Week 10-Jackie Gonzalez-Inside the Dramatic Imagination

The Dramatic Imagination felt like a shot of energy in 61 pages; it truly is a very inspirational text that I have a lot to learn from and is the designer’s holy text of design wisdom. I also appreciate the fact that Robert Edmond Jones was a scenic and lighting designer, a hybrid designer, and something that I aspire to be. One of the main takeaways that I got was that small gestures are in reality incredibly powerful and the atmosphere is everything. I learned that you can easily make something beautiful, but can you create a beautiful moment.  

One of my favorite moments in the book is the one where he is working on a period piece and he sends a young designer helping him on the production to go find research images. He comes back with accurate sketches and images, but Robert looks at everything and finds that they are missing something, a theatrical feel to them. The young designer asks him what they should do and he says, “We have got to stop copying”. I love this part tremendously and spoke to me on another level. Although there is a popular quote that artists love to reference, it is that stealing is art, which is really interesting and something I feel sort of indifferent about. Anyhow, theatre is so open ended, even with a period piece, you can still make things interesting or have creative freedom/ you don’t have to get every single detail perfect. 

This book brought up a precious memory of the first time I “lit” something and I found such a sense of joy that I got to see my ideas come to life. Last winter quarter, I took Jaime’s Intro to Lighting Design course and the last project we had to do was to read “Eurydice” by Sarah Ruhl and tie three cues with color to three scenes within the play and have a concept or feeling behind them. The first concept I came up with was not my favorite one and felt so meh, and something in the back of mind said try again, there is something better. I spent a good chunk of time contemplating what the heck I was going to do, and one day, something just clicked and I was able to come up with something on a deeper level. After that I was able to take that feeling and translate it to instrument choices and color to create an atmosphere that the class and I would be able to experience the feeling of my concept all together. Now that I think about it, I wouldn’t have able to do it in any other field of design other than lighting. The stage really was a canvas that day. 

The first time I ever lit a stage featuring Merle as my model 

         The first time I ever lit a stage featuring Merle as my model 

The quote, “We use light as we use words, to elucidate ideas and emotions. Light becomes a tool, an instrument of experssionism, like a paint brush, or a sculptor’s chisel, or a phrase of music” helped guide me to that memory.

Furthermore, it reminded me of my favorite concert memories where the lighting design was a large part of why I enjoyed the show and was able to really feel the music. Please excuse me as I step away from theatre for a second, but still staying "on stage". It is challenging to explain, and it may sound corny, but it is incredible how beams of light can turn into art which help tug at your heartstrings, fill you with energy, or heighten your emotions at certain moments during a performance. That is mind blowing, especially when we see our designs come to life and see how they affect us and the audience. I understand why we say brushstroke instead of instrument.

(Harry Styles concert 2018, lighting design by Eighteen Twenty Six productions)

(Rex Orange County concert 2020, lighting design by Jed Skrzypczak)

Robert brings up names of famous painters throught the book and my mind started to lead me to how lighting design or light installation can be art or a piece of art in a museum. I interpret this as the student is now the teacher as lighting design can be considered art in today’s day and age, but back in the day, few people like Robert Edmond Jones, would consider lighting design to be an art. I wanted to take a second to appreciate this lighting design instillation by Swiss multimedia and lighting instillation artist Lori Hersberger, called Phantomstudies (2008).

Phantom studies by Lori Hersberger

Then looking back at Rembrant's work, one of the artists Robert mentions, and looking at how he uses lighting to show the character and soul of the subject. This portrait dates back to 1632, and it so interesting to see how far lighting and art has come, yet still maintaining the a similar goal which is making you understand or feel  something without having to explicitly stating it. 

Portrait of young woman by Rembrandt

The dramatic imagination is a designer's cup of tea on a cold day, it will warm you right up and inspire you to think deeper about our compositions as well as challenge us to create an atmosphere that will allow the audience to melt into the moment, lead the attention to the actor, and not be too explicit as to what will happen at the end of the performance. Robert Edmond Jones taught me a lot and gave me a slice of wisdom to take with me on my creative journey. 

