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2005 Lighting Design Group Report on OISTAT World Congress

Dec 26, 2005

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We started with introductions. There were 25 people from at least 3 continents and such countries as: Egypt, USA, Finland, Malaysia, Netherlands, Korea, Hungary, Australia, Canada, Taiwan, and France.

After introductions, Henk began by explaining the idea of the LDG, and explained the plans for PQ (Prague Quadrennial): Central Hall for Scenofest, model theatre, lectures and demonstrations - and asked for further development of ideas for this. PQ Scenofest inspiring sentence will be the question "Do You Want to Work With Me." as a collaboration metaphore. Henk described the Tower of Babel idea.

projects proposed by individuals
Richard Finkelstein
The use of digital photography for publicity and high quality presentation images. Photography of lighting- and scenic design in performance. proposal 2 day workshop. Look at the work of each photographer. What about including the challenges of video documentation. (Richard is not into video)
Digital camera’s, computers with Photoshop,


Cindy Limauro
Lighting the interior of a building in Prague, underwritten by companies, professional mentoring of groups of students with actualized lighting equipment. Use of ‘Gorilla’ lighting, Henk suggest to contact ELDA+


Jean-Guy Lecat
Design ‘here and now’ newspaper today (not historic or futuristic) Workshop to think about making theatre from ideas of today, stories in newspaper. Designers will perform theirselves. Relationship between light/text/mvt on the stage. Important for architects too. 100 students in several groups - give them some stuff like paper and a part of a building a projector and light sources, give them a limit of 5 days to make a script. Some will write the script, some direct, some design the set, some the light and projections. The most complicated part will be to have figure out how to work together. They will figure out how they will decide who will do what. Not hiding the difficulty from them. This fits with Henk's idea of working with found spaces. Young professionals as well as students should participate.

Architectural site – setdesign – actors Working together 5 days to build a show (write – design - direct – stage – light)
Henk will get in contact with ELDA (European LD association) They have equipment and material and they may be able to participate in this project.

 
Ken Flowers, Australia,
Brought up his lighting and healing environment work. Not sure if it is applicable. Wants to contribute if this will fit into the programme.


thoughts on exhibiting discussed
Do we want a lighting design exhibit, and if so, in what form? Displaying lighting work. How do you want to show lighting design? Is it enough to show pictures? Video, which doesn't show it completely either? Lighting is about movement and change. How do you communicate result and/or process. Research. Sketches, verbal descriptions. Kenton brought up Beverly Emmons process at the Kennedy center festival where people witness and comment on the process. There is value to LIVE lighting, we should see that as much as possible of that. (Cindy)


Remarks after meeting:

  1. Photographic exhibition of lighting designs – the theatrical photograph of light (of a live production)
  2. The process of a lighting designer – show all the artwork and research through the moment of entering the stage ( with what to present / what are the resources)
  3. video displays of lighting (changes of the lighting or actors moving through light)


Last PQ critiques in the ‘Lear’ project were only about scenic (maybe costume) designs. What about looking at THE BIRDS in terms of light for critiques?
What about using LIGHTBOX to work on THE BIRDS? Would Lightbox be interested in providing 6 possible setups. Their rep will talk to Charles about it. Henk talked to Charles and he was very positive to have his boxes at PQ’07 used as in WSD

Kimmo – A person talking about a video is the closest he can think of. What about a traditional exhibit with a time where people talk about it live.


possible idea’s discussed

Guided tours of the PQ from a specific point of view (lighting people showing classes around)

1:4 model stage to have projects of THE BIRDS.

LDs look at models and Lds do ltg. sketches based on one of those models

What about selecting key moments in THE BIRDS to focus on?

What about a 1:1 light lab where we can work on ltg/costume interaction.

Dialogue on the position of lighting in different cultures. How could it be and how can these ways of working be achieved?

All present were invited to participate in Scenofest. It seems like most of the people in the room plan to go to PQ.
input:

Sending out a brief to lighting training programs ahead of time.

Groups of student scenic and costume designers working with professional LDs.

Cindy expressed a desire for joint Lighting and Sound projects.

Jean Guy suggested that we talk about how we interact and work with video. Surtitles as an issue.

Innovations in this regard w/LD input.

Puppetry and Lighting Design, maybe we should work on that.

Cindy would like to work on the workshop with Jean-Guy and architectural students as would Chris Popowich.

Richard on photography

Liz Asseldine - on throwing the students in the box together Kenton would like to do something.

Top LDs from the world in a round table about lighting the future, a global discussion on the future of lighting design.

Technical inventions, what does it mean for the work?

Kimmo and Markku from Finland will do something, but their school is moving at that time and they can not provide the massive contribution that they had in 2003.

Michael Lee Chien from Taiwan suggested stuff for kids - little kids. Kids from participants but also Czech kids.
Kenton is interested too through his experience in earlier days.
Jean-Guy talked about the possibility for kids to do what we do in 1/2 an hour - an idea of a play.

We would like standing time to get together, to talk about our concerns at a given time each day. We like to find a set time and place to meet, for instance in the shade of a tree. Proposition is made to have ‘light lunches in the shade’, no more needed than a designated area in the vincinity of a food service and to specify the hour.

Other discussion that came on the table

There will be a lighting meeting on the subject of NORDIC lighting in Finland next year in the spring. Info will be available. It will be open to all and possibly English spoken.

Michael reminded us that OISTAT meetings are posted on the web, and are open to all to attend.

Michael invited people to come to and participate in the Thursday noon International Collaboration lighting session.

Sabrina introduced herself as Liaison to the Lighting Commission of USITT and invited all to their meetings.

Bert Determann from the Technical Committee commended us for the energy and effectiveness of our meeting tonight.

Henk announced the new OISTAT website. Much earlier there was an idea for a lighting chat room. We have the new tool now availible now and hoped it will be used. This will be our main means of communication.

He asked if there were any objections to having our names and email addresses on the website. All wanted to be listed.

Henk urged to go see the full eclipse of the sun, March 29th 2006, over Africa, Turkey and to Russia.

After some words of inspiration the meeting adjourned to the nearest bar. Further discussion to be continued.


PROJECTS PQ brief

1:25 model-lighting
1:4 model-theatre
1:1 theatre
Lighting the palace
Lighting found space in Prague
LightLab
Lighting Exhibition
Exhibition tours lighting perspective
Lighting Babel
Birds Lighting Critique
Photography
Video in the lightplot