Week 6: Fluorescent Hell

I was taking a trip and had a 9 hour layover at an airport in New York. I vividly remember the seats down stairs, in front of the gates, being so uncomfortable and impossible to lay on because of the permanent bars between them. And to make matters worse was the freezing air that the A/C blasted on the seats, completely unaware that was 50 degrees outside. This was all complemented by the arctic white walls and harsh fluorescent lighting that only made me colder. As I shivered in my unbelievably thin Delta plane blanket, I cause a glimpse of something that looked so warm and inviting. Upstairs, above the Stone Rose Bar and Grill sign was a cafe with tables and chairs and behind them were large, plush lounge chairs. Everything seemed so warm up there and inviting. The lighting was so friendly and comforting I so badly wanted to sit in one of those chairs, surround myself in the warm glow of the lights, and stretch out. But to my dismay, the entire upstairs was gated off. And so I sat, in my fluorescent hell, under the cold and harsh lighting that made me miserable and feel so isolated, and glared with severe jealousy at the warm heaven above me.

Week 4/Post #2

Our very own Contemporary Arts Center!

The lighting in this picture bothers me. It is in the new building in the Claire Trevor School of the Arts between the theater enterance and the gallery entrance when you first walk into the building. This lighting would be a nice accent except for the lights that are not focused properly seen towards right center. The rest are almost in a nice, pleasing line, and then these two or three are askew and it really, really makes me unhappy. Perhaps this is because I have done lighting before, or perhaps it’s the lights themselves that are making me feel this way. I feel as though if they fixed these two lights to line up with the others, that the feeling would be one much more of warmth and pleasantness and unity. The softness of the beams create a safe feeling that can be better utilized if all the other beams were focused the same. As it is, I feel as though whoever was in charge of lighting really didn’t care about this project.

Week 4- Blog #2

I looked through my pictures to find something to use, and this one caught my eye. It's nothing special or fancy, I'm definitely no photographer, but there were a few thoughts that came to mind when I came across it. First, I thought of the moment in a movie right before it starts getting scary. You know, the young girl falls, and the scary monster, man, creature thing jumps out of nowhere and starts chasing her.

Then I started remembering the night and remembered that it had been really dark outside. I realize that a camera's flash is supposed to light up the area around it, but I didn't realize it expanded that far.

WEEK 4

This is absolutely my favorite time of the day, dusk. On this splendid day, I loved how the sun setting highlighted the beautiful shape of clouds in the sky. Had it not been for the sun, and it's glorious natural lighting, I would not have noticed the spectacular pattern of clouds.

Week 4-Hazy Day

I wanted to take a picture of one of the overcast days we've been getting here in Socal, because I find the color of the sky very interesting on these kind of days. To me, it is a MUCH cooler color...a very grey/blue. What's weird about this to me is that usually, hotter it is, the closer light comes to white/ blue colored and the cooler is it, the more red. Here you find the opposite of this theory. On overcast days the sky is super greyish. I think this is because of the clouds.

-Kelly Ruiz

Week 4: California Adventure- Room of Color

Every time I go to California Adventure (which happens to be quite often thanks to living so close now!) I have to stop by the Sorcerer's Workshop. I could stand there all day and just look up at the beautiful light fixtures. There is something so fascinating and magical about the lighting that gives the room a perfect atmosphere. It is dark and haunting when you walk into the room, but at the same time a perfect amount of warmth and glow comes from the light fixtures up above giving the essence of magic and sorcery. I like how there is no precise order of colors, shapes and sizes, yet it seems to be a perfect order of lights. I took this photo last time I was there for decorating inspiration. I find that interesting because that was before I had started this class... so, I've been observing lights without even realizing it would be beneficial to me for this class.

Week 4 a spectrum of color

To start, after this I will post other pictures than pictures of Disneyland( there is just so much to be inspired by). I loved the lights projected on the screen in the back of the performers. With the use of the lights flooding in on top of the screen and on the bottom it created the whole spectrum of color. With the perfectly placed lights it also gave a beautiful wash of color on the bronze sun and the inflatable streamers wizzing over their heads.

