Drama 16 Stage Lighting

Where:  On campus, around 2:30pm.

Objective Description:  Sun shining through tree branches onto sidewalk.

Subjective Description:  The sun shining through the naked tree branches onto the sidewalk made it look like there were crazy fingers splayed across the pavement.  The sun was very bright and the sidewalk looked almost white in contrast to the dark shadows from the trees.  The entire scene with the snow and academic buildings in the distance made campus look like the most picturesque example of an opportunity-filled university.  Seeing this brightly-lit sidewalk made me (almost) want to go to class and be studious.  The scene was surprisingly intriguing, and I wanted to be able to touch and hold the sunlight because it seemed so soft and warm.

1)Wednesday February 3rd, around 7PM, near Enterprise Hall

2)Looking at a lamppost with a white bulb about 4feet away through the branches of a bush with  water droplets hanging from the branches. The light is reflected in each of the droplets

3) As the white light from the lamppost passed through the bush, it was reflected in the hundreds of water droplets hanging from each of the branches, creating a scene that was like a starry sky. A slight wind stirred the bush making some drops fall and others shiver making the “stars” twinkle. Most of the lamps on campus are yellow lights but this one was white creating a purifying feeling. Not only was the light reflecting off the droplets, it was also filtering through the branches themselves adding a somewhat mysterious element, yet not ominous. The whole scene was soothing and reflective (literally and figuratively)

) Thursday, February 3rd, 9:30 AM, my bedroom.

2) OBJECTIVE DESCRIPTION: Though the curtains were closed, there was one gap of light that left one long strip diagonally across the bed in an otherwise dark room.

3) SUBJECTIVE DESCRIPTION: The strip of light splayed across the bed seemed to me to be very peaceful and inviting. The particles in the air were captured in the light, showing the beam as a sort of beacon across both pillows and the bedspread. It seemed as though the beam was so focused that light did not escape into the rest of the room, which made the only focal point the bed. It also made the bed seem like it was in a warmer area than the rest of the room, adding to the inviting feeling.

This photo is taken from the website of a professional photographer.

How does it fit with the “Cold” theme?

Well, I saw a lot of photos that were of snow – snow – and more snow, maybe some ice, a lot of white. I wanted to find something wherein the lighting felt cold, and actually had little to do with the physical content of the photo. I thought about street lamps at night. There’s a part in a song by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel that goes “Neath the hallow a street lamp, I turn my collar to the cold and damp.” I guest that line worked as a sort of inspiration – partly because I myself have lived the moment that image describes several times. What is it about a street lamp at night that makes people think of the cold? Well, night tends to get cold. People at night tend to gravitate towards street lamps. There’s something about the image – people and the pool of light are the only two things that are warm in that situation – they’re surrounded by the cold.

1)

2) Taken by EnV Touch cell phone camera at 5:30 PM, in between Emily Lowe Hall and Dempster Hall on January 30th.

3) Cold

4) The reason I chose this photo is because of the shadow of the trees on the building from both the sunset’s reflection and the street lights. The trees are bare, and they reminded me of cold because of that and because of the blue tint to everything due to the snow on the ground, and the pink tint that is reflected from the sky and lamps as a contrast.

Where: Sunday night, outside of Alliance Hall.

Objective Description: Looking West, about 300 feet away, there is a segment of road with a grassy island in the center. On the island, there are trees, and street lamps. The road and the area is well lit by the street lamps. Between myself and that road, about 100 feet away, there is a man with a guitar case who is talking on a cell phone.

Subjective Description: The man has no face – I cannot tell who he is. The lighting behind him is strong, but he himself stands outside the proverbial ring of fire. I feel a sense of alienation, both in regards to my relation with him, and in regards to his relationship with the well-lit area behind him. His figure, though not his features, is clearly defined. I can divine his attitude as he speaks on the cell-phone – but I do not know him. I am interested in learning more.

Where: Sunday morning, Student center meditation garden

Objective Description: Siting in the structure in the centre of the garden, the sun was high and to my left. It casts a narrow ray onto the floor, in which my shadow is present.

Subjective Description: The stillness of the image of my own shadow within a single, well-defined and sharp light conjured the beginnings of several stories. It looked as though a door in a dark room had been opened, casting the only light in the room, and made sinister by 1) the fact that it seems an intrusion, and 2) the presence of a perfectly still shadow, that seemed to be lurking and waiting. I half expected my shadow to raise a knife, and a high-pitched staccato string ensemble to provide an appropriate b-horror soundtrack.