the entertainment, architectural, and commercial sectors, Martin lighting and video systems are renowned the world over. Martin also offers a range of advanced lighting controllers and media servers, as well as a complete line of smoke machines as a complement to intelligent lighting. Martin operates the industry’s most complete and capable distributor network with local partners in nearly 100 countries. Founded in 1987 and based in Aarhus, Denmark, Martin is the lighting division of global infotainment and audio company HARMAN International Industries. For more information please visit: http://www.martin.com.
HARMAN (harman.com) designs and engineers connected products and solutions for consumers, automakers, and enterprises worldwide, including audio, visual and infotainment systems; enterprise automation solutions; and software services. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® , Mark Levinson ® and Revel®, HARMAN is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform around the world. HARMAN also is a technology and integration services leader for the Automotive, Mobile, Telecommunications and Enterprise markets. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. The Company’s software solutions power billions of mobile devices and systems that are connected, integrated, personalized, adaptive and secure across all platforms, from the work and home to car and mobile. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 25,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $5.9 billion during the last 12 months ended March 31, 2015.
0 comments:
Post a Comment