Unique art

So today I stumbled upon this really unique post of what looks like very close up pictures of viruses. This is true, they are viruses but they are glass blown art pieces created by Luke Jerram. When I thought I wanted something unique to post about I figured what better than this. Luke has a website to which you can view his pieces, purchasing them, or even contact him. The website is http://www.lukejerram.com/glass/ . The reason for this body of glass work was designed to show everyone what the viruses looked like and to cause a complex tension to the artworks' beauty and what they represent.

Blog 22: Senior Presentation Reflections

(1) Positive Statement

I'm truly most proud of how I presented, I say this based off of how the students were animated rather then being asleep. Also I feel that most proud of it because Mr. Pang couldn't find a Recommendation to say at the very end even me asking for people to give me a few, they still couldn't do it.

(2) Questions to Consider

a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your Block Presentation (self-assessment)?

AE       P          AP       CR       NC

b.     What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)?

AE       P          AP       CR       NC

(3) What worked for you in your senior project?

For me what worked was how well this large project was broken down. What I mean is by the senior teachers breaking down this project into very manageable sections was what allowed me to remember all my steps. The best thing that worked for me was every step along the way was just an addition the the previous step. A great example of this is when we had our 10 minute presentation then our 30 minute presentation then it all built up to our final, that is what truly worked for me.

(4) (What didn't work) 

What didn't work was my lack of motivation to find more sources for research. I did do what was required when it was required, but since I didn't find to many pieces of research it wasn't as easy doing this project as it would have been with 10 or 15 more.

(5) Finding Value

I have learned that if you do the bare minimum that is what you'll receive back. Most of all I learned how to communicate to not just with people in my field, but also to all the students in my year. Due to this communication on this mutual level I came to have this feeling camaraderie with the class. That is what I will take with me is the idea of what camaraderie is like and apply this idea where ever it best fits.

Blog 21: Mentorship

    Literal

The link to is there to the right--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->

Also my mentor and his contacts: Bobby Collins. Cell: 909.964.3360 Email: bobby_collins1@yahoo.com
Place: Inland Valley Repertoire Theater (performance at the Candlelight Pavilion)

    Interpretive

     What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?

For me the most important experience was persevering through obstacles.  The challenge of finding a mentor taught me to keep trying and don't give up.  Several people I contacted did not take me seriously as they felt a high school student could not be reliable or had any knowledge.  This experience taught me how to take rejection, pick my self up and keep going until I a got a yes.  That being timid would not work , that I had to know my worth and convey that to others.

   Applied

     How has what you’ve done helped you to answer your EQ?  Please explain.
Since being a theatre tech is a very hands on experience based career, mentorship helped me create my EQ along with answering my EQ. My EQ required answers that involved not only knowledge of the topics but hands on experience too.  Practical application of how things are done in a production completed how I would answer my EQ.  Mentorship allowed me to see first hand that on paper something should work but in real life many times it does not.  So the experience taught me how to adjust and evaluate a situation and find a solution that worked.

Some help from those prom ideas

So this is a bit off topic from my senior project but hey lets go with something a little different. Right now you are probably looking for a date or maybe even how to ask a date to prom. Here are a few ideas I think might help. First off let me ask you a few questions; are you close enough to go to a museum or a movie? Secondly what does he/she like? Is he/she willing to go out? Most of all what is unique that you do?

Once you have thought those questions through, you have one last thing to consider before you start brainstorming ideas. You must put the potential dates needs into consideration. For example is the person you are asking tend to be shy, be kind and don't make it a large public thing unless you know they would appreciate it. Second thing to think about is what do you have a talent in? For me I have a  fondness for small tricks with playing cards. So what I planned to do was use this trick called This n' That with a slight change having the final card say "Prom?"  To see the original trick follow this link, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tScm-eZInBE
Later I will also post my prom version. So back to the questions, does he/she like coffee? It doesn't even have to be coffee but rather it can be a place that calls out your name for you to know your order is ready. An example if you go to a Jamba Juice or any place that calls out a name will work. What you do is call ahead of time and explain what you would like to do. If the shop will agree to it then provide your potential dates  information.  If all goes well you can go, order your items and then  when they go to call your name, they don't they call your potential dates name rather and say something along the lines of " (insert name) will you go to prom with (insert name)."

