The Butterflies Evil Spell
- Thread starterHughesie
- Start date
Seconded.
I'm all for doing interesting things, taking a show and flipping it on its head, approaching something from a completely new angle, making people stop and think about their most basic motivations. However, it needs to be right for the show, it needs to fit, and above all it needs to work.
You say its a normal venue that your pretending is a black box, so I presume that means its a proscenium space?
From a lighting standpoint, well, if you can point your FOH pipe down you have top light I guess and if you fly in your first electric you can get face light. But thats about it, and odds are there is no way to make this look anything but bad.
From a sound standpoint, well, if you have some other speakers that you can throw up to work, yea, whatever.
My suggestion would be to turn on the works and the house lights, give them a boom box and walk away. It just sounds really stupid.
</bitterness>
If you feel so inclined to do it, well, there's no way to make it interesting or cool, because theaters are hard wired with some basic concepts, mainly that people sit in the seats and watch the people above them on stage. Electrics, cable runs, its all set up for this. Also, look into fire egress codes.
Lighting wise, just use the FOH pipe to get down light, ends of it can do some pipe end/high side business, and fly in the 1st electric and get some face light. It won't look good, but it shouldn't look horrible.
From a sound standpoint, I hope you have some other speakers and amps and just set them up at the edge of the stage for the audience. Kinda like how you'd set up monitors.
Where would you run the show from? The booth, which is now on the upstage wall, or would you want to try and run all your cables some other way and run from the back of the stage, now the back of the house?
But, unless their paying you, I'd say walk away from it. It doesn't sound like it is worth the headache, honestly.
EDIT: I'm of course ignoring all the practical issues of the actors attempting to act in the house, and how no one in the audience past the first row will be able to see what is going on. Section it, the sight lines will suck.
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Really? Sounds like an interesting opportunity to me, as in, a challenge to be embraced.
Depending on your hanging positions onstage, you might be okay with frontlight -- lowering some battens or the likes to act as FOH positions. Might be a bit low angle, but what can you do. If your true FOH's aren't blocked, then you have your downlight covered (in some fashion), and then you'll probably need to get some booms for sidelight. Sounds like a big cabling job, but if you plan it out accordingly, won't be too bad.
I know Haverford's theater did a show like this years ago, though I don't think their theater's a black box. Just put the action right in the seats. Sounds like a cool idea, just another constraint on your design to work around. Don't get discouraged!
Depending on your hanging positions onstage, you might be okay with frontlight -- lowering some battens or the likes to act as FOH positions. Might be a bit low angle, but what can you do. If your true FOH's aren't blocked, then you have your downlight covered (in some fashion), and then you'll probably need to get some booms for sidelight. Sounds like a big cabling job, but if you plan it out accordingly, won't be too bad.
I know Haverford's theater did a show like this years ago, though I don't think their theater's a black box. Just put the action right in the seats. Sounds like a cool idea, just another constraint on your design to work around. Don't get discouraged!
I was the LD 4 this a few years ago. We did it in the style of "A Bugs Life"
U can some of the pictures @ www.ceedwards.com under the Yesterday section.
It was very challenging with a very small amount of equipment and almost no power. But it was one of my best works. Lots of texture and my secret weapon. (Scrollers)
Christopher
U can some of the pictures @ www.ceedwards.com under the Yesterday section.
It was very challenging with a very small amount of equipment and almost no power. But it was one of my best works. Lots of texture and my secret weapon. (Scrollers)
Christopher
porkchop
Well-Known Member
When I was graduating high school I helped to the design for a show that had acting space on SR and the audience on SL. Problems we ran into in the planning stage:
1. Awkward Lighting throws and positions
Solution: Math, math, and more math. Make sure your pools are big enough BEFORE you hang and it will go a lot easier.
2. Majority of dimmers on the electrics.
Solution: Make sure you have plenty of cable and plan it out before hand. If need be find a smart way to run multi's from the electrics to the positions you need.
