For me in that scene given the
scrim, I would start with the location. Take a garden
effect with
scrim, perhaps a cut away
wing and
drop foliage
drop just
down stage of it to
reveal the scene upstage. Than do a
cyc with hopefully another foliage
drop a little further
down stage of it but still behind the
scrim so the in this case
wing and
drop style three or four foliage boarder/
teaser type drops frame in and focus to the center that action. This could be replaced by a similar two or three dimensional, even relief scenery
effect be it city (Roman for subtext), or what ever. (Sorry, I saw the 25th anniversary tour of this
play but don’t remember it much beyond Judas couldn’t hold a note. The music in general was very off what I grew up with and sang in boot camp from memory to keep my sanity while washing pots and pans something like 12 hours a day for a week.) Might even do some
ground rows both up and
down stage of the
scrim. A particularly useful
ground row would be to mask a
platform the stund double can stand upon depending upon your hanging
effect. Depends a lot on that designers take on his own artistic statement given your theater and budget.
In any case, after the scenery and framing in of the
image to which Craig would not agree with my general choice above - lots you can do in design which would make for other designs. On scrims front lighting - making them solid as someone posted very well in a description of how to light them is best with down lights on them for the most part. You might even go abstract with a red
wash on the
scrim during the next scene in linking the two by color choice but making the next defiantly not in the same area. Depends upon the show and designer’s technique plus the director’s
image governing it. So keep at least a
wash on them from high top so as to pickup as much of the fabric as possible. Assuming the
scrim is both for removing the hanging/upstage from the
stage picture and allowing for another scene without the hanging, you want to have this down light of the
scrim for utility purposes. Than project perhaps more foliage at it to fill in the hole in the picture given the solid
scrim is in
effect. This will take wattage and balance to do well. In addition to the foliage, you could also project a building
Gobo effect of the cross to the
scrim as if a forgiveness type thing. Start with the vertical plane of light that shows
thru the
scrim in an added final light for the scene - see below, and
fade it some to compensate for the solid wall down light as the next scene starts. Bring up on a slow
fade a horizontal cross shaped
effect on the vertical beam, even on a cross
fade replace it by a horizontal/vertical cross with pointed ends such as on a
gobo replacing just an intense
pattern cut. This even faint cross on the foliage or red background should linger a while but not stay the entire scene. Put it on a slow
fade down but loose it by the end of the scene - we are on a different idea by now. Think I would do both red overall for my fill color and foliage in doing this with the cross
stage center projected on the
scrim.
We are talking about one specific designer’s
image for this scene now and it certainly can’t be fully understood without being me much less presented to the design team/director without some story boards and sketches. Short of understanding the
effect I have in mind, you can get ideas, but not capture the
image/magic I give ideas on. Your designer/TD has his own
image, present ideas but in the end you must go with his own ideas.
Otherwise, I might
drop in a
drop (Olieo) right in front of the
scrim to remove the scene instead - with or without that lingering but fading cross. Good value to just removing the upstage area from our thoughts in an effort to keep the action still going after such a scene, but the lingering
effect of the importance - given it’s central in importance to the
play might be well served by some lingering of the
effect on the next scene. The
drop might also indicate another location which would be useful in making that emotional change over. Yes, it’s double speak one sentence to another, art is very hard to present with words.
For the actual hanging, I would present only enough light
down stage of the
scrim to frame in the scene - given that folliage/architecture presented for location/focus. All beam angles would be tight to ensure that the
scrim is invisible for the moment. Also that the action upstage is distant - we need at this
point in the show some removal from what is going on. Just a touch which a bright upstage will differentiate from the main playing area now dark. This was Judas’s choice/damnation not ours. Similar to Jesus’s in crucial
role in the story but not that of the individual audience member. This is a story we associate with to some degree - especially on Judas’s part, but not something we become at one with the characters in - given the director’s take on the
play.
What color that
cyc and upstage area should be is very dependant upon what time of day and location it is in addition to how much the director feels this is a equivalent sacrifice as Jesus will soon make in importance. Balance is the key in upstage both in ambiant - stray light and lighing on the key focus. Light blue has the
effect of forgiveness, Red blood and saccrifice, Amber heat when with the red, green something that just happens and is not as important overall even if it’s
effect can be very visual. What lighting you do in the background will form quite the
statement of what’s going on before it. Perhaps a
wash of the
scrim from a green/amber to growing red, to bold red, to just a flash as the scene dims in blue/white - heaven accepting him as part of the larger scheme of what’s going on. Right before the upstage goes black. Could just go from Amber - meaning heated importance, to a
fade to red than black, could even do foliage to lessen the overall importance of the
image no matter the lighting
effect directly on the Judas
image. Such subtle effects of background on what our key focus is will have a major
role on our take for it. Could go straight white or black out the
cyc also, all will have significant effects in that final ringing in of the action on
stage. White
scrim might have a Godly
effect as if this is all already written and not in his own hands - again subtext, while black
scrim will focus the action on the talent as taken in a void of all other influences or especially emotions on his actions. Given a director’s take “that he is in the wrong,” his ending while spotlighted, can thus be shown in a void of it’s
role in the story and because it’s black background -
momentary in importance and
image.