Blog 20: Exit Interview

1) What is your essential question and answers? What is your best answer and why?

What is the best way to optimize a stage for a successful production. Answer one: 

Communicating the plot of the production to the audience through the partnership of light and prop use. Answer two: Using state of the art lighting boards and audio mixers, to optimize a stage. Answer three: Having frequent tech rehearsals, is a way to optimize a stage. Out of those three answers, the best is my third the effectiveness of rehearsing makes sure everything runs smoothly and if there are any kinks they can be worked out before the show. Also the more familiar you are with something the less errors will occur.

2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?

I had all the elements to evoke and increase the wow factor of a production, however without knowing your cues and how the play will be preformed it would result in an unorganized performance.

3) What problems did you face? How did you resolve them?

There where two major problems I encountered. The first was the inability to find a reliable mentor. I went through six mentors and out of the six I worked with one for seventeen hours. Then I landed my seventh mentor form The Inland Valley Repertoire Theatre (IVRT). Secondly was trying to find the research that supported my answers while involving technical theatre. I solved this research challenge by not looking at it literally instead I broke it into its parts and looked at creative ways to find research. 

4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?

My first significant source was my fourth interview with the lighting designer from my mentorship at IVRT. Daniel, the lighting designer, has a wealth of knowledge on the technical aspects of theatre production. One of the amazing things is he learned through practical experience, he had no formal education. The second source is the book "The Power of Habit" by Charles Dunhigg, since it talks about the conditioning of the mind through repetition learning. The best answer requires the stage crew to repeat performances daily with minimal snafus. 

Blog 19: Independent Component 2

LITERAL
(a)  “I, Jonathan Shoemaker, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.”
(b) One of the better sources I used to help me through independent component was " The Back Stage Guide to Stage Management" by Thomas A. Kelly. I know my topic isn't stage management but this source was very beneficial since I needed to stage manage a scene to go to Fullerton.  
(c)Done and done
(d) Explanation of what you completed.   
What I did was really all hands on experience. I went to the Fullerton College Theatre Festival, to competed. The festival was a two day event consisting of competitions for acting and technical work. I competed in 9 technical theatre events on one of the two iPoly tech teams. The events I participated in were the Tech Olympic events. The 9 events are detailed below:
1) Costume Quick Change- Change a member in the dark that has over sized clothes on in the fastest time.
2) Light focusing- I had to hang theatre lights and crop the sides to match a taped out shape on the opposite wall.
3) Team Knot Tying- Each member was assigned 1 of the 5 knots and was timed until all knots were done.
4) Tool Usage- was a relay and each member had been assigned 1 of 5 tools and hardware that need to be used.
5) Prop Quick Change- We were given blurry pictures of a scene and had to set the stage in the fastest time and as accurate to the picture as possible.
6) Tool And Hardware ID- Had to identify as many tools and hardware as possible in a dark room within a 10 minute time frame.
7) Electrical Wiring- I wired adapters such as a three prong Edison to a Twistlock and a Three Pin to a three prong Edison
8) Individual Knot Tying- This was a individual task that required the completion of all 5 knots.
9) Scenic Design- I presented my technical work for the production of  "Working."

INTERPRETIVE 
The specific part that this component helped me with was understanding all the hands on tasks that are required to be a theatre tech. For example knowing how to organize a tech rehearsal so the teams I was in charge of were able to have some knowledge as to what needs to be done at the festival. Along with organization
there is also the skills that are needed to thrive in the tech world. Those skills are things such as how to hang and focus lights, how to tie knots that can help with almost anything that needs to be done in the theatre world and most of all

I might be a little hard to see but just look for the Mohawk. That is me setting up the lights for competition number 2 

That right there is a stunning photo of the punk techie in his natural wood shop habitat. I was being given the institutions for the tool relay which is competition number 4

The Best of Fullerton Festival done by Angel Flores

In the picture above I am at the top right that was me with my presentation board right before I went to present the technical work I did for my Independent Component 1. This was the best competitions I can compete in because this is where you get instant feed back from the judge based on how well you did along with what can be changed or fixed in the design for next time.This were I was told that light has a tremendous affect on how the audience sees a production, but props make the actors mannerisms really "pop-out."