Also, the wash of lights complimented the actor and did not wash out any of the actors/dancers clothing pieces and colors. The fantastic collaboration of the Disney design team did wonders in this colorful world.

The Sun is Setting in The Sky

Week #4: Blog 2

Last Thursday, In lighting design class, we were learning how to design lights and its angles and try to replicate the color of the sun. After that session, I was very inspired to analyze the real color of the sun and on that same day, on Thursday at about 6:00 P.M. ish on an early evening, I was on my way home all the way back to Walnut from UCI. I was on the 10th freeway and as I was exiting Grand, I have realized that the sun was setting in the sky and I took my phone as quick as I could and took a picture of the sun before it completely set! When I analyze my picture, I noticed that a sun set's color is rather orange ish instead of bright yellow! Knowing this fact, I feel as if I had to replicate the color of a sun set with lights, it may be easier for me to design a sun set vs. a sun rise! It is because I believe that dimmer orange is rather easier to replicate and is very pleasing to the eyes, rather than just a bright yellow!

Week 4: Peter Pan

I saw Peter Pan at OCPAC last week and really enjoyed it. This picture was taken during intermission and doesn't sufficiently depict my point regarding lighting of the show (since we weren't supposed to take pictures, strictly speaking). However I was thoroughly impressed with they way the show drew focus despite the fact that it was in the round - sometimes the audience on the other side of the stage can be a distraction. I owe this primarily to the lighting design. It's an obvious choice to take out the house lights in order to put the performance in even greater relief, but when there's audience right on the other side, I can imagine it becomes a little trickier; finding the line between enough lighting for stage and not too much on the house. Fortunately, I was never once distracted by the opposite side's viewers. The lighting successfully managed to pull all of my attention to the stage as well as appropriately set the mood for the show's story.

Week 4, Blog 2, Eyes

Some time ago, I saw a movie on TV. The movie (cannot remember the name) was about a man who fell in love with a woman just by seeing her eyes. After that he decided to draw a portrait of her with every part of her face covered, only the eyes were showing. After seeing that movie, I decided to take picture of someone just like that, with only the eyes revealing. This picture that you see before you is an accidental version of my work. It happened that I accidentally covered the camera lens with my finger and the focus came to be only on the eyes of the person you see in the picture. I thought this picture is the best example of light, because the light of camera is only focusing on the eyes that felt important. Similar to the lights in theater that makes the audience attention focus on actors instead of anything else, the light of the camera is focusing on her eyes inspiring others that the whole body or whole face is not always needed to represent a character or emotion or even an act.

Week 4: Playing with Fire

Recently, a friend of mine was performing at a collective art thingamajig with her folk band. One of the other performing acts was a troupe of fire-dancers. (The range of performances was very wide, and exciting.) The fire-dancers were already impressive with their belly dancing and then amazed us all when they busted out really cool fire tricks.

In this image, the fire is in motion and illuminating arcs around the dancer. The natural brightness attracts instant attention and is the source of our awe. There was of course the thrill of danger when a fire-dancer threw flames around her head, but honestly it was more amusing to see the way the light could be thrown into shapes such as in the image. My eye is drawn directly to it the way a moth will fly straight into a light. The light from the fire arch illuminates all around it and even gives character to the dancer manipulating it.

Tait's Room Week 4

I recently moved into my new place along the boardwalk in Newport Beach. It’s a pretty nice house and a great area but there’s just one catch, I live with five other guys, each of whom has a big enough personality to fill the beach house on their own. As you could guess, things get pretty competitive so when in came to setting up our rooms, things quickly escalated. After a few trips to IKEA and everyone tapping into their inner interior designer, seeking the ultimate budget-bachelor look, the rooms were looking pretty ridiculous. When the cringe-worthy one-up fest, was finally settling down I was lucky enough to be a few weeks into this lighting class. Although we have hardly even scratched the surface of professional lighting, I still had a good enough head start and appreciation for the power of it, to no the do’s and don’ts. Once I mentioned lighting my roommates sped off in search of black lighting, strobes, red bulbs, and any other hideous impractical thing they could hope to add to their space’s “cool factor.” I resisted, and decided to go with soft white light to keep it bright and natural (after all I do have to live here) while also keeping my room relaxing enough to counteract the chaos that was outside my door. I am not completely innocent in the quest for cool however; I did turn my giant fur blanket, which was too hot for so cal, into a tapestry covering an entire wall. This darkened the feel considerably so I hung two of my three wall lights on it to counteract. I also under lit my bed frame for a source of mellow light that was good for winding down. No matter how tacky or absurd the room looks, I’m proud of my upgrade from the “laundry strewn, mattress on the floor, lit by a duct tape desk lamp” room. Lighting has made a huge difference in the space that I spend the most time in. This first had account has definitely made me appreciate the enormous effect lighting has on most everything, and makes the subject very intriguing. On the most basic level, I am reminded every day when walking by my roommate desperately trying to study in a room filled with nothing but deep red light. Wrong paintbrush buddy.