Week 10 - Diana Herrera - The Influence of Dramatic Imagination

 To me Dramatic Imagination was a book about theory and the practice of what theatre means. The author focuses on identifying reasons to provide why theatre is unique aside from film. I appreciated the fact that almost every category was broken down in the chapters.

 

During my reading, many thoughts came to mind about how theatre is being adapted during these times, ways to improve and adapt our craft for the overall quality of the production.  The author focused a lot of scenic design and how that helps establish sense of location for the play. For a moment I thought if they still applied to current times given that we are producing theatre from our homes. We see the actors personal living spaces if we are into using green screens. “A setting is a presence, a mood, a flame that echoes, enhances, animates…” If a design a good, it will disappear from the audience’s consciousness. Currently we are facing the challenge as designers on how to make our designs seem seamless and become fluid with the story through the filming. A successful example of this seamlessness the author mentions is the UCI production of She Kills Monsters. Even though each actor was in their own home, the element that established that unity and fluidness for the overall production as the “projections design”. The media that engulfed each actor screen helped tie everything together. As an audience member, that element of design helped create a level of suspension of disbelief that previous remote productions had been lacking. Another thing mentioned in the book was the idea that a scenic designer should create a sense of space to remind the audience where the actors are supposed to be. After reading this, I thought if this theory was invalid given that we are creating theatre from people’s homes. This is where designs come in to save the day by adding elements that help establish sense that we are not experiencing a simple reading of the script. Scenic designers and media designers are doing their job by establishing a physical unity with each actor. 

 

From the perspective of a lighting designer, the rules are the same, but it does feel a bit more challenging. In the production of New Slate, I was able to see from an audience perspective out lighting also helped unify each actors dance video. In terms of designing though, I personally struggle with breaking away from the realism of film when doing a filmed theatre production. The same question rises every time about how real I want to be vs how theatrical I need to be.  I have been doing my own research of lighting in film. I research different themes of realism and magical realism. The book does a good job of explain why theatre is theatre and film is film. Theatre does not have to be an accurate representation of reality. Theatre is successful because we use our imagination to create a creative imaginative version of reality. Theatre is being drained from its literalness giving more more for imagination. Film does the job of given audience reality. Theatre is expected to be a creative version of that. In the research images provides below we have the same scenes from the movie Beetlejuice. One is the movie version and one is the Broadway musical version. in the film image we see a realistic setting whereas int eh theatre version. the setting becomes more reimagined and creative. 

The author shared a brief anecdote of the time he sent his assistant to research lions for a tapestry he was designing for a production. The assistant came back with pictures of real lions. The designer said these would not work because they were realistic. The goal was to use their imagination to design a version of a lion that would have symbolic meaning rather than literal meaning. As the designer we must also do our research to give a base to our design. We cannot just pull a design out of thin air. In Macbeth, the candle becomes a symbol for Lady Macbeth. Lighting has to be seen as something alive and meaning. This is where the creative imagination comes in and as stated in the book, it is free to wander. 

How can I successful merge theatre with a filmed play that is established in a real-life setting? How can I merge those two worlds without breaking that suspension of disbelief? It is something I have also been thinking about these past few weeks. I think this image below does a good job in showing that merge with reality and theatrical lighting very well. My setting was my bedroom and the lighting helped establish a mood of tranquility by bathing the space with artificial lighting. Perhaps artificial lighting isn’t the only form of poetic lighting. 

 

Another form of light that can also provide the characteristics of beauty, lucidity, and wonder is natural light from the sun and moon. The night we had our lighting picnic at the park, I had the most captivating sight. The bright cool blue moonlight was creating the most beautiful picture as the light silhouetted Jacqueline’s hair. The was an extremely poetry image and I really wish I could have taken a picture of that. That image was engraved into my brain. This image below is the closest thing I was able to find that resembles what I saw that night. Moonlight is very poetic as well as sunlight. 

Dusk, as mentioned in class is a magic hour. we can see why it can be considered that from the image below. The cotton candy sky at dusk makes the dry rocky mountain appear like something out of a story book.  

