The cue sheet (held in front of our walk-in look) that I sketched together this morning to accomplish today’s #lightingdesign
The cue sheet (held in front of our walk-in look) that I sketched together this morning
Posted on June 9th, 2013
Guarantee I’ll never get a hand better than this one! And I played it right, too...
Posted on June 8th, 2013
Guarantee I’ll never get a hand better than this one! And I played it right, too - took two ppl out with it setting up a 1st place finish!!
I have a pretty cool job.
Posted on May 26th, 2013
I have a pretty cool job. This is me posing in the Audi R8 that we put on our stage for this weekend. The second image is me rappelling down after changing the lamp in one of our fresnels.
Thanks to Kyle and Andrew for taking the photos.
A Response to Questions About Design Materials and Our Stage Turn Process
Posted on May 1st, 2013
I often get asked questions about my thoughts on design materials and/or our production process. These are my responses to an email that I sent out yesterday:
What do you think of the trend to have a big video or LED wall as the main set feature?
I think big screens are fine so long as 1, you have the budget; 2, you have the stage space, 3, and most importantly if you produce content worthy of the space. I personally think they’re cliché and typically only put a screen in the set for events where we have a click-tracked music video that goes along with a live song. Regarding LED walls, the time has come when they’re legitimately worth considering: If you’re living in sets for a length of time, if you have a shallow stage, if you don’t already have a good projector, etc.
Do you still create a new set every week?
We still do at least two sets every week - changing our stage to uniquely support every event. I’m not sure it’s the way for everyone, but it continues to work for our context. If nothing else, it lets me exercise my own mind ;) However, doing a turn after every service is what maintains our volunteer team. Our typical turn lasts 75-90min to change from one stage to the next. A big reason why we can succeed at this is that it has become our regular workflow. Our volunteers don’t know that it’s not normal, so they just do… #process
What are you currently using the most for sets- fabric/lighting? set pieces?
We have a "tinker toy set" of go-to materials that I use to design from. Truss, fabrics, hard-goods, lights, etc. In addition to our inventory, I’m always on the lookout for materials that could catch light well. I file away photos and ideas in Evernote (and too often honestly, just the back of my mind #GTDfail) to recal later when I hear the idea that a material could be perfect for feel.
For the past few years, I’ve been creating stages form the "box" I determine for myself at the beginning of each series: I choose 2-4 materials that I will use as through-lines for each series. Then I use these in a different way to support the art and tell the story specific to each day.
Example is that for our current Midweek series (5 weeks talking about women from Scripture) I’m using a silver sheer fabric and our moving head profiles. We just finished a Weekend series titled "Walking Dead" where I wanted to riff on a post-apocalyptic, industrial vibe. I found about a dozen unused 4’x10’ cage pieces (used for storage in our basement) and set these up on stage with some rusty (or painted to look so) 55gal drums and some pallets - throw some gobo breakups at these, and you have a look. Then just change up the placement and it feels new each week.
The soft goods are an example of something we have in our inventory. I purchased a roll of this fabric for an event this past fall; now we can use it whenever we want. The cage pieces are an example of something I’ve been waiting to use for years, honestly. I just needed the right series, where they’d make for the perfect visual.
We are thinking about limiting our design to 4 really good sets and tweaking them on a per series basis, at least until we get into our new campus late next year. What do you think of that plan?
A majority of my church clients seem to like the idea of 3-5 really good sets over the course of a year - per season, rather than per series and perhaps with something special for Christmas and Easter. I think this strategy can be a good one. The main thing to consider is how they can be adapted to any special events that might need the space. Is it possible to close the main traveler? If living in an industrial, production based design, is it possible to create a look that can be tender and beautiful? There are ways to think through this and plan for such occasions. My main caution when living in a set for such a length of time is the potential "rats nest" of cable that can build up. Also, when a team is not regularly doing stage turns, it tends to take a much longer time; therefore plan on a day or two instead of a couple hours.
Also, make sure to consider your lighting inventory/plot. Poor lighting will negate even the best set; for that matter, good lighting will make an ok set look fantastic.
