Design exercises

[shiben]

The recent artist or technician thread got me thinking, what are some good exercises that you like do to with design students, or as designers to keep your artistic eye sharp? Footer mentioned a good one, One thing we did often was to take a bunch of magazine clippings and then write 5 words describing the emotion of the scene, then passed it around the class and discussed/defended them. others?

 

[VL5]

One thing I personally like to do often is pick a song, and on my ESP Vision pre-vis I design to that song, And twice a week weather I have my hog 2 or not, then I will do it on offline software is I patch a show and create a "busking" show for fast playback, so that way I design a que to que show at least once a month then a busking show once a week to keep me a fast programmer.

 

[DuckJordan]

Something similar to what VL5 has said, but Tell a story with the song. Using lights to tell the story behind the song and not just the standard concert effects. I also like to look for image library photo's and paintings to add to my growing collection of images to use for my design process. I look at color as well as mood shapes and other things in the pictures as well.

With that I write 1-3 sentences about why I like the photo or painting.

 

[shiben]

One thing I personally like to do often is pick a song, and on my ESP Vision pre-vis I design to that song, And twice a week weather I have my hog 2 or not, then I will do it on offline software is I patch a show and create a "busking" show for fast playback, so that way I design a que to que show at least once a month then a busking show once a week to keep me a fast programmer.

Want to buy me ESP so I can do that?

 

[VL5]

ESP Vision was not bad, Im the program is reasonably priced compared to some other like WYSIWYG, If your in school, you are eligible for the education version, so I got mine for a nice price since I am a high school student. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE COMPUTER TO RUN IT!!!!!!!!! it is very powerful, I have a desktop with a new video card committed just to that.

 

[shiben]

ESP Vision was not bad, Im the program is reasonably priced compared to some other like WYSIWYG, If your in school, you are eligible for the education version, so I got mine for a nice price since I am a high school student. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE COMPUTER TO RUN IT!!!!!!!!! it is very powerful, I have a desktop with a new video card committed just to that.

Oh yeah. Want to buy me a nice big desktop too? Even with a student discount, a decent mac pro is hella expensive.

 

[VL5]

HAHA, This is true. Im running mine off windows, my desktop was from 2007? around then so I was not expecting the graphics card to work, but the requirements are in the manual which you can download from the site.

 

[derekleffew]

The recent artist or technician thread got me thinking, what are some good exercises that you like do to with design students, or as designers to keep your artistic eye sharp? ...

Given a particular play, select a piece of music that evokes in you the moods/themes/emotions that the playwright is trying to convey. This may or may not be a piece that you'd consider for pre-show/walk-in or under-scoring. It's probably best to stick to instrumental pieces (kids today do listen to music without lyrics, right?) as the lyrics may get in the way.

BTW, this is a lighting/scenic/costume design exercise, not a sound design class. Sometimes a non-visual approach can help the designer get a better handle on things. I've never expanded it to include other senses, but if someone can explain/defend how Death of a Salesman "tastes" like grapes, or The Glass Menagerie "feels" like sandpaper, or Hamlet "smells" like vinegar, go for it. Oh yeah, the explaining/defending portion may be the most critical part. The importance of communication between the designer and director and other designers is often over-looked, I fear. No one wants a designer who can't communicate his/her ideas, and I don't mean Fresnels, Lekos, gel numbers, and light plots.

 

[Grog12]

I don't do a lot of "exercises" to keep my design eye working. What I do constantly is observe lighting everywhere I am. How does the shadows from sun shining through tree leaves look? What mood does it evoke? When could I use it? What does a particular light fixture look like? Observer and report as it were.

My wife hates going to dinner with me becuase of this, because if the lights flicker ever so slightly it makes me jumpy....

 

[CrazyTechie]

What I do constantly is observe lighting everywhere I am.

I do the same thing. I tend to look at an object and try to figure out what colors of light are coming from that object and then think of what color/colors of gel I can use to get a similar look. I'm always looking at the shadows and trying to find out why they look the way they look. Sometimes I do it subconsciously which is rather interesting when I realize that I'm analyzing the light.

 

[LXPlot]

HAHA, This is true. Im running mine off windows, my desktop was from 2007? around then so I was not expecting the graphics card to work, but the requirements are in the manual which you can download from the site.

Christ mate...I would kill to get my hands on the kind of venue/equipment/resources you have.

My exercise consists of getting about twenty sheets of paper, and rocking through some pre-vis...the really low tech kind. Other than that, it's the same song design idea.

 

[millamber]

Find a painting by a classical artist; Rembrandt, Vermeer, etc. and try to recreate the picture using light. It is then you find out that painters cheat with their light sources and consequent shadows. It really is harder than it sounds, and requires a great deal of patience in focusing, as one adjustment throws off something else, but it will get you thinking about how angles and shadows play into creating an overall composition.

Another class project similar to what was mentioned in the other thread is to use any sort of non theatrical light to invoke a mood. Setup candles, desk lamps, televisions, matches, etc. and have the other students guess the mood you are going for and have a discussion about whether the light or the items invoke that mood.

 

[NevilleLighting]

Some great examples and thanks Shiben for starting the thread. I teach lighting so I will throw out some of the exercises I use, which are similar or exact duplicates of some of the things I see here. First, most of my students are not tech majors so my intro class is very idea based with a basic foundation on the science. I want to help the rest of us by training directors and choreographers to be able to speak to us intelligently.

