Week 7: Ballet Folklorico and Nickel Mines Focus

This week I had the opportunity to be the light board operator for Ballet Folklorico de UCI an annual Spring dance recital. It was an interesting experience because I was working with a designer who did not have any prior experience in designing. Knowing this, I offered to help the designer by giving tips and general ideas that could help. The designer did not take my advice and instead proceeded to work alone. During load-in and tech, which was a total of 8 hours before the performance the next day, it felt like the designer was unprepared and unorganized since it took us so long to the easiest tasks. I felt as though the designer had thrown out all of my prior knowledge and acted like I didn't know what I was doing. I will say that there were some solid choices on color and some cues worked very well, but for the most part it seemed rushed and not completely thought out. I do apologize if I sound as though I am bashing the designer but I do understand that it was their first design and that is quite a bit of pressure. For what was given in the time allotted for the design, I think it was a design that worked. The dancers were visible and that's one of the main aspects of a design. 

Today I went to the first focus session of Nickel Mines where the designer Brady King and assistant designer Darrin Wade led two simultaneous focus sessions. It was interesting to see the way in which both lighting designers handle a focus. They both have their specific ways of leading focus; although, Brady and I have the same style of focusing I noticed. He asks for certain parts in the same manner I do. It's quick, audible, and efficient, and they both got more than half of the plot focused. Something I noticed while behind the board during focus was the way Darrin worked. He would ask for a glow on a fixture and either forget or just keep working without asking for the fixture at full. I would do it on my own at times and he would thank me for it, but Brady would ask for a light to be at full. It was an experience to witness both designers complete the same task in different styles, and I can't wait for tomorrow when I get to do my leading of a focus.