FOLLOW ALONG
And we’ve made it to the end of another chapter. Wonderful work! Let’s put these lessons into practice. Last time I weaned you off specific keystrokes; but this time I’m going to try and speak more like a designer; which often times still suggests keystrokes – or rather – keystrokes are named for the language of design.
In this design; we’ll build upon angle and intensity with color and texture to create a Jekyll and Hyde scene – a person becoming a monster. It’ll be a artistically obvious; but also fun. Throughout the scene we will …
- start in a blackout,
- move to an opening evening look,
- suggest the underlying “Hyde”-ness,
- become the monster,
- leave us with a silhouette,
- and finish in a blackout.
In case you’re going straight into this lesson from the previous ones; we’ll begin our cue numbering at 21.
Here we go.
Cue 21 – Blackout
Start by opening Worksheet 2 … if you haven’t already. It doesn’t matter if you’re continuing from the previous lessons or opening it from scratch. Again, we’ll start with 21. Why 21 instead of 17? Well; I just can’t imagine starting a list with a number that ends in “7” … it’s just … weird.
Let’s start in a blackout, a blank canvas … so go to cue 0.
Hey … that’s what we want for this cue! So record Cue 21.
Cue 24 – The Monster!
A quintessential monster look has to include green. We can’t not.
Determining the colors and texture that go with that green are imperative to determining the colors that should be used in the cues before it. So in this instance, it would be wise to begin at the end of our journey and work backwards.
Let’s start in reality, in our given circumstances. Take channel 8 at full and make sure it’s bright white. This will play the role of the light over the operating table.
Next, let’s create the monster light. Take channel 5 at full; make it a maximum zoom, and give it a nice green color. I think we don’t want to go pure green, maybe choose something closer to yellow so that it’s an organic green rather than an alien green.
Now add some texture using channel 3. Bring it to full and pick a texture. You probably can’t see it correctly on stage, so adjust the edge, zoom, and focus so that it’s clear and center stage. Finally; give it a color in the pink / red / amber family to contrast with the green.
This is a little strong; so bring channel 3 back to 75%.
Here’s what mine looks like so far …
Great; let’s add a bit of form, figure, and dimensionality to all this.
So to compliment the amber texture; let’s use channel 7, which is the opposite angle. Bring it to full and give it a yellow (eewwww). That’s probably too bright, so let’s bring it back to 75%.
From the other back angle, bring channel 9 to full. We’ll want to continue the time of day (a night look), so let’s give this a sea green color; something that can be used before this moment.
Finally; let’s fill in our front shadows with some face light. This is a stylistic moment; so it’s fine to not light the face properly.
So let’s bring channel 2 to full, which is too bright as a white light; but let’s next give it a deep deep blue. This will ground us in our night colors.
Record this as Cue 24.
Cue 22 – Opening Look
Alright. Let’s work backwards. We’ll be using channels 3, 5, and 7 to suggest monster; so let’s take them all out.
This means we can work with channels 1, 4, and 6.
Take channel 4 to full and give it a nice cool blue to compliment the sea green from channel 9.
Take channel 6 to full and give it a nice lavender color.
Finally; bring channel 1 to full and pick the rose template with a deep blue / purple. Go ahead and maximize the zoom and adjust the edging and focus to center the light on the figures.
Record this as Cue 22
Cue 23 – “Hyde”-ness
So now we simply need to make a continuation of this look that suggest what’s about to come; without giving away where we’re going. This means it’s better to lean toward Cue 22 rather than Cue 24.
So let’s pull channels 3 and 7 from Cue 24; [3] [+] [7] [Recall From] [Cue] [24] [Enter].
Then adjust the brightness of channel 7 to 50%.
Adjust the brightness of channel 3 to 55%.
And bring down the brightness of our goodness texture, channel 1, to 50%.
Record this as Cue 23.
Cue 25 – What Comes Next?
Let’s create the closing silhouette; Mr. Hyde standing underneath the single light of his operating table – supplemented with a few stylistic strokes.
So remove channels 1 and 2.
Next take out channels 4 and 6.
Now let’s try removing channel 7. This creates a deep shadow …
… I’m not certain we want it to be that significant. So try channel 7 at full. Nope. Too much yellow.
Let’s put it at 65%; a nice balance.
Finally; let’s try channel 5 at full? Too much.
Try 5 at 50? Not silhouette-y enough. Ahh. Just take it out. Less is more.
Good. Record this as Cue 25.
Cue 26 – Blackout
Finally; to ensure to lights move or colors change; let’s use this cue to create our final blackout.
Take 1 through 9 out.
Now all the intensities are out but any focus, beam, image, or color settings should stay.
Record this as Cue 26.
And we’re finished!
Check it Out
Try stepping through the cue list. Make sure there are no mistakes.
Ooo! As we’re going from Cue 23 to Cue 24; the gobo from channel 1 snaps away as we fade; which you can see dimly here. This is a small problem; but certainly something to fix.
So go to cue 24, if you’re not already.
Let’s clear the values of channel 1 by pressing [1] [@] [Enter]. You’ll see that the channel now looks like the previous cue. So let’s take channel 1 out and update Cue 24.
Now go back to Cue 23 and step forward again.
Fixed!
The Most Important Part
Always save.
Always save.
Despite autosave, always save!
And you’re finished!
Congratulations.
And just in case you needed it, here’s a link to my finished Worksheet 2 file.