Drama 16 Stage Lighting

1) 2/6/13 Netherlands North Courtyard, 5:30 P.M.

2) At this time the sun was slowly fading, setting and moving behind clouds. There was a dark blue in the sky giving just enough light for visibility, yet dark enough for the lamp-post lights to come on and their light be noticeable. Each lamp-post was, in contrast to the rest of the light environment, very bright at the top. Directly underneath the lamp, the pole and a circle around the post was covered in shadow. Outside of this ring of shadow, a pattern of straight lines of light formed on the ground, dispersing outward and blending with the remainder of the sunlight. This was happening at each lamp-post. The edge of each ring of light coming from each lamp-post in the courtyard barely overlapped each other and gave the illusion of a path.

3) Stepping out from the Netherlands building I could clearly see the path laid out in front of me. The light on the ground was inviting and showed me a way. But it also said something else. Even at the heart of the circles of light there was still shadow. Amidst light there is darkness. Looking up into the sky at the fading daylight I thought the same thing. Behind the darkness there is light. The two are intertwined so much so that as one fades the other grows to take its place. As the sun sets the street lights come up to give the illusion of day and to provide necessary light. When the sun rises shadows come to provide shade and a contrast the light.

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2) From Instagram user anisa711

3) THEME: Single light source/shadow

4) DESCRIPTION: This photo seems so bright and happy to me, especially now in the middle of a very drab winter. In winter it seems much more difficult to find a strong shadow like this. Since the days are so short the day seems to go straight from completely light to completely dark, with no middle ground to find inviting moments like these. In this picture I found it very interesting that you cannot see the trees that are causing the shadow. It is almost like nature has created a gobo, and the lawn is about to become a stage.

1) DATE-TIME-LOCATION: 2/2/13 at 10:00 PM outside the Student Center

2) OBJECTIVE DESCRIPTION: Snow falls around a streetlight.

3) SUBJECTIVE DESCRIPTION: The snow gives the streetlight a soft, hazy quality making everything around seem magical. The entire campus seems as if it’s inside the snow globe. The snow gives the light a much softer, more amber color than it’s usual harsh white. Watching snowfall at night always makes me feel like a child again; hoping desperately that school will be canceled the next day. Able to watch only the faint outline of the snow falling through the help of streetlights, stars, and the moon, you can slowly see the entire world transform as the snow begins to accumulate.

1. 11:48 PM, February 6, 2013 North Netherlands Courtyard
2. It is night time. The moon is hidden by thick clouds. As I walk towards my house in the Netherlands, I see the single street lamp outside the house burning a bright orange in the night sky.
3. Whenever I walk home late I night, I see this light fill the courtyard outside Hague. The light is eerily inviting. Although I associate it with home, the way the light filters through the grooved glass, the shadows on the ground are like long fingers against the pavement. They stretch out long and far up the walls of the house and the tree next to it. I’m always amazed at house bright the small street lamp shines. Although it’s small, it completely fills the courtyard and lights the entire house. The light is this golden orange and although the shadows are creepy and overbearing, the color is inviting and warm.

2) Photo from Batman the Dark Knight

3) Theme: Single Light Source/Shadows

4) This movie really interested me because it was extremely artistic, which was wonderful.  This scene really stuck out to me because of the lighting.  The single light on the table really added intensity to the scene because the light forced shadows up on Heath Ledger’s face.  This causes lines to be emphasized in his face, causing the face to look even more grotesque than what the makeup already does to it.  The light emphasizes the forehead lines and makes his eyes seem to disappear because his cheek bones throw the shadows up and therefore his eyes are like black holes and make him look like a skeleton.  His hair and dark clothes also seem to disappear against the white of his face.  His face seems to float within the picture and all focus is on that and the reflection on the table.  There is some light caught on the commissioner’s face, but other than that, the world is in darkness, adding to the mystery and dark nature of the film.  This photo is eerie because the shadows and harsh light contrast so much that the emphasis on the table and the Joker’s face is looming out of the dark.

1) 2/7/13 at 2:45am on Maple Avenue near my house

2) The street lamp on a corner.  The lamp is yellow because it is about to go out.

3) I often find myself walking home late at night or early in the morning because I lose track of time while working on things at Hofstra.  This morning was no different and I was walking quickly home in the early morning to grab a few hours of sleep.  On my way home, I have to walk under a series of bright street lamps, but today one of the lamps was going out and had a sick orange tint to it that made me pause.  This light was flickering and seemed to be holding on to life but was such a burnt orange look that it did not light up the street but made the street look darker.  This light seemed to emphasize the darkness around me and I found myself rushing to get away from that light and under a brighter light because I wanted to be under a brighter light, I guess I have watched too many horror movies and darkness scares me when I am alone.

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2) Photo of my friend, John, and I during the filming process for the movie Exit

3) Theme: Single Light Source/Shadows

4) This picture demonstrates one of the many effects shadows can have on the perception of someone. All John did was look into the film shoot from the hallway and make a strange face. But the shadows created on his face from the light source to his right gives him a certain sinister look. It makes him appear much creepier just because of the shadows on his face, even when his intentions were not so. It makes me consider the power shadows could have onstage, especially with how the audience views characters.

1) 2/7/13, 6:50PM, Outside Vander Poel Hall

2) The lampposts were lit, a few emitting a white light, and a few emitting an orange light. There was one among the group of lights that emitted a violet light unlike any emitted from any other lamp. The violet light was almost entirely surrounded by the other lights on the sidewalk.

3) The violet light stood out. It stood out among the rest of the lights, a trumpet’s screech among the soothing sounds of flutes. And yet, as the other sets of lights surrounded this purple intruder, they did not smother its individuality, encompassing it in a wave of orange and white. Rather, they allowed it to blend with them to serve a common goal. The area had to be lit, and in exchange for allowing this rebellion of color to continue, the light must remain and spread its bright light to the ground, the wall, and the air around it.

1) 2/6/13, 7:45pm, Hofstra Student Center (outside)

2) There is a lamp that is outside of the student center. This lamp shines all around the front entrance. As people are walking into the building and out of the building, you can see their shadows on the ground from the light shining. The light is reflecting off the person or people that are walking.

3) The lamp outside of the building is very bright and acts as a guide to help people see where they are going. It stands tall and brings to life at night the atmosphere and environment that surrounds it. When the light is off, I can imagine the area to be quiet and dark which would not add any excitement or noise to the outside of the student center.