Welcome to Yes, This Will Be On the Test.
Waving to visitors, new followers, and fellow A to Z
participants. I’m sending virtual hugs to you all for taking a moment to stop
by.
I’ll be sharing my “take-aways.” All those snigglets,
golden nuggets, and lessons learned from other creative sources.
In my previous life, I was a theatrical lighting designer. Lighting design is expected to fulfill multiple goals onstage, such as:
MOOD - How do you want the audience to feel?
Sense of fun - Singin' in the Rain from the Bon Voyage Shipboard Review - Queen Mary
Dramatic foreshadowing - In the Sweet Bye and Bye - Back Alley Theater
Nightmare sequence - An Original Jimmy Shine - UCLA
VISIBILITY and FOCUS - What and how much do you want to reveal to the audience? Where do you want them to look?
Found a Peanut - Back Alley Theater
DIMENSIONALITY - Define the shape of the actors and the scenery. At times light becomes part of the scenery.
St. Joan - UCLA
Hawk - UCLA
Hawk - UCLA
TAKE AWAY:
Even though lighting was my visual form of storytelling in the pictures above, the same elements and purposes must resonate to create depth in the stories I tell with words.
Have you brought elements from other art forms into your writing?
I can imagine how your training in lighting helps you with your writing and setting a really good scene.
ReplyDeleteLighting was always one of those art forms that seemed incredibly complex to me. When I was an actor, I so admired the designers and techies who understood it. You're right; it's such a vital tool!
ReplyDeleteI took an intro to theatre class when I was in college. We were told to attend three plays. The lighting in each one definitely set the mood. I've used a little of that class in my writing, but it's been 20 years so my memory's a little fuzzy now.
ReplyDeleteLighting doesn't get the love it deserves sometimes. It's usually one of the things I point out when I see a stage production. :)
ReplyDeleteOn behalf of my species, I thank you, David.
DeleteUsing other talents and experience is so brilliant. I guess my days as actress have helped me visualize the staging of a scene and the characters' use of props and stage business.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this. I was into theater (and still am occasionally) for all of my young life...meaning until I hit 27, and I think understanding the importance of theatrical elements definitely lent to shaping my writing. Lighting is just like focusing a scene in a story--by the mood of the coloring or the focus of the moment... I blogged about this once too, but took more the cinematography focus. (I dabbled in film for a while.)
ReplyDeleteThat is SO cool! I really like these peeks into your life (past and present) that you're giving us this month in your blog challenge :) Also, great work on lighting those! I especially like Found a Peanut's ;)
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that about you! Awesome. I did theater in high school and you never really thought about all the work that went into lighting. There really is an art to it.
ReplyDeleteI did lighting for a scene I directed in college. I can appreciate the art of it.
ReplyDeleteWriting is my primary art form. Dare me to draw a boy and I'll give you a grand stick figure lol!
ReplyDeletePainting and music definitely enter into my writing here and there. Nice post, Leslie!
ReplyDeleteGreat point! I often think about all the details that go in to films to make them finished. I'd say poetry, art, music, acting... all have a part to play in my writing.
ReplyDeleteSure. I have a tendency to be more visual then anything else. Sometimes I sketch out images and I've even used poetry.
ReplyDeleteIt's so cool that you were a lighting designer! (I wanted to be a theater director in HS, but got a film degree instead.) I love all the pics. Atmosphere and mood are really important in writing, too.
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Lexa Cain’s Blog
You are the queen of lighting design. I swear.
ReplyDeleteDoes that mean I get a crown? I'll settle for a tiara. :)
DeleteIntriguing - the number of us who have come to writing from theater and film in some way shape or form. Appreciate all the visitin'! Blog on, Garth.
ReplyDeleteI have always found lighting design fascinating. It adds so much texture to stories! I like to draw to help get my creative juices flowing and trying to add that element into my writing. :) Great post!
ReplyDelete~Jess
Lighting design is so intriguing. Seems like a tough job but also enjoyable.
ReplyDeletehey u know what? my dad did theater as a hobby and his speciality? lighting designs....i have seen how he worked..and from close quarters, so i can relate to what you have written.....
ReplyDeleteI am a dancer, I have learnt bharatnatyam which is a dance form of south India, and expressions are dramatic and flowy.....i guess that reflects in my writing too!
Interesting stuff. Lighting is very important. I do notice it myself.
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