This is one of the first renderings I did. I made a simple 3D model of the set and added scans of the set designer's (Dan Boylen) paint elevations. I wanted to see if a design idea would work, and if I could then show what I meant.
The opening invocation with the same kind of light.
The Idea was that the lights would enhance the verticality of the set and the metal pipes creating a "forest" of light that could change colors. This base idea could define the space through combinations of shape and also color.
The "forest" of light would change color, like in this forest scene. I would typically never ask anyone to breathe this much haze, it's there to help emphasize some of the design ideas (like the balance of the shafts of light to the negative space of the "ceilings" of colored air).
The Forest. The down pools of light created a rhythmically changing and pulsing landscape that lit the floor, random body parts and the air.
If nothing else, I could sit with the director (Lee Richardson) and say "Oh, you meant that blue!!" Lee liked this blue. I made sure for this scene I had this blue ready for him.
We also used four follow spots that were rendered for certain moments. (You can see the spot-ops lurking in the haze.) I could sit in rehearsal with the director and render different ideas in a couple seconds for us to consider.
We also played with shaping the height of the space with different levels of "ceilings." We created a storyboard for the entire show based on the renderings and conversations. And then were able to tech the entire 300+ cue musical in less than 8 hours.
The 7 approach Thebes. The layers of "ceilings" have been building and filling the negative space as we head to battle.
Sometimes things got out of control...
(I have no idea what I was doing on this one)
I wanted something unique for the end where the cast stood around the edge of the stage and sang out to audience. There were no templates in Vectorworks yet, so I made a giant frisbee and put it near the light to cut out the center of the cone of light.
The final admonition.