 

 

In the chapter about lighting, the author describes lighting design as something beautiful and fluid that carries the drama. The art in lighting should also give the assurance that everything is perfect. One quote I pulled from the book that I love was, “…and in illuminating dramatic action we must concern ourselves not only with light but with shadow.” This sentence brought me back to the blog on Film Noir and how shadows play a huge factor in that form of lighting. Shadows are truly dramatic the way they carve out the shapes of objects. Perhaps my designs for the winter festival can be simple and I can use shadows to my advantage.

Overall, this book helped open my mind and gain a clearer understanding as to what I am trying to accomplish as a designer during these times and beyond. 

Week 10 - Jacqueline Malenke - The Dramatic Imagination and Me

Overall, I found The Dramatic Imagination incredibly inspiring. It made me think about theatre, design, and lighting design in a much more pointed way than I have been. What I mean by this is I have always looked at theatre and design fairly surface level. In a way, it seems that when I do my first read through, I always initially go for the obvious and cliché choice. That choice isn't necessarily always wrong, but reading this book made me want to dive even deeper into the meaning of design and how I can better serve the story through lighting. 

To begin, in the first chapter when Robert Jones talks about film and movies, he says, "We accept them unthinkingly as objective transcripts of life, whereas in reality they are subjective images of life. Motion pictures are our thoughts made visible and audible. They flow in a swift succession of images, precisely as our thoughts do, and their speed, with their flashbacks." I found this incredibly interesting, and I wonder if this is where I get my attraction to film. I love the reality that film is usually based in, and I love that theatre has started to take the route of realism. I once worked on a show at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in 2014 called A Great Wilderness by Samuel D. Hunter. The set was literally a house on the stage cut down the middle to view the inside. I had never seen anything like this before. There was a working sink, a working refrigerator, and even a working stove where the actors cooked eggs. The house also had a full ceiling piece, which made the lighting design that much more challenging and interesting. Matthew Richards did an incredible job working around that set. I still think about how small the slats in the ceiling were that the light shot through, and I think about how beautiful it was to see a fully realized and working home on the stage. 

A Great Wilderness set

A Great Wilderness set

Continuing through the book, Jones says, "There is not enough workmanship in [theatre]. There is too much incompetence in it. The theatre demands of its craftsmen that they know their jobs. The theatre is a school. We shall never have done with the studying and learning." I whole-heartedly agree with both statements. I have found in my professional career that there are many, many people that not only do not know what they are doing, but they don't really care to learn because their way is the "correct way". I feel like it is a disservice not only to themselves as artists, but it is a disservice to the production and the people they are working with on said production. I am not quite sure why there is a mentality among many workers on the technical side of theatre (master electricians, electricians, sound board operators, etc) that once they have the job, they no longer have to keep learning new things. I am sure that isn't the case for every worker, of course. However, that mentality seems to be fairly present from the people I have worked with in the past. I am grateful to be in school because not only am I in an environment surrounded by people also wanting to learn and soak up as much knowledge as possible, but it is okay to fail. I feel that the fear of failure may have plagued the people I have worked with before that no longer want to learn anything new. 

Me focusing lights in a theatre.

"If the designer's work has been good, it disappears from our consciousness at that moment. We do not notice it any more. It has apparently ceased to exist. The actor has taken the stage; and the designer's only reward lies in the praise bestowed on the actor." I absolutely love this quote, but I am not quite sure it is entirely true now. Theatre design doesn't necessarily sink to the background anymore, but rather is seen as a character in it of itself. After watching Hamilton on Disney+, so many people (non-theatre people especially) spoke of the lighting and set design unprompted. I wouldn't say this is a failure though. The lighting team worked incredibly hard to get the timing of every cue just right, and I feel it is only fair to recognize their efforts and successes. However, there are some shows that really do need the lighting or the set to blend in, to create a world that is seamless and honest. Those shows usually don't have a full concert light show within them. 

Hamilton

As we continue through The Dramatic Imagination, Jones talks about what is potentially to come of theatre. "I know that there are young people in this country who will really create for the theatre of their time, who will bring something into existence there that has never existed before." When theatre existed pre-covid, I felt like this was happening before our eyes with shows like Hamilton and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. Hamilton created a completely new genre of musical theatre that never existed before, and Curious Incident made an entire set out of deep black walls and white projections! In the zoom age of theatre, I feel a lot of people are stuck with what to do in the zoom realm. It feels like our options are limited in the creation of theatre without calling it film. I know covid won't last forever and that we need to make the best with what we have in the meantime, but I feel so uninspired by zoom. I wish I could come up with some big brand new idea of how to move forward with a theatre production in a covid-safe manner, but I don't really know where to start. 