Our take on Palm Sunday
Posted on March 24th, 2013
Our take on Palm Sunday (which has to hide the Easter set behind the traveler) The simple beauty of a broken down band and a bare stage dressed w. but a simple length of red fabric on the floor
#productiondesign and #photography by EGWolfe, fabric by @RoseBrand
Posted on March 17th, 2013
#productiondesign and #photography by EGWolfe, fabric by @RoseBrand
I grabbed this screenshot from an email blast sent out by @RoseBrand last month. I’m honored to let them use my my photos. These are a four examples of how I’ve found uses for white PolyStretch that we purchased about 8 years ago. Here’s looking forward to their next mailer and some of the other fabrics of theirs I use. In the meantime, you can see some of their other fabrics in my portfolio, have a look: egwolfe.info
*note to myself: time to upload some recent designs
Journey Home Experience
Posted on March 10th, 2013
My typical context for #productiondesign is a 50' wide stage. This post is a chance to share a little about what has become a very enjoyable way to apply my skills: Helping to create another environmental, walk-through experience.
This past week at Kensington (in conjunction with our 6 week weekend series and their small group curriculum) people have been going through the Journey Home Walk-thru Experience.
My friend Kristen produced the project, and I was privileged to partner with her in creating a story-telling experience for people in these 3rd floor classrooms. I love ideating with such minds as hers to come up with ways to maximize our minimal resources. How could we use what we had and harness amazing volunteers to pull off the magical in a very short timeline? Huge thanks to such new friends Ed (who pointed the construction) and his wife, Michele, who applied her artistry with staple-gun and brush. Thanks also to such friends as Kyle, Mark, Andrew, Collin, and the unnamed others who helped transform some stark rooms into something magical. Thanks again, Kristen!
Ingredients:
- Lumber - some new (especially for the foundational construction) but lots harvested - old pallets and also some genuine barn wood (thanks to the beautiful openhandedness of my friend Josh)
- Related to the lumber that we used for both construction and decor, Corrugated Metal.
- Also related was a bunch of branches. Some turned into curtain rods; others bunched for decor in corners.
- Fabrics - We placed an order from RoseBrand for Muslin (IFR) to make the Tepees and the window treatments. We also reused such fabrics as Black Tergalet, Burgundy Commando (both recycled from last year's Easter as well as the Story conference - http://egwolfe.tumblr.com/post/32260613465/story2012-productiondesign-our-goal-was-to) and as usual, some Duvetyn (I find endless uses for this amazing bang-for-the-buck product). Yes, I'm a fan of RoseBrand… Also some camouflage netting that we used for Easter '08.
- Recycled Props like lamps from Christmas, fake stone pillar reflecting pools from a Midweek series ages back, several benches and chairs, etc.
- Pillows, drapes, sand for a sandbox, and custom created signage.
- In addition to lamp-posts, candles, suspended light bulbs, lamps, and chandeliers; I created a light-plot using a few theatrical instruments including pars & lekos with gels&gobos, RGB-LED fixtures, as well as some home-made track-lighting pin-spots that we recycled from a previous experiential walk-through on the 2nd floor. The benefit was that we eased guests into the experience and therefore could get away with things being pretty dim. For what we had available to use, I was very happy with how it turned out.
It was originally scheduled to run last week, but has been extended through at least tomorrow. If you have a chance, you should come experience it in person.
Production Design Software
Posted on March 10th, 2013
I'm often asked what software I use, and am probably long overdue at sharing this post. I'm answering this question from the perspective of my primary job - Production Designer at Kensington Church. *See below for more context if you're interested.
I'm a fan of OmniGraffle (Mac or Microsoft Visio if on PC) It's great as a basic 2D CAD with layers and everything; and its drag and drop simplicity of putting icons for people and set pieces into place is pretty fantastic.
The price point is also great, especially for multiple users.
Vectorworks is awesome, but is more (both in cost and complexity) than our workflow requires - especially with multiple users; most of whom are not "designing" but rather just laying out a plot.