For Judas himself - prime importance for the
effect, and given all other lightings are supplemental and more subtlety lit in
intensity, this can form as prime a
role in the
play as the director’s intent for it - given this is the intent. Given Judas as the prime and most normal person we associate with it could be of the greatest imagery and important - even towering over the ending/climax of the rest of the show, or it can be scaled down to a more rational
level if not sub-part of the epic centered around the most obvious protagonist. (Lighting has a
role in plays, even if not obvious but in subtly educating the audience into the playwright’s intent and view points. My take on it is about Judas as more than a secondary
role. I would spotlight for more attention Judas’s looks as Jesus is being “stupid” in a way of reflecting. But it’s very dependant upon the director’s intent and take on the show also.)
Direct up light makes the human
face look ghastly. Direct down light makes the human
face just as abstracted, but in this case heavenly - or effected by such an influence.
McCandless theory is the most natural lighting on the talent with it’s 45 degree sides and upward angle plus some high rear fill, as adjusted for conditions such as a narrow bright
shutter cut on the talent and from the direct sides so the
reflection off the talent does not reflect off the
scrim as if dance also becomes useful.
Keep the
shutter cuts very narrow and only to the subject. If necessary, light the upstage as he walks to the gallows but refine on
cue during the scene to it as it builds to the
point that only the hanging is visible and the surrounding area is visible amongst the dimly lit location and intent producing intent of the
cyc lighting. That’s given a director driven and approved statement that this is an important scene and not just part of the story. If Judas is a bad guy getting his just deserves - in a more simple interpretation, you might make his hanging while important, small in keeping the area of the hanging still lit to make it become small still. Those subtle details in lighting and what you do with it have crucial important to what the audience also sees and feels thus gets from the show. As with past discussions on design (thank you JoJo where ever you are and in hoping you are well at it,) in my opinion if your talent is not up to the overwhelming subtext of design, than the subtle influences will depart from the enjoyment of the show in general given the talent’s ability to hold the scene as opposed to be overwhelmed by what is shown.
Getting back to this lighting on Judas, side lights with a
shutter cut to keep the
spill off both the background and
scrim are of most use. I would make it ghastly with low side lights on a narrow
shutter cut of as bright a white and wattage/
intensity plus
color temperature as I can for the leading up to part of the scene. I would add to this - and
ground rows would be useful, otherwise a single
instrument alone behind a
scrim as long as not directly lit, I would add a up light
effect to both fill in the shadows and
build upon the ghastly
effect. Make them lights the most wattage and refined of beams you can. Put a 2,000w per source on the talent and you have a start. The talent needs to glow. It’s both by
intensity going to make the
scrim become completely invisible, and provide sufficient single
fixture from each source light to the subject. My favorite is either a Mole or
Colortran 8x9
fixture three feet away (remember the longer the
throw - the more the
intensity drop, but it’s also dependant upon the
stage design as to how close and low of an angle you can place a
fixture.) Do your best, if at least a very bright
fixture placed one
foot directly
downstage of the hanging. My intent with low side and front lights being faded into from the before area lighting is to make this hanging grow in importance.
As the hanging goes on, I might do some
momentary blackouts, even on a
chase to repeat it at least once. Go from a
shin-buster white, to mid amber, to a high deep red, than back a second or third time even at the risk of going rock and
roll effect on it - very dependant upon rate of
chase and timing of the blackouts between, also the
intensity of all but the white should be much less because it’s more idea than actuality. The
effect is mid-height ambers for
intensity, fading to high red side lights in bloody especially if the entire upstage are goes red, but almost heavenly importance, than as appropriate, repeating it with perhaps a two
beat pause in
blackout beforehand-
blackout between each color in fact, back to Judas/director choice - white, to amber, it’s importance, to Red high sides - a bloody Godly statement on his part. End it with
blackout pausing one more
beat in sound/lighting than comfortable and in my interpretation at least end the
cue with that direct bluish/white and very refined/intense direct down light such as from a
ACL/
Beam Projector,
Fresnel with
tophat, or VNSP
par. This
effect rises as the rest of the scene -
scrim fades to black, up until a
point that the direct light peaks in
intensity than starts a large amber
shift rest of the set following
blackout as conclusing. Downlight in tight beams need timing but can be very emotional when timed right and applied with the right light levels.