3. Emergency evacuation of audience.
Make sure the side of the back stage that the audience is on is clean. And that there are at least two ways out that are clearly marked.
It's do able, I'm happy i don't have to figure out the blocking for moving through the house, The use of textures could make for some really interesting look especially since the seats will naturally throw shadows.
1. Awkward Lighting throws and positions
Solution: Math, math, and more math. Make sure your pools are big enough BEFORE you hang and it will go a lot easier.
2. Majority of dimmers on the electrics.
Solution: Make sure you have plenty of cable and plan it out before hand. If need be find a smart way to run multi's from the electrics to the positions you need.
3. Emergency evacuation of audience.
Make sure the side of the back stage that the audience is on is clean. And that there are at least two ways out that are clearly marked.
It's do able, I'm happy i don't have to figure out the blocking for moving through the house, The use of textures could make for some really interesting look especially since the seats will naturally throw shadows.
Hughesie
Well-Known Member
for pictures of the venue, look here
http://picasaweb.google.com.au/hughesie89
i have class right now and i will be back with more info shortly
http://picasaweb.google.com.au/hughesie89
i have class right now and i will be back with more info shortly
First silly responses:
a) I love the pictures of your actor cage. All theater's should be equipped with a system for keeping the actors securely confined.
b) I wish my I had a giant green console like that.
Actually really interesting pictures Hughesie. Looks like you've got a pretty wild and creative director from some of those show shots which help explain why the audience is going to be on stage.
I think the best way for us to help you would be if you could make a ground plan diagram of the theater with all the lighting and sound positions. It's going to be interesting and the results won't be as spectacular as some of your other work but it'll do.
a) I love the pictures of your actor cage. All theater's should be equipped with a system for keeping the actors securely confined.
b) I wish my I had a giant green console like that.
Actually really interesting pictures Hughesie. Looks like you've got a pretty wild and creative director from some of those show shots which help explain why the audience is going to be on stage.
I think the best way for us to help you would be if you could make a ground plan diagram of the theater with all the lighting and sound positions. It's going to be interesting and the results won't be as spectacular as some of your other work but it'll do.
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porkchop
Well-Known Member
Looking at your space this looks a lot more do able. The non perminant nature of the chairs and that thrust proscenium style FOH setup (at least that's what I would call it) will really help, I don't know about sound, not my gig really though so that's no surprise. Looking at your space you could really give the audience the "god looking down on the world" kind of feel, can't wait to see how it comes off.
Oh yah and were can I get an actor cage like that (does it accommodate ASM's???)
Oh yah and were can I get an actor cage like that (does it accommodate ASM's???)
Hughesie
Well-Known Member
LSC Axiom 36
and we have a vectorworks drawing of the venue i will open it up and do some screenshots.
and what is this actor cage your yapping about.
oh and i have two options
act
or crew
Actor cage.
Every theater needs one. Does it come in a director model too?
Yeah send us some screenshots. Pictures are nice but without a sense of scale it's hard to really give very good advice.
Yapping my way to another thread...
Every theater needs one. Does it come in a director model too?
Yeah send us some screenshots. Pictures are nice but without a sense of scale it's hard to really give very good advice.
Yapping my way to another thread...
Hughesie
Well-Known Member
that's our orchestra pit, the reason that barrior is up is because the cast get blinded by the light and fall in
What if you throw the actors in the pit and then put up the barrier? Would it help keep them in the pit? 
Of course there is also the potential for protecting everyone from the orchestra. Hmmm... this is a VERY useful device. One place I've been has a cargo net over the pit. I like the idea but always felt it needed some barbed wire too.
Still waiting for those designs...
Of course there is also the potential for protecting everyone from the orchestra. Hmmm... this is a VERY useful device. One place I've been has a cargo net over the pit. I like the idea but always felt it needed some barbed wire too. Still waiting for those designs...