There are many other programs I might consider writing about, but I'll leave this post with the above two mentions for now. Connect with me and I can share my workflow if you're interested…
*I design for our main broadcast location. We have 4 other campuses each with a TD who is responsible for figuring out how to take the central designed service and make it work on their stage, with their team and resources, and with whatever might uniquely happen at their campus that weekend. We move fast. At our location, we have at least 2 completely different stage designs every week…see: http://egwolfe.tumblr.com/post/6144545367/we-change-our-stage-with-a-completely-unique
Man Cave meets Stadium Suite meets TV Sports Show
Posted on March 4th, 2013
One month ago, we did our anual Kensington weekend playing off the theme of the "Big Game" - it has traditionally been an equivalent of our third holiday event. We have grown the brand to make for an especially good day to target men. We tend to program some over-the-top fun moments in the day; and we always try to do something extra with the stage too.
This year, our discussion theme was about the things we lift up as idols. This is the concept I came up with: "Man Cave meets Stadium Suite meets TV Sports Show."
We reused some flats we’ve used for past productions - 20’ of which we used for the upstage wall; and another 20’ worth we cut out to make a "window." Behind this, we put a couple RP video screens. We created our graphics based on this 32:9 ratio. On the walls (which were lit with soft-focused breakups and LED sconce lights) we built shelves for some amazing sports memorabilia that was generously loaned to us for the weekend.
A primary context for us is live music - placement of the band: For this weekend, I chose to let them spill from SL into the middle of the stage balancing the visual weight of the "window"/screen. Behind them we used S4pars with difusion and barn-doors to back/side-light with warmth and give feel of the "forth wall" of a TV studio. The three levels of hanging truss created a visual "ceiling" and allowed for programming of fun lighting (see video in my Feb. 3 post) to support/enhance music.
Anyway, here are three photos that show the concept idea through the build in process and finally a shot I snapped while standing on a seat in the 6th row as guests were walking in on Saturday night…I won't share the details about how 75sec. prior, I was finessing the placement of some of the decorations.
This year, our discussion theme was about the things we lift up as idols. This is the concept I came up with: "Man Cave meets Stadium Suite meets TV Sports Show."
We reused some flats we’ve used for past productions - 20’ of which we used for the upstage wall; and another 20’ worth we cut out to make a "window." Behind this, we put a couple RP video screens. We created our graphics based on this 32:9 ratio. On the walls (which were lit with soft-focused breakups and LED sconce lights) we built shelves for some amazing sports memorabilia that was generously loaned to us for the weekend.
A primary context for us is live music - placement of the band: For this weekend, I chose to let them spill from SL into the middle of the stage balancing the visual weight of the "window"/screen. Behind them we used S4pars with difusion and barn-doors to back/side-light with warmth and give feel of the "forth wall" of a TV studio. The three levels of hanging truss created a visual "ceiling" and allowed for programming of fun lighting (see video in my Feb. 3 post) to support/enhance music.
Anyway, here are three photos that show the concept idea through the build in process and finally a shot I snapped while standing on a seat in the 6th row as guests were walking in on Saturday night…I won't share the details about how 75sec. prior, I was finessing the placement of some of the decorations.
Adapting a University Rep Plot
Posted on February 19th, 2013
Lighting Design
This slide is from my Lighting Training slide deck. It illustrates the importance of accurate, thought-out documents and the iterative process of designing at a university theatre for a theatrical production that I was brought in to be the Lighting Designer for.
The document on the left shows the rep plot they were using. Thanks to some great pre-production meetings (and the trust built with the university’s Lighting Director) I was shown much favor and adapted the plot to fit the ambitious creative direction that the producer and I wanted to pursue. The photo shows me in the final meeting with the house LD as he prepared to follow my plot and Purpose Sheet.
Good paperwork allowed him to lead a few of his students to hang/circuit/focus all lights in a 6hr shift.
The student who programmed used my cue sheet to program the show and adapt during rehearsals. I was given trust early in the process; and it was a privilege to give trust to her for the end of the process: The first time I saw my design outside of my head was at the premier of the show!
Creative Director | Process Architect. Design Strategist. Leadership Coach.