-1st day of class I describe light and then ask the students to go observe one example of light in their lives and report back. This teaches them to not take light for granted.
-1st project, analyze the light for an Edward Hopper painting, "Excursions into Philosophy".
-2nd project, using 9 prefocussed fresnels pointed at one actor, pick color and intensity to make a statement, scene, idea, something. Three frontlights, two sidelights, downlight and three backlights. Imagine all angles as 45 degrees except the downlight.
-Final project: program cues based on a song. There is a prefocussed and colored light plot. There are three objects onstage. Ideally I would have 3 mannequins but I have to scrounge. Plot is about 60 units in about 40 channels including a 4 color cyc wash. No movers and the students program and run their own cues on an Express. So yes, I do have to teach actors to program.

The next thing I want to develop is an exercise where they learn how to troubleshoot. I just can't find the framework and I wonder if this may be too extensive to do with 24 students at a time in a class that meets 3 hours per week. It is a skill I often see lacking but have a hard time teaching and would love to hear suggestions. I do try to cover it some by teaching them that the least likely reason for a light to not light up is a blown lamp. At the very least check all other possibilities before you grab a new HPL.

 

[Pie4Weebl]

Christ mate...I would kill to get my hands on the kind of venue/equipment/resources you have.

My exercise consists of getting about twenty sheets of paper, and rocking through some pre-vis...the really low tech kind. Other than that, it's the same song design idea.

GrandMA ONPC and GrandMA 3D, both free and very powerful. If your computer isn't that powerful just keep it down to a dozen fixtures. I'm sure it would be a better experience that doing it on paper! If you decided to do it and need help feel free to pm me or start a thread with your questions.

 

[shiben]

Some great examples and thanks Shiben for starting the thread. I teach lighting so I will throw out some of the exercises I use, which are similar or exact duplicates of some of the things I see here. First, most of my students are not tech majors so my intro class is very idea based with a basic foundation on the science. I want to help the rest of us by training directors and choreographers to be able to speak to us intelligently.

-1st day of class I describe light and then ask the students to go observe one example of light in their lives and report back. This teaches them to not take light for granted.
-1st project, analyze the light for an Edward Hopper painting, "Excursions into Philosophy".
-2nd project, using 9 prefocussed fresnels pointed at one actor, pick color and intensity to make a statement, scene, idea, something. Three frontlights, two sidelights, downlight and three backlights. Imagine all angles as 45 degrees except the downlight.
-Final project: program cues based on a song. There is a prefocussed and colored light plot. There are three objects onstage. Ideally I would have 3 mannequins but I have to scrounge. Plot is about 60 units in about 40 channels including a 4 color cyc wash. No movers and the students program and run their own cues on an Express. So yes, I do have to teach actors to program.

The next thing I want to develop is an exercise where they learn how to troubleshoot. I just can't find the framework and I wonder if this may be too extensive to do with 24 students at a time in a class that meets 3 hours per week. It is a skill I often see lacking but have a hard time teaching and would love to hear suggestions. I do try to cover it some by teaching them that the least likely reason for a light to not light up is a blown lamp. At the very least check all other possibilities before you grab a new HPL.

So for your final project do you have 4/5 of the people in the class putting in like 6-10 cues, and then the one guy (probably would be me...) who throws in about 200 and wonders why timecode isnt offered?

 

[shiben]

GrandMA ONPC and GrandMA 3D, both free and very powerful. If your computer isn't that powerful just keep it down to a dozen fixtures. I'm sure it would be a better experience that doing it on paper! If you decided to do it and need help feel free to pm me or start a thread with your questions.

Actually GrandMA ONPC and 3d are great, I just: A) dont have a windows machine and B) my machine has trouble when I have a slightly complex light plot on VW. Any 3D rendering takes like half an hour, even on a program like sketchup thats designed for it... I need a new computer.

 

[derekleffew]

...The next thing I want to develop is an exercise where they learn how to troubleshoot....I do try to cover it some by teaching them that the least likely reason for a light to not light up is a blown lamp. At the very least check all other possibilities before you grab a new HPL.

Oh that's too good a topic not to have its own thread: http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/...wont-light-troubleshooting-conventionals.html .

...Ideally I would have 3 mannequins but I have to scrounge. ...

I've found an empty plastic gallon milk jug on top of a 6' mic stand makes a great lighting dummy for ML focus.

 

[NevilleLighting]

Ha! Shiben you are pretty much right. I do have some non-tech students that put out some nice designs. Actually the best project I've had yet was from a music major that wants to be a conductor or music director.

 

[Pie4Weebl]

So for your final project do you have 4/5 of the people in the class putting in like 6-10 cues, and then the one guy (probably would be me...) who throws in about 200 and wonders why timecode isnt offered?

The real question is do your 200 cues tell a story better than the person who only used 6?

 

[JChenault]

The next thing I want to develop is an exercise where they learn how to troubleshoot. I just can't find the framework and I wonder if this may be too extensive to do with 24 students at a time in a class that meets 3 hours per week. It is a skill I often see lacking but have a hard time teaching and would love to hear suggestions. I do try to cover it some by teaching them that the least likely reason for a light to not light up is a blown lamp. At the very least check all other possibilities before you grab a new HPL.

I seem to remember that Gilbert Hemsley had something like this in his class at Madison ( If anyone remembers the details - feel free to correct me). They would set up in the black box theatre a hang with some known errors. Bad gel color, fixture in the wrong location, burned out lamp, incorrect patch, bad cable, twofered incorrectly etc. Then one at a time, or in small groups, they turned the students loose to fix it.

Sure it takes time, but it was a great experience.

(And in my experience, once the show is up and running, the most likely reason for a lamp not to come up during dimmer check IS a blown lamp ( or a burned socket ).