APPLIED
This was beneficial by providing hands on experience. The importance of practical experience and what works in the real world rather then just being theoretical. It helped me understand the time needed to complete tasks and how to organize rehearsals to the best of my abilities. 

Gypsy at...

So its official I have a solid Mentorship that I will be volunteering at for the rest of my fifty hours. In other words I will be there helping for at least thirty three hours. The production I will be working on, will be Gypsy starting this Thursday 4/4 at the Taylor Hall in Claremont off of Indian hill. The curtains open the 9th of April and the dates follow: Tuesday 4/15, Wed. 4/16, Tuesday 4/22, Wed. 4/23. Not that the times are the same for the first three shows however do not for the last since the last date is actually two showings in one day. I'm really excited for this I will get to work stage crew and shadow the lighting and set designer. Much to follow up with, so until next time have a great day.

Blog 18: Third Answer

Content:

EQ: What is the best way to optimize a stage for a successful production?

Answer #3 (Write in a complete sentence like a thesis statement): Having frequent tech rehearsals, is a way to have a successful production.

3 details to support the answer (a detail is a fact and an example): 

1. Time management provides an organized schedule for people to follow. For example would be a calendar stating when specific rehearsals will be.
2. Various types of rehearsals in order of ease. For example you need to have a dry tech rehearsal before a wet tech rehearsal because a dry tech sets the marks for a wet tech.
3. Confirms that all of the technical fixture are in proper working condition. For example the bulb in a lighting fixture may be burnt out resulting in improper illumination. 

The research source (s) to support your details and answer:
"Rehersals ." vtheatre.net.2006. Web. 10 March 2014 <http://vtheatre.net/directing/stagemanager.html>

Concluding Sentence:
With properly scheduled equipment checks in technical rehearsals will allow for quick and effective productions.

Blog 17: Fourth Interview Questions

Content:

1. What is the best way to optimize a stage for a successful production?
2. How many technical aspects do you use in just one production?
3. How often do you use new equipment?
4. How do you determine how much equipment will be needed for a production?
5. What company makes the lighting board you use?
6. What audio equipment do you favor?
7. Was there a situation in a production were blocking had an effect on the production?
8. How often do you run through the full production during rehearsals?
9. How is colored lighting used?
10. What is the best way to organize a tech rehearsals?
11. What lighting fixtures can be utilized to evoke emotion?
12. What can you do to increase your knowledge of the tech position?
13. Do you require your techs to understand and know how to use colors to convey?
14. How often do you  have a tech rehearsal?
15. What kind of food do you bring for rehearsals?
16. How do you configure your lighting zones?
17. What type of wattage does your equipment use?
18. How do you counter the reverberations from the monitors on stage?
19. How do you determine which acoustic panels to place in a theatre?
20. What changes on an audio mixer to go from a musical to a non-musical production?
21. As a theatre tech what technology do you think works the best to convey an emotion to the audience?

Sadly little...

So I still haven't been able to contact my mentor at the Chino Community Theater. However I'm going to try and contact a family friend for the possibility to sit in on the production of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." Like I said I would keep it updated for the new events at The Chino Theater. So here is the most recent set of events for the theater:

• March 7: Beauty and the Beast Jr.- first show for this play all starts at 7:00 pm
• March 8: Beauty and the Beast Jr.- Cast opens at 2:30 pm
• Also if you are a ukulele fan every Friday night there is a group that goes to the theater to play and create a ukulele community. This is done every Friday at 6:00 pm.

Blog 16: Advisory Meeting #2

EQ

What is the best way to optimize a stage for a successful production?

 

1) Answer #2:

Using state of the art lighting boards and audio mixers, is the best way to optimize a stage.

2) 3 details to support the answer:

•  With the use of a new lighting board you can manipulate the lights that are attached to hydraulics. What is meant by "manipulate" is the ability to move the lighting fixture in real time to follow an actor on stage.Moving them into different focus zones for the next act without having to manually move them while on a ladder. This task can be achieved remotely through the lighting board.
•  With audio mixers you can combined multiple channels into one. An audio mixer uses a plethora of incoming audio channels to: raise or lower the gain, increase or decrease each individual channel, along with turning off that channel completely or even have the ability to still listen to a channel without it going through the speakers.
• With a state of the art audio mixer it will give the best audio quality and will have systems in place if there would happen to have audio feedback.