Tait Gabrielsen

Week 4: Dominican Sunrise

This past spring break, I headed over to the Dominican Republic with a International Medical/ Humanitarian group. The team was put up in a condominium and this was my morning view from the living room window. The sun rise was always so warm and welcoming but at the same time, overwhelming. I guess because of the location of the country, with respect to the equator and its infrastructure, there was little to stop the sun's intensity. I remember that feeling, that warm intensity that seemed to match its people. The feeling was fiery and passionate but surprisingly approachable.

Week Two: Let there be light...

A couple of weeks ago, I dropped off one of my roommates at the train station. As I waved goodbye and slowly pulled out of the station, I realized she accidentally took with her the paper I had written the driving directions on. Needless to say, I got lost and had the hardest time finding my way back to the freeway (or the correct one, at least!) After several wrong turns and even accidentally entering the toll roads to Riverside, I became so upset and frustrated. But in the midst of my frustration, I suddenly noticed the sky above me. The milky colors forming in the sky looked so amazing. Looking at the warm colors gave me a calming feeling and my frustration suddenly subsided. It also distracted me from my driving because I could not help but stare at it and take pictures with my Blackberry!

I continued getting lost but I actually ended up not caring that I was driving around aimlessly because I was able to witness the clouds appear even thicker and the hues becoming warmer adding more shades of purple and gold. Within minutes, the sky

looked transformed and took on a more intense appearance. It's so intriguing how much color can be so effective. It definitely reminded me of class when we discuss the importance of light during performances. It is so effective and powerful that when it's not used correctly, it can really throw off a performance.

I don't know if there was anyone on that road that evening who was not intrigued by the motion of light above them, but I know I sure was!! I realized getting lost is not so bad after all! :)

Leonela "Leah" Joanino

Week 2: The Differences Seen

I was sitting at home when I realized how interesting my lamp is. It has two different light bulbs in it. They are both those coiled light bulbs but one is 13W while the other is 14W. What's interesting ot me is that the two lights are different colors completely. The top bulb (14W) gives off more of a "white" light while the bottom one (13W) is a much warmer color. My only explanation of this is that even the slightest difference in wattage will give off more heat and therefore a different color. Since I have learned about this is my wonderful lighting class :D I can say that top light is more "white" because it is giving off more heat and the hotter something is the "cooler" it looks.

-Kelly Ruiz

Week 2-Lamp Post and Room Decor

This is one of many lamp posts that are near my living quarters. This particular one is about 10 feet from my room window. Its like a huge night light. I guess it is a good thing that there are lamp posts in my vicinity; less places where creepers can hide and totally creep on people. It also cast a really cool shadow (that's a plus). However, it is seriously like a huge night light. This lamp post completely interferes with my room decor. Even if I close the blinds the light seeps into my room. You can see the outside light on the side of the window. I have decorated my room with glow in the dark stars. In order for the glow (from the stars) to be truly visible, darkness is a must. Since the lamp post outside my window does not have an off switch that I can accesses; I have decided to use a black light. The black like makes my room look super cool. It also makes my neon shutter shades so much more fun to wear. Now all I need is some glow sticks.

