Drama 16 Stage Lighting

I had my lighting moment sitting in Lowe 106 for Hamlet rehearsal on 2/9. I looked over the door on the side of the room, and the light was reflecting in such a way as to create the never ending hallway effect. I looked at it for a moment, but I didn’t figure out exactly where the light was reflecting from to create this effect which was odd.

The light reflecting in the window of the door was shaped almost like an old-fashioned gas lamp, and as the image repeated itself, it seemed to create a hallway, like a secret passage into a world of the past akin to the tunnels through which the phantom leads Christine in Phantom of the Opera. It was an erie effect, considering no lights in the room are shaped in such a way as to create that particular reflection, or at least not obviously.

2. Http://www.artificialowl.net/2008/08/hashima-island-or-gunkanjima-nagasaki.html

3. This photo comes from an abandoned mining island that was shut down after the WW2 in Japan. The Japanese government now forbids anyone but occasional photographers to step foot on the island making it one of the most desolate places on earth. At it’s peak this isolated community had the most dense population on earth per square kilometer. They was a fully functioning society on this island with schools, stores, and apartment complexes. This photo portrays the now cold and lifeless area. The reason this photo comes off as cold is the slight blue tint to the light that combines with the colors of the building and surrounding to mute the entire scene. The lack of directionality gives no highlight or shadow to the picture which flattens the photo even more. The bright white light in the top left corner establishes the emotion we associate with cold, the still and stiff. If you were to be standing in this place you would almost feel the need to look over your shoulder as the moment feels loaded as if something is going to happen.

Date/Time/Location: February 9th 3am Farmingdale NY my back yard

Objective: The moonlight shining across the grass, furniture, and porch. There is so much light it seems almost like day light. The moon light is coming the opposite side of the house creating some shadows.

Subjective: First I should say that a lot of my emotional response comes from that most nights when I come home the back yard is only lit by the motion light, so the fact that this area is lit before I walked by the light intrigued me. It also made me notice the quality of light. That night there was a nearly full moon with no clouds in the sky allowing an even wash of light over the entire area and the space to create its shadows. As I turned the corner my first impulse was eerie since I was unsure if anyone else was there but after seeing it was only the moonlight it became the lighting that we associate with an anticipation moment. Looking in on the light something seems out of place but once you are immersed in the light as well its almost warm and inviting while keeping you on your toes. There is the slightest tint of blue in the light cooling the whole scene off and putting everything in the same color palette. Its like a screen for your eyes awaiting for the anticipated action.

1)      February 2^nd – 3:45 AM – Outside Hauge, Near turnstile

2)       Objective Description – I was walking outside of Hague to clear my head and was spooked by a flickering light. It hung on the building adjacent to a tall tree. The ugly orange light bounced off the bare tree. It had a pattern of staying on for 3 seconds then quickly flickering five times.

3)      Subjective Description – I do not know what it is about drawing, but it easily stresses me out and I am not very good at it. Nonetheless, when I started to work on the first project Pei Chi assigned I put all my energy into it. I finished my first sketch of what was supposed to be a coffee maker (it looked like a puppy). Next thing I know it is almost four in the morning, but I had to cool down before going to bed. I looked out my window and saw the ugly orange light connected to the building that always shines in my room. It seemed pointless at the time. I grabbed my coat and went outside through the turnstile of the Netherlands. I started to walk alongside the building when I noticed the ugly light near my room. It was flickering, quite obnoxiously. It had a steady rhythm. It was alluring. However, I noticed the bare tree next to the light. The ugly light was reflecting the death off the tree. I was spooked but I could not turn away. There was something about the rhythm of the flickering that would not let me walk away. I was generally frightened (we live in Hempstead and I am outside at four in the morning). I thought to myself, that light is so ugly. Hofstra should replace it with a much calmer colored light. Still, in the back of my mind I was trying to pull away and go back inside. Finally public safety pulled up and asked if I was high. I responded “No, the light is just so ugly”. The public safety officers looked back at me, as if I were high. They told me to go back inside and they wouldn’t write me up. I told them that the light kept flickering. They began to laugh and told me to go inside, go back to bed, and sleep “it” off. They drove off. I looked back at the light and it was no longer flickering. My heart sank and I ran back inside. I looked out my window and the light was still, like it was supposed to be.

After the spooky encounter, I couldn’t help but think of an Angler fish. The light outside kept blinking and attracted me to it, even though the scene looked dangerous. An angler fish does the same thing. It has a light connected to its body that dangles in front of the face. A prey comes along, attracted to the light, and the Angler strikes and eats the fish. I am just glad that I was not swallowed by the tree. The lighting instilled fear in me and made me question if I was on any drugs and I just did not remember taking any. I felt doubt in my memory; maybe the whole situation didn’t even happen, maybe I just imagined it. From that simple light, it scared me, made me doubt myself, and I was even paranoid for a bit. The feelings bottled up inside of me, this being my first release of the situation.  I can assure everyone and the two nice public safety officers that I was not on any drugs.

Date, Time, Location: Tuesday April 5^th, 2011; 7:10 PMish, the warehouse at my place of work

Objective Description: single light bulbs located every ten feet, near exposed piping and wires.

Subjective Description: At work I was making a delivery to the storage space. The lighting was ominous because of the harsh shadows in the hallway. There were pools of darkness every three feet, and when the orange tinted light managed to pierce through, some light was obstructed by the exposed wires and pipes; making a spider web pattern on the floor and wall.

Date, Time, Location: Monday March 7^th, 2011; 6:59PMish, around the NAB

Objective Description: nighttime with blue artificial lights facing up the NAB walls

Subjective Description: As I left 55 this week, I was reminded of the effect lighting can have on a mood. The angle of the light cats an unnatural shadow in the sense that we are not usually viewing lighting from below. This gives it a spooky and mysterious effect. The shadows and blue color give the NAB a cold but stable feeling.

1)   3/7/11- 11 pm- Walkway in between dorms.

2)   There was an up light on a tree next to the walkway and the source was one of the street lamps.  It was a white light that spread a good distance.

3)   This lighting moment was good to me because it epitomized the idea of spooky lighting.  The streetlight shot light up underneath the tree and perfectly created long spooky shadows on the branches.  The tree had several branches and this helped the effect become more powerful.  The light that the streetlight emitted was white and that also contributed to the spookiness because the white light made it look harsh and scary.  This light spread throughout the whole tree and it was something you would see on Halloween as a decoration or something.  It really had that deep dark forestry feel and it was highly effective.  The other thing I noticed is that the branches were really only lit from one side and not the other.  This was hard to tell from a distance but when up close it was easy to see.  Overall it was a spooky moment.