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Lemi

Working overseas. I want to continue talking to Lemi about the potential of working overseas and how the whole thing works. I’m keen to go back to my roots to find my unique voice again. Lemi also spoke about the need for artists to go where change is happening and that Chile is in that mode now.

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Basement Theatre

I found the same advice from Ronnie and Gabrielle. Keep going to shows, rigging, operating to grow your network and up skill.

Good to be around to connect during Fringe Festival.Ronnie offered me some rigging and pack in work which is a great way to connect with artists and get some experience. 

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Lighting Theatre

Its about having face light which flattens out the image, then its about creating depth and layers of space to separate the actor from the set. Also making statements be louder than the face light. This is what I want to test and practise. As well as the use of colour.

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NZDC

Chat with Jo:

- its great to up-skill in other areas such as rigging and operating as it up-skills you as a designer as well.

- keep networking and finding people who support the work that you do.

They make highly polished work and also work within the community. Touring

Jo works as a lighting designer and production manager. We talked about lighting design not being able to pay the bills and falling into production management to cover other costs and because it is a role lighting designers often fall into. This makes me think about how I want to live as a designer? What other areas can I go into to sustain myself financially while still being able to make work?

The other thing I am thinking about is the amount of work that companies produce, after talking to Silo and NZDC I realised they make only about three productions a year and some are re-stagings. Would I be happy being a lighting designer for three productions a year and then working another job on the side? I would like to have a conversation with Glenn about this.

Touring is also useful to elongate the project.

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Silo

Costume:

Dans costumes for Mr Burns got me really excited about the potential of costume. This isn’t usually an area I look into but seeing as most lighting designers also look into other areas such as producing or operating. I’m thinking that I’m not restricted to lighting design but more towards the projects I want to work on. Projects with people who want to collaborate and produce work that is different and innovative.

Manual Jobs:

I’m also thinking about the more ‘manual jobs’ that I could have to balance out. I was talking to Ruby who is the operator on the show. I’m thinking that operating and programming for other designers might be a way to meet people, up skill and watch how other designers work.

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Safety net.

Have plenty of face light. That way you are covered to create other things knowing you have the safety of face light. 

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Be alive in the work.

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Chat with Helen

Creative Meetings and Production Meetings.

Production Meetings: its all about the concretes

Creative Meetings:

its okay to not know the answer

figuring out the vision for the work

honesty and transparency make this easier

Where do you find resource for a project?

your own fascination

needs from script/set

ideas from script/set (what is the link to the story?)

Resourcing yourself as a designer:

James Turrell

Photographers

Film Noir

Documentaries on cinematographers

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A little advice.. on scripts

I was struggling to respond to the script for Two Gents. Helen pointed out that Jacqui had worked with Tony to create a set. The set is just as relevant as the script. So respond to the space, considering her thematics and concretes (e.g day and night) create a palette for the space and work from there.

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Chat with Helen

Collaboration is a chance to find someone who blows out your thinking. This can take different shapes. They can stretch it or restrict it, both are equally exciting. Your voice gets expanded and through working with someone you create a unique voice.

The common thread is you. Go to what is interesting to you at that time. The work intersects your path, not the other way around.

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Working Relationships

Recognising when the issue is the work and when the issue is communication/relationship. Keep pushing towards the work.

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RESOURCE YOURSELF: Auckland Art Gallery

While in Auckland I saw the exhibition MANIFESTO. It reminded me how important it is to resource yourself. To keep exploring and open yourself up. To keep active within routine.

“For an annual membership fee of $50 ($40 concession) you will be eligible for a wide range of Member benefits including FREE unlimited entry to paid exhibitions, exclusive previews of Gallery exhibitions, invitations to regular talks or behind-the-scenes tours, regular updates on Members events, use of the Members lounge and a wide range of discounts.” - Auckland Art Gallery website excerpt.

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GOALS

I was talking to Victoria and she mentioned about her plans for the future saying that when she left uni she had a plan that was around getting jobs and succeeding commercially. Now she has reached a point where she has done those things and settled; she now wants to establish herself as an artist. It makes me think about my career as something that will grow and change. What do I wasn't to do and where do I want to be? In five years? In ten years?

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Failure and Success

I need to be able to define these for myself. I often thought if I was wasn’t working full time as a designer in the industry that I had failed. I think this comes from being an arts student and the pressures this comes with. I have to prove that I can succeed with an arts degree. Poppy is working part time at a chandelier store, still flexing her design muscle, and taking design jobs that she believes in and wants to do. Initially I would’ve thought this to be ‘failure’ but seeing Poppy financially stable and doing the jobs that she loves looks to me as a success. Finding the balance you need as a person and artist is so important.

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SUSTAINABILITY

MAKING YOUR NEEDS AS AN ARTIST KNOWN.

I have been thinking about financial sustainability.

I have a concern around asking for money, if I demand more than what is established as normal will I not be employed. How do I make sure that I am not overworking myself to deliver product? Can I charge for process over product?

Transparency is important.

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Upcoming and Established Companies

From my time in Auckland I was able to meet with established companies. What I wasn’t expecting was to see and experience the forming of new companies. I had a conversation with two artists about the relationship between established and upcoming companies within the NZ industry. 

The ability to bring A NEW VOICE.

The ability to CHALLENGE the process.

The ability to LEARN from one another.

I am interested in this idea of bringing my mana to be able to raise those around me.

I want to work with established companies to learn from them and work with upcoming companies to have a say in the future.

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RUSHES

What I realised is important when bringing people in to a project is to give them an idea of the vision. By giving them your vision there is then a certain amount of ownership they can take and something they can work towards more independently while still contributing to the whole. The work then moves.

“Collaboration is about choosing the right people to work with, and then trusting them” - Jonathan Burrows, A Choreographers Handbook.

“The energy the audience brings in”

The way Malia moved through the dry run was with extreme purpose. She looked like she was searching for something and knew instantly when she found it, building her vision. She acted with power and presence but also had a joy for the piece of work she was creating. So often I have seen artists distance themselves from the work but she was still finding joy in the things they had created. She had a sense of ownership and investment.

There was a strong response to time. Things could get cut if there wasn’t enough time to get everything ready but I didn’t feel like people were stressing it was just a matter of fact. If there wasn’t enough time we start cutting the frills. I think in this instance you start to see the essential parts of a show.

I was fascinated by the way the show moved. There was a beautiful transformation going on that seemed to go by unnoticed. Unnoticed transformation.