Week 2- Crystal Beauty

My recent visit to the fabulous Las Vegas strip led me to the path of this stunning lighting fixture suspended majestically above the casinos floor. The giant, round, crystal chandelier taking up about a 5 foot all around diameter was located in the modern structured casino Planet Hollywood. The massive size of chandelier allowed for it to give a captivating glow that attracted attention from all around. It would casually fade in and out to several hues and tones from its expansive programmed color palette making it a unique fixture to own. My discovery of the chandelier had me pinned to the marvelous treasure for an extended period of time as it vividly took me through its transformations. I was glad to have taken a detour off the strip for a bathroom stop to have stumbled across this piece of artwork. It certainly had the rest of my evening illuminated!

-Sandy Cisneros

Week Two: The Warm Italian Sun

This summer I studied abroad in Arezzo,Italy. In the villa where we stayed and had our classes at there was no air conditioning and no blinds for the windows. Natural light and air was something I became quite familiar with, and to be honest I found the natural light to be beautiful and very inspirational. It was something not many people took notice of (or actually more so something they complained about), but I learned to appreciate it. The Teatrino (small theatre in Italian) pictured at the left is where I spent most of my time. I had class there all day, and would even spend some of my breaks there as well. At a certain time of day when the sun hits the windows just right (which I tried to capture in this photo) the room was so full of natural light. It felt so nice to just bask in the glow of light coming through the open windows. As I mentioned before, I found this to be very inspirational. Around this time of day I would often sit at the keyboard in the corner and write music. The warmness of the natural light really gave me a comfort in the room. It was easy to soak it all in and come up with warm melodies and lyrics to represent how the sunlight and the warm colors comforted me.

The Japanese Got it Wrong

In class Lonnie shared an anecdote about a lighting design gig he did in an amusement park in Japan. Once installed Lonnie went to survey his work only to find that the park had not only been lit with his designs but also with fluorescent flood lights. It is the aesthetic mode in Japan to use fluorescent lighting because what is seen as efficient is also seen as beautiful. As you know, fluorescent light has a low intensity discharge and converts electrical power into light more efficiently than incandescent light. I freaking hate it. It gives me headaches and is unflattering. Go into any Walmart/Asian food store/market and tell me how long you'd like to stay there . Nobody breaks up the party quite like fluorescent lighting. Maybe the cops....

Week 2 - Bamboo lighting in RA Sushi

I really wanted to find lighting that I thought looked really cool and was having a hard time deciding what to blog about. But the other day I went to RA Sushi at The District for a friend's birthday and these bamboo-like plastic tubes really struck me. When I first entered the restaurant, the sun was still out but the idea of this lighting still interested me. But by the time I left, it was lit like this and I knew I had to take a picture.

It's a simple idea: the clear plastic tubes look and are shaped like actual bamboo and are merely lit from the bottom and top. And though it isn't strong enough to light the whole tube, the lighting effect of it fading as it moves towards the center which adds to the serene ambiance of the restaurant. It would have been interesting to see it lit in green because I feel like it would create a great natural effect much like real bamboo. But green isn't really part of the restaurant's color scheme so a warm white light was better suited. What I find great and compelling about this lighting is how simple of an concept it is yet adds such a great elegance to the design and overall feel of the restaurant.

Somthing i thought might be useful

I found this chart online, thought it might help with all the stuff that we went over in class dealing with color.

Week 2, Blog 1, Sunshine

This morning the weather was cold, and I was looking for a glimpse of sunshine, and something cut my eyes. As the sunlight was trying to come out of the sky full of clouds, I took the picture of it, and that small dot on the left is the moon. Looking at sunshine and moon at the same time, made me feel and think how amazing our world is. With this experience, I looked at two different thing at the same time. It inspired me to look at the sky and light around me more. The representation of sunshine is the perfect example of how light works, which is actually giving shapes to the clouds.

Shine, colors, shine!

Week #2: Blog 1

I was invited to a concert by a friend of mine at Mount San Antonio College and I was glad that I went to this concert! At first, I thought I would go to the concert just to have fun dancing and enjoying the band! Little did I know that I would also have fun staring at the lightings! In the beginning of the concert, it was pitch black and as soon as the concert starts, different type of light colors SHINED UP the stage and I was very intrigued by it! I feel so blessed and am glad that i got to witness the rainbow colors that have shun up the stage. I just had to take a picture of it and blog it! The lightings inspired me more to study colors and explore them! I am loving them colors!

