Unlimited Budget Lighting Design

 

Being a lighting designer, I would be focusing on to present in front of the public and at the fashion designing shows to reflect my intellect. The main hurdle in the field of designing is  the economic sponsor, as the matter of the essay elaborates that I would be given unlimited budget therefore I would be focusing on to bring the best out of my mind by using the latest technologies in lighting. I would consider the state of the art designs to amplify the impact of lighting and would use latest techniques of projections, and laser technology for maximizing the audience experience regarding the stage.
           Genre itself is a french word which comes from the latin word “generis”. It means kind, it is also similar to another word “genus” which is a term used in biology to classify living organisms as well as fossils. The greek philosopher Aristotle was the first to classify living things based on their similarities in his work “the history of animals”. He also used the same strategy in “the poetics” which was a later work of his about poetry, drama and literature. In this work, he had a lot to say about the mechanics as well as functions of drama. He also provided definitions of the two most prevalent forms of drama “tragedy and comedy”.

          The genre chosen for this work is “melodrama” which was one of the most influential western genres. Melodrama was a genre which has roots in english theatre of the nineteenth century, they focussed on action and plot more than character development. One of the hallmarks of melodrama was simply drawn one dimensional characters. These one dimensional characters were plain and simple, that is to say, if they were good then they were entirely good free from any negativity while if they were evil they were completely evil and in this manner, they were defined by their moral alignment. The moral rigidity of the one dimensional characters allowed a clarity of action and this appealed to popular audiences. It allowed for villains and good people to not waste time in explanation of their actions or morality because the action they did or performed was simply because they were good or evil, no other explanation. This simplicity in plot and lack of character development allowed more time for action and less time for discussion. Good endings were usually a priority in these plays where good always won from evil. The fame of melodrama resided in the fact that they were simple to follow, pleasurable to watch and provided a satisfying conclusion because the morality of good triumphed over evil. Melodramas usually followed a cliche way of concluding the story where the villain carefully planned to kill the hero but someone close to the hero reaches just at the nick of time to save the hero from the villain and therefore the story gets a happy ending. Among important things involved in plays and theatres, lighting design is one of the most important ones. Ahead we shall be discussing main aspects within plays and what would be done regarding lighting designing if one is to have unlimited budget.

           The main aspects within a play include acting, directing, set designing, costume designing and lighting designing but we are most concerned about lighting designing here and what would happen to it if one is to have unlimited budget. But before that, we will summarize what the important aspects within plays and theatres mean exactly and what emphasis they have within the plays. But even before these aspects is the process of creating a world where the play takes place, is it in our world in some old time? Is it some fictional world of magic? Is it a musical land of mysteries? The choices are endless hence it is an important step to consider before the play even takes place. Now we will discuss ahead the important aspects of a play.

          First is acting, acting is basically art to some and craftsmanship to others. Most actors themselves consider it to be a craft rather than art because of how one uses their skills to portray someone on stage. They do so by interpreting the lines written by a playwright and they do it in a manner which will ring to the audience. “The technique is the craft, it’s the individual qualities that make the art” (Stanley Tucci, page 57).  It can at the same time be considered as an art because of how an actor applies creativity and imagination in his interpretation.

          Second is directing, directing is the least visible but at the same time an important aspect. Director is the captain of the entire creative team who makes sure that everything is running smoothly by being involved in the casting, by analyzing and interpreting the play, interacting with the designers, being involved in production concept and directing rehearsals of the play before the actual play to see if the choices he made were the right ones or not.

          Costume design and set design are next in line, they are the two steps which create an overall theme of the play by setting the sceneries as well as the clothes and props which will be in that scenery so that the play’s overall theme can be understood even without watching it.

          Lastly, we come to lighting design which we are concerned most about. It tells about the surrounding and the light and dark. If one is to have an unlimited budget, the lighting design can make the play come to life, they can make the play much more than what it was and much more than it is intended to be. One can manipulate the visibility of the audience to make them focus on one spot or one character only, one can alter shapes and sizes of background things by playing with shadows with the help of lighting design, one can reinforce the mood of the audience by making them sad or happy or gloomy or depressed or empathetic about the characters by changing the way the light falls on them or the color of the light that falls on them at a certain time of the play. Most of all, an unlimited budget can help reinforce the theme of the play by the help of lighting design. Lighting design can manipulate the entire play to make it better or worse, it can make the play come to life or make the play bland or boring as well. With careful consideration and unlimited budget, one can surely create the best version of the play possible if they only prioritize lighting design and make everything else their second priority. “I can make you cry, I can make you excited, maybe even make you jump to your feet. By doing a light cue in the right way. I can change the emotions of what the audience sees” (Ken Billington, Page 141). This quote alone tells the importance of lighting design because it is in its true essence the most important part of the play.

          To conclude, a play can be elevated into becoming more than its own self if the right person fit for the job spends a worthy enough amount on the thing that matters in it, in the case of what we considered, the lighting design. The lighting design can make the play more than its own self by playing with the shapes and sizes and playing with the emotions of the audience. It has an immense power which is untapped by most but should be used more.