The plan

So, we're gearing up to load in to our performance space on Monday.  I have been working on a lighting design which will, hopefully, be able to support to overall design of the room and also add to the environment we are trying to create.

Thoughts:

cloud of information
hovering
real vs. digital/computerized
color vs. stark/no color
sharp angles mixed with softer
pools of separated light
individuals contributing to the whole
cloud is above

Cloudy thoughts

Devising

The devising and collaborating process can prove to be rather difficult.  Different personalities, different backgrounds, and different opinions about how to make work, all smashed into a room together and forced to come up with a piece to be presented.  There's something about the fact that we're all forced together which could potentially mean some very intense material.  It's finding a way through all of the dust  being kicked up by discussion to find the true gems.  Some people talk more than others, and it's not that the quiet ones have nothing to say, but that they're used to working in a different way.  How do you make sure their voices are heard when there is a time crunch?  Can you force an idea?  How can devising be democratic, satisfying, and successful?

Defining my practice

As a part of this year of study, I have been asked many times about what I think my practice is.  I find this is a very difficult question to answer, because my practice, up until this point, has involved more things than I would ideally like it to.  I have never really wanted to be a TD full time, or a set designer, or even a stage manager.  I really have just wanted to design lighting.  What I am realizing more and more as I go on, is that I think I want my practice to be is aa lighting designer, but one who works in a smaller theatre, where I could get my hands a little dirty with electrics work as well as the artistic design work.
Through the process of devising with my company, I am realizing that I do like working on pieces of theatre that are scripted.  However,  what I have to keep in my head is that this year is about exploration and pushing myself and my practice in ways I may not have thought about before.  I have now been introduced to projections, and the possibility as using them as lighting sources as a part of a lighting design is a new idea to experiment and play with.  However, as always, I am a proponent of making sure there is a reason behind using an instrument, instead of just using it because it's there.
The definition of my practice is constantly shifting....

Foggy day

Beams, looking in, breakup, cloud, light, audience, placement, exposed, depth, smokey, attempt, discovery, stage

We experimented with using fog, haze, and projections today in rehearsal.  If we continue with the idea of a digitized cloud, a cloud of information, then this could be a really effective way to give our audience a visual representation of what we're talking about.  It is also a way to completely immerse our audience into the piece.  There are some practical things to consider, but those can be discussed more as we develop ways to use these techniques in our possible performance.

Things to think about

things before the traces
who are the trace makers
why are we moved by traces
relation of presence and absence

Words:
traces, dust, ether, cloud, hovering, capitalism, digital age, artifacts, floating, orphanage, networking, facebook, up in the air

Report from rehearsal

We had a little workshop on Friday, with the same idea of just sharing a bit about who we are.  Company building time, as it were.  Played around a bit in a space with some tasks that were set out.  I'm working on trying to see where we might be headed with it.  I think, if we start to think about the work being unique to our group of people, then I suppose these tasks are useful to find out more about ourselves.

A great article was introduced to the group today about Google digitizing books and making an enormous digital library, but also the consequences of trying to do it.  There was a line about a "book orphanage" which brought about several visuals for me in my head.  We discussed this idea of a cloud of information.  Also, we discussed the idea of lost property, and the idea as a person as lost property.  The idea of leaving traces is still strong, and whether one has the ability to do this or not.  I came up with the phrase breadcrumbs of a life.