Smokey Dinner

About a week ago, I was broiling a piece of chicken to have for dinner. Now, at this point, I should point out that the ventilation in my kitchen isn't the best, so a few moments after I opened the oven door to flip the chicken, the fire alarm goes off and I was forced to go deal with that. And by deal with that, I mean standing in beneath the smoke detector and fanning it with a towel. When the alarm FINALLY shut off, I returned to the kitchen and saw something beautiful. The light streaming through the open terrace door. It was really stunning - the light had almost a tangible quality to it. Anyone who's seen a heavily hazed dance concert knows something of the quality of light I mean. But inmy kitchen, in my house, the effect seemed so out of place, and that made it somehow special - maybe simply because it was unexpected. I stood for a bit and watched how the light was streaking and flickering in the air and on the wall, until the rest of the smoke dissipated and that little moment ended.

Sit. Stay. Find Your Light. Good Dog.

This is Mitch. At least, I think it’s Mitch. I met him once at a distant family member’s farm during a funeral reception. I wasn’t close to the deceased and even less close to the surviving family so I opted to spend most of my time on their giant porch, sitting with Mitch, their gorgeous Golden Retriever. He took to me instantly. He was perfectly on board with my idea of doing nothing at this reception but eating tiny sandwiches, sleeping and staring at distant cows. I wound up staying out there the entire afternoon with Mitch and took this picture as we were getting ready to leave. The late afternoon sun, streaming over the grass and shooting through the rails made perfect shadow play on the porch and set Mitch’s red coat on fire. (Figuratively) He was even sitting at the perfect angle to really catch the light. It was just gorgeous–Low angle, warm, textured sunlight and a very patient model.

Good boy, Mitch.

Spring Awakening (Week 2, Blog 1)

I tried to think about lights that really make a statement, about a situation that proved what is always said in class: that lights can make or break the actors’ performance. When I was in high school I saw the show “Spring Awakening” during its first month of being on Broadway. Throughout the entire performance I felt as if we were sitting outside. It was like being in the country, away from the lovely pollution cloud that hovers above Los Angeles, where you can actually see the stars above you. The sides of the stage were lit up with [what I think were] fluorescents as well as boob lights that were literally in the shape of boobs. Neither of these resembles anything you’d find in the wilderness but somehow that’s where I felt I was. Paired with the play’s provocative content, the lights helped to create an uncomfortable, vulnerable vibe which put the audience all the more into the insecure minds of the teenage characters.

Irvine Spectrum Ferris Wheel (Week 2)

Unfortunately, the original picture I had for the Irvine Spectrum Ferris Wheel was so washed out and unclear because my phone is so old, that I spent hours looking for (about) the same angle and lighting on google, but this is as close as I could get.

I've always been drawn to the ferris wheel with almost a break neck curiosity as I pass it and now it makes sense as to why. The lightning around it is fun and warm, with yellow, soft glowing lights surrounding it that lead right to the front of it, as pictured here. The lights swirling up the trees give it an almost mystical appeal when you're walking towards the huge circle. It's elegant, and yet instills a sort of playful child within me when I'm walking towards it. I think somewhere inside I always understood that it was the lighting that was making me feel this way, but now I am conscious of it.

The Ferris Wheel itself has very bright and vivid colors that are very fun! I'm sure that this is not only to catch the eye of anyone passing by within a 5 mile radius, but also to make the potential customers feel like they want to experience the fun that those lights imply for themselves. The colorful lights also remind me of carnivals and fairs I've been to in the past, which also makes me want to ride it. Unfortunately, I've never actually ridden the Irvine Spectrum Ferris Wheel, but now I understand why I always want to. Haha.

Week 2

This is a photo taken from the view from job and it is a scene that I am blessed to see every weekend. It gives me such a calming energy; a sort of relaxed and subdued feeling with a citrus-like burst of zest. Its not the more obvious color scheme for relaxation composed of monochromatic blues, but expands beyond it into purples and soft burnt rose and tangerine. Nothing is exceptionally jarring, but noting is too monotone- its perfectly balanced.

