Session 1 · CREATE: Transform
Lighting and sound lab
- 10 minSafety talk: LED lights only, cellophane never on hot bulbs, cables taped down, adults only on ladders.
- 15 minLighting lab: dim the room. Light a volunteer with a torch from the front, side, above and below. Add coloured cellophane. How does each change the mood?
- 15 minSound lab: build a soundscape for one scene using voices, bodies and objects, then find one or two recorded effects from a free library.
- 10 minWrite a cue sheet for your play: cue number, what happens on stage (the 'go' moment), lighting change, sound change.
Session 2 · CREATE: Transform
Technical rehearsal and feedback
- 20 minTech run: perform with lights and sound. The stage manager calls each cue ('Standby cue 3… cue 3 go').
- 10 minSwap with another group and give feedback: is the issue clear? Can we see and hear everyone? Does the lighting or sound add meaning, or just decoration?
- 15 minChange at least two things based on the feedback and run those sections again.
- 5 minDiary: what did you change, and why?
Getting started
Plan three cues: a lighting state for the opening, a sound for the turning point, and a blackout at the end.
Stretch
Design a different lighting state for each scene and use colour as a symbol (for example cold blue when a character feels alone).
Checkpoint
A cue sheet that works in a full run, plus at least two changes made from feedback.
Activities for this week
- Torch lighting lab: How does the direction and colour of light change how we feel about a character?
- Soundscape and cue sheet: How can sound tell the audience where they are and what to feel?
Useful this week
- Costume, lighting and sound design ↗ How New Zealand theatre designers use light and sound to create mood.
- Colours of light ↗ The science behind mixing coloured light for your lighting design.
- BBC Sound Effects ↗ Thousands of free sound effects for personal and school projects.