"Stage designers, like musicians, are born and not made. One is aware of atmospheres or one isn't, just as one has a musical ear or one hasn't." This quote is so interesting to me because I can't help but to disagree a little bit. I started out my artistic path as a dancer. I never even considered the technical side of theatre until way father down the line. I would say that artists are born and not made, but if you are an artist, you are likely to learn other forms of art. I only say this because I do believe you have to be born an artist, but I feel that many aspects of design can be taught. You can learn which light is best to use based off of the brush stroke you want, the throw distance of where the light is focused to, etc. But I suppose what this quote is saying is that one cannot teach someone to have artistic instinct. For that, I feel very lucky. 

Dancing in 2010

Dancing in 2010

When it comes to inspiration, I feel many different things inspire me. Nature, film and television, paintings, other lighting designs. The list truly can go on forever. "There is no formula for inspiration. But to ask ourselves, why did that artist do that thing in that particular way instead of in some other way? is to take the first step toward true creation." I constantly find myself studying other's art to inform my own. I feel that I don't have enough knowledge or experience to create something completely on my own just yet. I also feel that I hold myself back in a way. If I create something, it could somehow be wrong and so I just don't make it or try it. I have had a vision in my head for quite some time now of making some type of short film/music video with fun lighting and color, and I always end up coming up with some excuse of why I shouldn't do it. "I have too much homework." "It won't look good because I don't have the right equipment." The list goes on, and I am pretty ashamed of that. This book is kind of helping me get passed that anxiety hump to just go ahead and try it anyway. If it isn't good, I don't have to show anyone, but there is no way I can get better if I don't at least try. 

A beautiful summer evening in Irvine. The sunset is inspiration for how I can design a cyc at sunset.

"Lighting a scene consists not only in throwing light upon objects but in throwing light upon a subject. We have our choice of lighting a drama from the outside, as a spectator, or from the inside, as a part of the drama's experience. We use light as we use words, to elucidate ideas and emotions." I absolutely love this quote! Lighting is really so much more than just visibility. It is a storyteller. Light tells us so many things like the time of day, where to look on stage, etc. But it also can be so much deeper and more subtle than that. This is the part of lighting I am still trying to figure out - the meanings behind those choices. Jones talks about the candle of Lady Macbeth and how, "the layman might see nothing more than an actual candle, made of wax, bought for so much, at such and such a place, the dramatist has seen a great revealing image. He has seen deep into the meaning of this terrible moment, and the taper is a part of it." He is talking about how the candle has become a symbol for Lady Macbeth's life - flickering, burning low, vanishing into darkness. I mean, WOW! That is so smart and clever. I want to train my brain to think in these terms for design rather than just saying, "Oh yes, it is daytime. Here is the sun."

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and how it made me think deeper into the meaning of design and design choices. It makes me excited and I am incredibly inspired! I am so ready to return to work! 

Week 9 - Jacqueline Malenke - The Industry of Light

Lighting and the instruments that produce artificial light in it of themselves are industrial. The very definition of industrial is something relating to a large-scale business or a manufacturing business. Take the source four leko as an example: it has a cold, metal body held together by nuts and screws and it is produced on a factory line. Lighting itself does not have to be industrial, but the equipment used to make artificial light is inherently industrial. 

As for the aesthetic of industrial lighting, I feel like it has changed and developed over time. Initially, when I think of industrial lighting, I think of cold, stark machinery like shown in the photo below. It has a factory feeling, it is not welcoming, and it is very clearly not made for the aesthetics but rather the functionality of just being able to see.

However, I feel that industrial lighting has taken a new turn aesthetically. Now it is all about the warmth the fixtures create and exposed bulbs. The one thing that has remained the same is the exposure of the cables and elements of the lighting fixture that do no produce the light. 

