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British Theatre/'noir' lighting
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Question
I am doing a production of city of angels at my university, and in the play there are three major lighting aspects that are important to get right:
First, there is a half-stage noir or black and white lighting effect needed. What is the best way of achieving this?
Second, it is a musical and I am just scouting around for opinions about lighting changes during songs, both big numbers and smaller more intimate songs. There are not a lot of 'dance' numbers, just singing.
Third, and finally, there is an explosion. What kind of lighting effect would you suggest for that?
Thank you for your time.
Dear Tiffany,
Sorry for the delay in replying, am in the middle of the Edinburgh Festival here.
Noir lighting derives from film and can best be recreated by cutting down on the sources hitting the actors, try a strong key light for each noir scene and use very little fill, if any. Find a reason for the light to be there, an open door / streetlight / or just some expressionist shafts from low and to the side.
You would be best to separate the scenes upstage and downstage rather than stage right and stage left - this means you can use a lot of sidelight and light the noir scenes almost like dance.
What colour is noir? try a very light blue - Lee 202 or 203 - or try no colour straw - show the director. Depends if you want a sepia effect or not - I prefer the harder edge of blue. Noir is about angle and intensity rather than colour.
Songs, ALWAYS light songs with a different lighting state. It might be going to follow spot and backlight, changing the mood and colour of a state. Go and see a musical and borrow some ideas.
Treat big songs as dance numbers.
Explosion - Snap blackout and strobe light, or snap change to audience blinders.
The best way to improve as a lighting designer is to see shows and try things yourself.
Hope this helps,
Best of luck,
George
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George Tarbuck
Expertise
Contemporary British stage lighting practice and current stage lighting training. Stage lighting design and stage lighting technology. Devised and site specific theatre. I am a working freelance lighting designer and lecturer / subject leader in stage lighting.
Experience
Past/Present clients
Freelance Gaffer
Broken Home Movies, Film Workshop, Edinburgh
Architectural Lighting Designer
Le Marche Noir Restaurant, Waterfront Wine Bar, The Wine Emporium, Glasgow.
Sound and Lighting Gaffer
Martin Bone Associates ;
Trade Show Jaguar Launch
Trade Show Mondeo Launch.
Trade Show Mercedes Launch.
Conference AGM United Biscuits.
Awards Ceremony Guild Hall.
Lighting Designer
Boilerhouse Theatre Co, Headstate devised play, Scottish Tour: Tramway Workshop, Lemon Tree Aberdeen, Paisly Arts Centre
Lighting Designer
Damage Theatre Co, Two Sevens Clash, Devised play Traverse Theatre.
Architectural Lighting Designer
Cliffe-Catterall Chartered Accountants Offices, Edinburgh
Architectural Lighting Designer
Linsmore Hotel, Aberdeen
Lighting Designer
Boilerhouse Theatre Co. ? No New Miracles ? by Alan Warner. Traverse Theatre, Tramway, Lemon Tree, Dundee Rep.
Lighting Designer
St.Magnus Festival. Orkney. Devised Dance Piece.
? Storm Watchers ? an ? Lord Of The Mirrors ?
Lighting Designer Boilerhouse Theatre Co. ? Pipers Cave ? by Rona
Munro. Paisley Arts Centre and Edinburgh Festival.
Lighting Designer Boilerhouse Theatre Co. Re-Light of Headstate by
Irvine Welsh. Cafe Graffiti. Edinburgh Festival.
Lighting Designer Queen Margaret College. ?Elizabeth Gordon Quinn?
Lighting Designer Boilerhouse Theatre Co. Re-Light of Headstate by
Irvine Welsh. Docklands International Festival
Greenwich.
Lighting Designer Benchtours Theatre Co. ? The Corridor ?. Traverse Theatre Edinburgh Festival 97. Scottish / Irish Tour.
Lighting Designer Grid Iron Theatre Co. ? Gargantua ? Edinburgh
Festival 98. Fringe First. Promenade. Site Specific.
Electrics Assistant " House of Mirth " Feature film. Location filming in Glasgow.
Consultancy Benchtours Theatre Co. Technical Consultant and Client Liason. Lottery Bid for Lighting and Sound equipment.
Lighting Designer Grid Iron Theatre Co. ? Monumental ? Citizens Theatre
Glasgow. 1999. Promenade. Site Specific.
