Blog 14: Independent Component 1

• LITERAL
  (a)  “I, Jonathan Shoemaker, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.”
  (b) Cite your source regarding who or what article or book helped you complete the independent component

For me my independent component was done for the ipoly drama club. So really the person who I worked under was Joe Hogan he helped walk me through what was needed for the production and what wasn't. Also he provided me with a book that helped me find what hardware was needed for what I had to do. The book was "The Backstage Guide"

• (c) Provide a digital spreadsheet (aka log of the 30 hours).   Post it next to your mentorship log.

Done and Done.

• (d) Explanation of what you completed.    

Also Done and Done... on the blog. Well anyway I'll say it here. I did many of things, what my main job was to build set pieces and props for the actors. I also worked with the lights to create lighting zones along with troubleshooting and creating lighting cues. In details I was able to create an 8 feet by 6 feet by 9 feet big rig with full motion since it was on 8 different 5 inch caster wheels. Also the big rig was fully lite with from the lighting zones I created and from the headlights I made out of the headlight frames and scoop lights. Also I was able to make the lights seem as if they followed the actors as they crossed from one side of the stage to the other. The only thing is the lights were completely stationary and were set at the beginning of the play and never moved until the end of the last show. All of that was done from my research of the backstage guide, Mr. Hogan, and lots and lots of trial and error.

• INTERPRETIVE 
  Defend your work and explain how the significant parts of your component and how it demonstrates 30 hours of work.   Provide evidence (photos, transcript, art work, videos, etc) of the 30 hours of work.  
  

The old styled wooden doors the I got from the truck salvage place.

Truck headlights that have reflecting turn signal panels 

This the screen I saw when I was organizing the lighting addresses to the channels

so this was on the first day of the show finishing up the truck. 

Yes those are actual Truck doors the are able to swing out they are about 30-40 pounds

This was day two where I felt the truck could still be greatly improved so I spent even more time working on it.

So as you can see I was a very busy bee unfortunately I did even more, I just wasn't able to take pictures. However if it wasn't for having all of the technical parts of the production put on my shoulders I wouldn't have come up with my first answer. Since I had to deal with the technical parts it caused me to work with the lights in a way I haven't been able to before. Working with the lights made me realize that without them the stage is bland or dull, if that's the case, there is no way then for me to answer my EQ of "What is the best way to optimize a stage for a successful production?"

• APPLIED
  How did the component help you understand the foundation of your topic better?  Please include specific examples to illustrate how it helped. 

This component pushed me out of the theatre tech job. It pushed me to talk to the actors get to know them understand how they move and being able to know all of positions of the production staff. What I faced was having to take a little of the stage managers job and use it to relate the actors and stage setting.  By getting to know the actors the colors that would be applied to setting could include the right colors in the lighting to get the most from the actors tone and delivery.  I was also able to convey to the actors the importance of communication so that should their blocking change, I am able to correct the lighting the cues. This allows for them to be fully lit at all times. It allowed me to see first hand the problems that could come up, so I could better prepare for them in later productions.