I am not quite sure why industrial lighting has become incredibly popular, and it is usually in line with a new, swanky brewery, but I am not mad about it. Maybe it is more affordable to create an industrial aesthetic? I also feel that the industrial lighting aesthetic allows the "audience" or brewery customers to be apart of the experience that is being created. It creates an atmosphere that feels very integrated and even a bit unfinished - like the audience is able to see this "work in progress" and it is an environment where you come as you are even if you yourself are "unfinished". 

My favorite example of industrial aesthetic is integrated in the ride Voyage to the Iron Reef at Knott's Berry Farm (r.i.p.). As you can see from the photos, there is an intense steam punk, industrial vibe that was created for this ride. The viewer can see exposed pipes along the walls and creatures made of cold, rusty machinery. 

 

In conclusion, industrial lighting has gone through a journey of being reliable and not quite aesthetically pleasing to being one of the top design aesthetics for places like restaurants and bars. It creates an environment for the viewer to integrate themselves into, and, in a way, it is exciting to see the exposed bulbs and how the lights are plugged in. I am not sure how industrial lighting will develop in the years to come, but I do know that it is here to stay.

Week #9- Diana Herrera- Industrial Nuisances

 Industrial is defined by a relation to or characterization by industry. When I think if the word industry my mind tends to imagine huge factories with stark amber lights. Industrial cities always tend to carry a mutual environment that includes stark lighting that gives off a light pollution within its surround environment. Back at home, a city of industry was located right down the street. At night, all you were able to see was that amber stark glow in the distance. When you looked up to the night sky, you could hardly see any stars due to the light pollution. The skyline tended to have this smoggy look on some days. When the rain came, it always provided this feeling of cleansing in the atmosphere from the factories’ pollution. You were also able to hear a humming of the factories in the distance if you concentrated hard enough. There were some days when I was just so agitated from my day that hearing the factories in the distance became a huge nuisance. 

As a lighting designer, I believe the goal to creating an environment that represents this world would include choices that reflect that pollution, structure and stark visibility that industrial environments have. As you can see from the reference images, there is this color palette of warms and cools.  In order to achieve this look in a theatrical setting, I would use harsh stark angles to help carve out the shapes and lines from the buildings. Texture is also a huge factor to help the illusion of that industrial city. The textures you might see would be ones with lines and beams to resemble the industrial shapes like the ones seen in the image below.In the interior of the factories we would also see the same theme or amber stark lights and textures. I might also add in haze or fog to help add in that element of air pollution as well. Overall my goal would be to create that loudness on stage. 

WEEK #9-Jackie Gonzalez-We built this city!/Industrial

I feel like it is very Captian Obvious of me to say that lighting and industrial is a very great mix, so welcome aboard and let's get this cruise going! 

I would also like to mention that this post is going to be a smorgasbord of ideas, looks, and subtopics in Industrial lighting/looks), so bare with me. 

Lighting instruments are very industrial themselves or have elements that are found in factories. The cold metal body; the nuts and bolts; the strong beams of light that are warm or hot to the touch, lines on the fixture, and so on. I looked into the Industrial Revolution as well as what it means to have an industrial style and I must say that those looks can be quite easily recreated on stage, especially through the lighting. 

Sources of light in old factories from the Industrial Revolution usually came in through ginormous, steel windows which were mass produced during this time due to their low maintenance, stability, and fire resistant flames which was wonderful for these incredibly dangerous factories, equipment, and work. This look can totally be recreated with a simple window gobo and a strong beam; with that you have created half of the atmosphere and captured the statement piece of most old factories. 

(ABOVE: Old Factory | BELOW: "Industrial Window Gobo"

Furthermore, when you look up industrial style or industrial aesthetic, you will usually come across an interior design article or interior design advice on how to make your space look industrial or a love letter to industrial windows. It is a grand source of light and will forever be associated with this aesthetic that was never meant to be one or at least one within the interior design realm. 

Next, I would like to get into smoke and fog, which is an element found in theatrical lighting as well as factories, mass production, and industry. As I was looking through photos of the Industrial  Revolution there was one thing that was apparent in a lot of the exterior photos of a factory which was smoke, smog, or fog? This photograph is so cool in my opinion, and it immediately reminded me of the foggers and hazers in today's theatre productions and how easily we can recreate this by the push of a button or two and not have to have a production in the middle of a industrial city to achieve this look. 