Lighting Designer Arches Theatre Co. ? Horses Horses ? Arches Theatre Glasgow. 2000. Promenade.
Lighting Designer Grid Iron Theatre Co. "Decky Does a Bronco" Site specific. Tour. Summer 2000.
Technical Consultant / Hill Street Theatre. Gateway Theatre. Universal Arts Production Manager fringe festival 2000.
Lighting Designer Boilerhouse Theatre Co. " RED " Promenade. UK Tour.
Lighting Designer Prime Productions. Sunset Song. Scottish Tour.
Technical Consultant / Hill Street Theatre. Gateway Theatre. Universal Arts Production Manager Edinburgh festival. 2001.
Lighting Designer Grid Iron Theatre Co. Co-Production with Almeida Theatre. Decky Does A Bronco Site Specific. UK Tour. Summer 2001.
Lighting Designer The Seer. New One Act Opera. Dingwall Festival. Autumn 2001.
Lighting Designer Fermentation Grid Iron Theatre Co. Spring 2002.
Lighting Designer Grid Iron Theatre Co. VARIETY. Edinburgh International Festival 2002. Kings Theatre.
Lighting Designer BBC 4. Grid iron Theatre Co. VARIETY.
Lighting Designer SUNSET SONG Prime Productions. No.1
Scottish Tour.
Lighting Designer Grid Iron - Unique Events. Burns Festival Alloway.
Promenade Show. "The Houghmagandie Pack"
Lighting Designer Mr McFalls Chamber Orchestra Queens Hall Edinburgh
Lighting Designer Grid Iron. Edinburgh Festival 2003. " Those Eyes That Mouth" Five Awards inc. Fringe First
Lighting Designer Arches Theatre Co. ?To The Moon? Young Directors Awards Spring 2004
Lighting Designer Greyfriars Kirk Charity show for Maggie?s Centre
Lighting Designer Boilerhouse Theatre Co. ?The Bridge? Glasgow Green,
The Quad ? Edinburgh Festival. France. Summer 2004
Lighting Designer FidgetFeet Company. ?Solaris? ?Can?t Handle Me? Ariel Dance. Customs House Newcastle. Dublin Festival.
Lighting Designer Papillion Productions. ? One, One Two? Dance Piece
North Edinburgh Arts. 2004.
Lighting Designer Children Of The Sea Botanic Gardens Edinburgh 2005.
Five Awards including Fringe First
Lighting Designer ?Shift? Site specific art project. National Trust.
Newhails House, Mussleburgh. 2005
Lighting Designer ?The Trial? Tramway Glasgow
Lighting Designer A Christmas Tale. Theatre Workshop Edinburgh
Lighting Designer ?Heid? Musical Scottish Tour 2006
Previous Theatre Lighting Design work includes, FOR THE TRAVERSE THEATRE : FUGUE, SPACE INVADERS, BUGLER BOY, MEDEA, THE INNOCENT, POINTS OF DEPARTURE ( Amsterdam / Edinburgh ), 78 REVOLUTIONS, KLIMKOV, AN HISTORIE OF THE MACHINE, ROUGHNECK, NOONDAY DEMONS, MORE HAPPY CHICKENS, THROUGH THE LEAVES ( London / Edinburgh ), DEAD MEN ( Australia / Edinburgh ), WHITE ROSE (London / Edinburgh), LOSING VENICE ( Australia / Edinburgh ), AUS DER FREMDE, ELIZABETH GORDON QUINN, DEATH OF ELIAS SAWNEY, KORA,
THE ORPHANS COMEDY, BURNING LOVE, LUCY?S PLAY, KATHIE & THE HIPPOPOTAMUS (London / Edinburgh), BLITZ, ABLE BAREBONE, PLAYING WITH FIRE, NOAH?S WIFE, THE PROWLER. A MAN WITH CONNECTIONS
(London / Edinburgh). SHADOWING THE CONQUEROR, THE CONQUEST OF THE SOUTH POLE (London / Edinburgh), THE RAIN GATHERING.
FOR MONSTROUS REGIMENT: BEARTRICE
FOR COMMUNICADO THEATRE: MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS GOT HER HEAD CHOPPED OFF, DESIRE.
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