3) The research source (s) to support your details and answer:

Source: 

11-ETC manual: goes into detail on each function the lighting board can do. 

13-"How to use an audio mixer": gives you a full tutorial on how a lighting board functions.

4) Concluding Sentence:

With the ability to use a modern lighting board and audio mixer allows the technician the ability to have to correct lighting and crisp clear sound.

Blog 15: Independent Component 2 Approval

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.
My plans include, getting more hands on experience. I plan to do this through practicing and preparing to going to the Fullerton College Theatre Festival, along with competing there. The festival is a two day event consisting of competitions for acting and technical work. I will be competing in 9 theatre technical events on one of the two iPoly tech teams. The event I will be in are:
Tech Olympic events:
1) Costume Quick Change- Change a member in the dark that has over sized clothes on in the fastest time.
2) Light focusing- Have to hang theatre lights and crop the sides to match a taped out shape on the opposite wall.
3) Team Knot Tying- Each member has been assigned 1 of the 5 knots and will be timed until all knots are done.
4) Tool Usage- is a relay. Each member has been assigned 1 of 5 tools and hardware that need to be used.
5) Prop Quick Change- Given blurry pictures of a scene and have to set the stage in the fastest time and as accurate to the picture as possible.
6) Tool And Hardware ID- Have to identify as many tools and hardware as possible in a very dark room for a limited visibility as a challenge.
7) Electrical Wiring- wire adapters
8) Individual Knot Tying- Same as #3 instead I will be doing each of the 5 knots on my own.
Scenic Event
9) Scenic Design- I will present my technical work for the production of  "Working"

2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.
Evidence of my 30 hours will be shown chronically throughout the practice for events through pictures. Pictures will also be taken during the competitions I will be in. The pictures will include the 9 events I will participate in. Since the competitions are given awards, I will possibly win an award, to show my participation in and event or events.

3.  And explain how what you will be doing will help you explore your topic in more depth.
I will be seeing a play at the end of the festival to see the production's use of lighting, color and props. I will also be able to take a tour and see what equipment they use for their productions. I can also interview the students and see what other possible answers I can get.


4.  Post a log on the right hand side of your blog near your other logs and call it the independent component 2 log.
Done and done

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.



 
 
 

Blog 13: Lesson 2 Refletion

Content:

1. Positive Statement

What are you most proud of in your Lesson 2 Presentation and why?
I'm most proud of my power point being minimal forcing me to go completely off of memory rather then reading off of the presentation itself.
2. Questions to Consider
       a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 2 Presentation (self-assessment)?

       AE       P          AP       CR       NC

       b.     Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from the Lesson 2 component contract.
I stuck to what was required. Such as making sure my rough draft lesson plan was turned in on time, my EQ was clearly visible throughout, and I even was able to connected multiple pieces of research to the presentation when I possibly could.

3. What worked for you in your Lesson 2?
What worked for me was the ability to say the directions of what my activity was. Then let them free to work on it with little questions, what scared me was that I failed at directing but rather then it being bad everyone understood it and completed the activity as I pictured it would.

4.  (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your Lesson 2?
I have a feeling I might not have made the 20 minutes I sort of felt that I rushed the activity. So what didn't work was most likely my time management.

5. Finding Value
What do you think your answer #2 is going to be?  
My next answer could possibly be "communicating to the production staff with full understanding" My whole goal with this answer is to go in depth on how to structure you vocabulary in a way that will be calm and kind while being able to be aggressive on how things should be done on stage.

Next production...

Unfortunately the production that was currently being featured at the Chino Community Theatre a.k.a., The Seventh Street Theatre, has finally reached its last showing. Sounds sad I know, but what this means now is I get go back and work with my mentor on the play The Beauty and the Beast Jr. which will be the March play. What my whole goal with going back is to try finding solid answers to my EQ or maybe even make the ones I have stronger with wonderful pieces of information from my mentor. I plan on doing this through the striking of the stage, sitting in on the auditions, and helping be a stage crew member. For any of the upcoming events at/for the Chino Community Theatre you can either go to their website at http://www.chinocommunitytheatre.org/ or you can come here to this blog. I promise to keep it up to date for the next month on all of the dates of the events.