(TOP: Production of "North and South" 

|BOTTOM: production of "The Shadow Factory" both productions are about working in factories, if I am not mistaken)

Don't you worry, I am almost done with this long post! I wanted to take this quick second to study the different lighting found in a factory or place of industry/mass production that is not as obvious as a humongous window. Sparks of light, fire, and heat stress can be so luminous and to me, count as a source of light even if they happen quickly. There have been a countless amount of times where I saw special effects or pyrotechnics used in shows. They are still dangerous if not handled with caution and supervision, but we can recreate fire and sparks whenever we want in today's day and age. It is incredible to see the variety of lighting specials and overall special effects that can be put on stage. Even a very warm wash and high side can signify fire without having to have the real thing here. 

 

(TOP: SPARKS | MIDDLE: INDUSTRIAL FURNACE | BOTTOM: SPARK EFFECTS AT A CONCERT)

Lastly, I am unsure if this counts as "industrial" but there are definitely industrial elements and lighting within it, let me explain. One of favorite plays is Sophie Treadwell's "Machinal", the set design and lighting design call for metal/metallic, harsh lighting angles, crank motifs, sharp cuts, obvious linear patterns, cool work light looks, just to name a few. The movement and pace of the show looks and feels like an assembly line with the repetitive movement direction and dialogue as well as strong themes of stress and cycle. It's an example of what I think an industrial aesthetic play looks like without mentioning industrial/ although always closely relating to it. The lighting emphasized the linear structure, and usually features sharp cut lights, and harsh beams, fog and haze. These angles and looks outline are gestures that just scream "INDUSTRIAL LOOK" to me. Also, Robert Edmond Jones was the scenic designer and possibly, the lighting designer when this show first premiered! 

(ABOVE: Straight backlight, obvious linear positions, cool beams, high and harsh angles for "Machinal") 

(ABOVE: Smoke or haze, sharp circles, and harsh light for "Machinal")

(ABOVE: Sharp beam, high and harsh light. Drawing by Robert Edmond Jones for "Machinal") 

Week #8 - Diana Herrera – Obsession Lurks Within… But Make It Pop!

 Obsession is the state of being obsessed with something or someone. It is also an idea that constantly comes up in someone’s mind. Obsession is like two different sides of a coin. There might be positive and negative side to it, although, the bottom line is that this feeling can be downright unhealthy all together. 

 

Obsession can have different connotations, positive and negative. Someone can have an obsession with food which is safe to fall under the category of a positive obsession. A good example for a negative obsession would be someone becoming obsessed with another person. The actions influenced by obsession can lead to harassment or invasion of privacy. For this case, lighting would best interpret this word by using angles that reflect that paranoia from the person being obsessed over. For example, I might use diagonal back angles of light with tinty colors to truly reflect that stark creepiness and alertness. I tie this to the obsession of a stalker. A person walking home late at night suddenly is found by a stalker in a lonely street or dark alley. In order to create that paranoia, we might see a silhouette of the stalker rather than their well-lit face and body. We can see this play out in the movie The Shining. When the man becomes obsessed with trying to kill his family, the lighting in the fil becomes colder and more shadows are seen as referenced in the images below. Another term for obsession can also be addiction. An addiction to drugs, and addiction to constantly checking up on your partner is another example. 

In terms of positive obsession, for example a television show, food, band, or flowers, I see lights playing with the word in a playful pungent manner by making bolder choices in color and loudness in the design. This connection is made from the example of Hello Kitty. Hello Kitty merchandise has a lot of pink. If a person were to be obsessed with this brand, you would see plenty of pink in their world. An obsession for Christmas, we might see an overwhelming amount of Christmas lights and decorations as seen in the picture provided below from the time I went to see people’s Christmas lawn decorations last year.  People’s commitment to set up a full display of lights in their lawns shows a clear obsession for the holiday.

 

Overall, this term provides a lot of versions for interpretation with lighting as long as the lighting gives a sense of overwhelmingness and lack of control. With this being said, I’d love to play with this word in my lighting designs in the near future. 

Week 8-Jackie Gonzalez-"Why you so obsessed with me?"