Given intent, you might even do a slightly wider focus of beam in dire-most primary red as a down light following the various low/mid/high lighting and
blackout longer than comfortable to the red that is intense, but fades with the rate of general
fade out. Than as the scene is going to
blackout, flash out of it to a second
fixture with a pure white/blue beam which lingers and even gets brighter as the rest of the scene fades. That lingering even after the blood red implies a forgiveness and overall plan thus taking him to heaven for Judas. Otherwise, perhaps just a very quick flash of white over him as the scene goes black to let the audience out of the emotional tribulations with the scene in a melo-drama sort of distancing way. That blink of white overhead light right before the final
blackout - as if even a mistake in cues during the
blackout will allow their brains to process if even a
momentary taking him up to a forgiving heaven and complection on that part of the story. A
strobe like single burst of light as if by accident in cuing will hardly be noted other than a mistake in cuing which adds distancing needed by the audience in setting up the next scene, but on the emotional
level will
effect the entire scene and show.
This in the end is just one scene and very dependant upon the fixtures, control and dimmers,
stage type available, plus most importantly the design team’s/director’s
vision for this production of it and the show. Also by how well the cast - Judas in this case can pull off his
role in keeping the magic to make his own portrait of it go over the top instead of the lighting overwhelming than destroying it. Very important
point. If Judas can’t give show to show the performance of his life, than the lighting of him in giving it will abstract of the
point and scene, even destroy of what he can give to it in drawing the attention away from him - the best he or the rest of the designers/director can do also in scene and show. If they can’t do the scene to the emotional building and
effect I describe in throwing the lighting help of this actor/talent’s
point over the top, than the lighting will be out of place and destroy any meaning the audience will get from it. General ideas might be useful, but the concept even if understood will be detriment if followed in cuing but not performance. That’s even given my design statements as a designer not having talked with the director, much less doing the whole show is creating the
effect for one scene and given my own mental
image for the scene that is seen by me but probably not understood in subtleties to others. The entire show needs lighting, it’s not only one scene. Talent and over the top is very dependant thus.
Still I hope it provides some concepts and ideas thus help. One designer to another at least in advice for the
effect. Also it shows the director driven subtext to this in my interpretation very important scene. Subtext in presenting the scene is very important even to the designer after the visibility aspects are covered. But they are also very dependant upon the show. Preschool kids on Kid Rock’s lighting design and set will be very out of place. You need to at least in my continuing opinion match the magic of light/design to that of the talent.
Just adjusted the
intensity of lighting on the Owl mask hanging from a
nail from my front door. (See other articles about the living room design foliage on the ceiling verses other lighting.) Anyway, bringing the mask up another 15% has a balancing
effect verses that of the TV as the
stage picture sits while looking at the living room. The mask while a tight five
fixture focus upon it, is not all that’s going on, yet it in parifrial view is the balance to the TV on the other side of the room. There is a Shakespear lithograph hanging between them, but it’s dim in lighting importance and dramatic. My living room in spooky Owl mask verses Tv’s
intensity as opposed to foliage
pattern on the ceiling - given black
duvetyne walls, and ambient light given off from the kitchen/office I live out of that I see the living room most from. This is as per a
stage - that opposing wall. Red
cove lighting glow, foliage, lithograph, TV verses Owl Mask asside, it’s a
stage picture. My design for this space is far different than anyone else’s. This is my design statement for the room. Another designer will have a completely different intent for the
layout much less lighting. That’s a key factor both in unified show and scene. While you as staff can provide ideas and concepts in general, once they are even half listened to presented, respect that designer/director’s
vision for this production of the show. Without individual visions we don’t have art - successful or not. My living room looks cool. At least in my opinion. Certainly not what others would design but my statement on it. What the audience/visitors view of it is a statement of my design good or bad as it relates to the total show, but it’s my interpretation of the magic. If you are smart, present ideas as useful thoughts, but don’t present them as the solution much less stick by any ideas you have for the scene. Both not your job, and stepping on the
vision of the designer in fulfilling the show’s needs.
On design for this show, other designers taking detail for this scene might be of a lot of use in technique and ambition for it, as well as use of the
scrim in separate acting area for it. Hope other designers give their thoughts.