Week 2: Off the Beaten Path

Occasionally I'll have a good day where I won't hit the snooze more than three times and I'll have the time and energy to walk to school. One day I passed by this lovely scene and the motivation to wake up was suddenly a lot easier to come by. This is what can be seen from Campus Dr. into part of the wildlife reserve that neighbors UC Irvine. The natural lighting is inviting and hints at a place that is completely different than the daily droll of school and work and what not. It's lit just enough to offer a suggestion for a new direction because even though we can see through to another end, there's still some mystery about where it leads. The light only appears in a succession of patches coming through a natural tunnel and therefore the eye follows them and searches for the next spot. It highlights the colors of the trees, bushes, and even the dirty water (which I'm pretty sure mixes with sewage the closer it gets to the street). However, it's an adventure for the imagination because as much as I would love to explore what lies beyond UCI, the police insist all the mystery be left for the birds discover.

Week 2

I went to Disneyland to do a photo adventure/ get inspiration for a show that I am costuming soon. I stumbled upon this interesting piece of lighting design. It was in the back of the Hollywood back lot. In the daytime I pass by this wall all the time and think nothing of it but at night it truly stuck out as a new emphasised piece. It is true the minute one shines a specific set of lights it focuses the "audiences " eye. The reds, pinks and lavenders projected on the wall made the painting pop, emphasising the highlights and shadows in the painting and in the brick itself. It gave it a ominous tone and I could imagine this could be put on a stage introducing an old club, a run down alley and even the outside of an industrial building such as a curtain chocolate factory.

WEEK 2

I went to the Tom Petty concert the second week of class. I was truly blown away by the light show. Normally I would not have paid as much attention to it had I not been in this lighting class. It was truly spectacular!

This is a short video showing how the lights changed with the music, emphasizing the emotionality of the song.

Muse Concert Week 2

This is a rather obvious and extreme example of lighting, but it nevertheless gets the point across. I think it's incredible what lights add to a show - any kind of show, but perfectly demonstrated by the Muse concert I saw last week. This particular picture from their song "New Born" was my favorite because I am so drawn to their use of lasers. They did an excellent job with them; building as the song built, increasing in speed and intricacy as the song did. What really impressed about all of the lights used in this concert was that they were multipurpose. They looked brilliant surrounding and effecting the musicians, but they also reached out to the entire audience, making them a part of the show as well. They reached to the back of the stadium still complementing the performance on the whole. I was awed by the tidiness of the concert; all parts worked together and improved upon each other. Above each aspect of the show however were they lights because they were the most visual (ok, besides the video projections - but those were more two-dimensional). I really looked forward to each song change to experience the lighting transformation. I have to add that the feeling the lights gave me was another perfect compliment to the music. Regarding this picture in particular, I have to say I'm actually surprised at the use of complementary colors - red and green - because I personally would never put the two together, except for Christmas, of course. In all I found the lighting design to be incredible.

Welcome to Drama 50 Fall 2010 Lighting Journal

The intention of these blogs are to help you develop your eye for light not just in the theatre but in your life.

In order to more effectively understand how light can alter the perception of the audience; we need to first understand how it alters our perception on a daily basis.

As we move through the quarter, I hope that this blog will help you to discover light in ways that you have not seen before.

Perhaps you'll see colors you've never noticed before, you may recognize the angle of a certain light, and maybe you will find ways to articulate how a light makes you feel.

In order to assist with this process, I've created this blog so that all of you may contribute a short piece each week on an aspect of light that you have noticed throughout your journeys.

This can include a particular moment in a play, a beautiful sunset, a great rock concert or a well lit store, or just what happens to your emotions when the sun moves behind a cloud. Anything and everything can be included.

Your postings do count towards your final grade.

Please include photos with your post to help us see what you are describing.

Whether or not you continue in lighting design after this class, I hope that this online journal will help you to discover inspiration for you art in daily life.

Finally, please title each post with a subject and the week number of the blog.

Thanks and Happy Blogging!!

Lonnie Alcaraz