Obsession. Yes, you can categorize Mariah Carey's "Obsessed" in this topic if you really wanted to. When I think obsession I immediately think of eyes. It's not the most original idea, but it is what comes to mind first. When somebody is obsessed with something they do not look away from their obsession or sometimes, they are very aware of how frequently they are staring that they conceal their eyes, possibly with some sunglasses, a hoodie, or even a tilted hand. 

Additionally, all their thoughts wrap around their obsession so tightly that every one of their thoughts becomes about that subject. This happens to also be the second definition of Obsession, "An idea or though that continually preoccupies or intrudes on a person's mind". 

Whenever I do a special eye makeup look I take a closeup photo of my eyes. I turned this photo into a black and white shot and now upon closer observation, looks like I am giving a secret side eye look. Like I said in the beginning, one of the looks of obsession is attempting to not be so obvious when staring at the subject of the obsession to the point where you find alternatives to try not to look directly at the subject. Side glances come into play. In this photo, you can still see my eye however, the darker shadows near my inner corner and around the close perimeter of my eye conceal my side glance like I am hiding in a dim corner of the room, scoping my subject while not being too obvious. 

I am nothing compared to the legendary filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock, but my photo reminds me of this shot of one of Hitchcock's famous films "Vertigo". In this scene, Scottie is hired to follow and watch over Madeline, who he later becomes very romantically obsessed with. The audience can clearly see Scottie through the silver between the door and wall, but there is still a good amount of shadow and darkness being cast around him except for his fixated expression.  

There's a certain kind of shadow special created for these moments. You are trying to balance between concealing the obsessor, yet trying to highlight that too focused look they have on their face. When I think about turning this into a gesture of lighting, I think of one person staged behind another. A bright front light on the most down stage person, while the person downstage has a long, rectangular cut light on one side of their body that is highlighting one of their eyes all the way down to their foot as if they are standing in a door way, watching the unsuspecting person without the door way having to be there. 

While I was writing the previous paragraph, I realized that this incredible film taught me an example of how to symbolize obsession through colorful lighting. It's very subtle at first and can be built up to be overwhelming, and it's great if you don't want to use the black and white or shadowy composition usually associated with obsession. Please excuse me if this is starting to sound like a film break down, I just LOVE Vertigo so much and it fits so well with this week's subject. 

Color can be used to symbolize the aura of a person, and when the color is used frequently around a subject, that color will be associated with that subject. For example, the emerald green color that follows Madeline throughout Vertigo up until she falls off of the mission tower. By that point Scottie is utterly obsessed with her and cannot bare the idea of living without her. We do not see Madeline's emerald color until we meet Judy, who looks exactly like her and is forcibly turned into Madeline, the emerald green lighting and color returns in full force. With that being said, color can act like a reoccurring thought; once the color is associated with the subject of obsession, it can be used to remind us of the subject when they are not there. 

(Above: Madeline is the only wearing the eye catching Emerald green in a full restaurant) 

(Above: Judy fully transformed into Madeline)

Week 8 - Jacqueline Malenke - There Are Two Sides to Every Obsession

Obsession is an idea or thought that continually preoccupies or intrudes on a person's mind. I feel that obsession has two sides to it: a wonderfully positive side and an intensely negative side. The positive side of obsession feels really bright, wide, and has an endless amount of colorful light. It is the type of obsession that brings intense joy and happiness, and it feels light and weightless in a way. I imagine the positive side of obsession to look similar to a large, bright blue sky. The possibilities are endless, you are surrounded by gorgeous color possibilities, and it feels as if there is always room to take more of the obsession in. 

On the other side of the spectrum, obsession can feel like a very sharp and pinpointed feeling. It is overwhelming and suffocating in a way. The obsessive thought is constantly circling someone's mind, and it feels as if there is no escape. To me, being overly obsessed with something can make you feel braindead, and the only thought your dead brain can conjure up is that single obsessive thought. I felt this photo represented the negative side to obsession really well. 

Overall, I feel that obsession really has its value within a person's life, but it is really easy to get lost within those obsessive thoughts. Again, it feels as if it is light vs dark, open and wide vs cramped and pinpointed. As long as you stay within the healthy side of obsession, a person can have a satisfied and balanced life.