1) February 1st: is the closing show of Boeing Boeing
2) February 13-16: is the Kiwanis Red Velvet Cake Wars
3) February 23 and 24: are the auditions for Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
4) March 7 and 8: will be the showing of The Beauty and the Beast Jr.

Blog 12: Third Interview Questions

1)What is the best way to optimize your stage for a successful production?

2) Does stage size effect your design?

3)How much time planning time do you need for a typical performance?

4)Who decides the budget?

5)Does the music or costumes have a greater effect on the audience?

6) What colors provoke the most emotion?

7) How are lighting marks determined?

8) Does having knowledge in the human behavior helpful?

9) What is the best way to organize your set?

10) Is having an art or building background helpful?

Blog 11: Mentorship 10 Hours

1.   Where are you doing your mentorship?
I am currently doing my mentorship at the "7th Street Theater" or it's also known as the chino community theater. Its theater that puts on a new play ever month and has new directors coming and going.
2.   Who is your contact?
My contact is Paul Lawrson he is actually the owner of the theater. He started off directing every show then slowly came down to a few plays a year. So I work on the plays he directs or the plays he works on the stage.
3.   How many total hours have you done?   
So far I have 17 hours and a few minutes. My plan right now is to get to 30 or more buy the end of February. 
4.   Summarize the 10 hours of service you did.
Well I don't know if you have ever tried to sand down a fairly large hutch a shelf set, but its very time consuming. I couldn't believe that sanding alone would take 5 hours to do. Now for the other 12 hours I spent about 4 hours and a half hours going through the lighting cues that is a slow process, because that slightest mistake and you go to a sudden halt. Now for about the 7 and a half hours was spent doing a little of the same thing as before. However the first 3 and a half hours of those 7 hours were spent making the audio cues while we ran through the full show. Now the last 4 hours was spent running through the show about two and a half times.
 

Blog 10: Senior Project, The Holiday

1.  It is important to consistently work on your senior project, whether it is break or we are in school.  What did you over the break with your senior project?

Since I was unable to assist during the production process of the January show with my, my break focused on researching on my topic. My research focused on raw materials and the best techniques for building and tools to use.  Since I am responsible for builds I thought it would be helpful to improve my understanding of structure, pay loads and set placement.

2.  What was the most important thing you learned from what you did and why?  What was the source of what you learned?

Learning the time frames involved in production is very important. My only reference was my current drama experience and I have found that playhouses have a completely different schedule.  Where I am use to all the work being focused on one play, then a break and preparing for the next play.  In the real world, I have found as one play is going, the behind the scenes work begins for the next play, there are no breaks.  So keeping a schedule and knowing your dates is essential in a successful production.

3.  If you were going to do a 10 question interview on questions related to answers of your EQ, who would you talk to and why?

Since my mentor ship is done at a playhouse, there are several plays within the year.  Each play will have a different director and it requires me to work with each one.  So the questions would be geared to the director I am working under at the time.  I feel like I have several mentors since I am working with so many different people and they all offer a unique insight.

At the end but can start new

So a few weeks again I had the last showing of the play I was working on for mentorship. So now I'm currently in the market for a new play to work on. I'm thinking I might get in touch with the chino community theater and hopefully I can talk to the director of the next play. Other then that my mentorship was awesome it was the perfect setup for me. The position I had was a "swinger" which means that I can go from the light designers job to the audio sound board, or even to the stage crew for the prop placement. On top of all of this I was also able to make the props and stage pieces. So let's see what's going to happen.

The great start

Some say a great start is something that happens very little. I think I might be in that very little. So to start off a few weeks back I went to the chino community theater on 7th street, it was great. I was able to meet the whole stage crew along with bond with a fellow ipoly student. Most of all I learned that rushing through everything and trying to get everything done isn't always the best idea. I say this because I believed that progress was based off of how much you can get done in just a few hours. This changed when I sanded down a cabinet for 5 hours just so we could restrain it. Come to find out the man who gave Gustavo and I this long task thought that it would be done the next time we worked on it. He was shock to find that Gustavo and I sanded down everything. Most of all I had the best start to mentorship I was able to do the tech work such as lighting cues and audio cues. I get to say I started here at this point.