Marionettes, masks and shadows — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Marionettes, masks and shadows
John Stuart Mill · en
You will find that most out-of-door effects are produced by soft natural
lighting which gives a sense of distance and perspective to the scene.
For this effect use yellow, amber, and white lights with an occasional
blue or red. Only lights coming from several directions will produce the
subtle tones of nature. This means using footlights with discretion,
stronger lights overhead, and placing strips wherever you need them in
order to destroy the shadows which other lights may throw. Sometimes it
takes several hours of experimenting to find the right lighting for a
single scene. It means changing the position of the strips, using more
lighting or less lighting, and always asking yourself whether your
lighting is just that which your scene demands to bring out its mood.
The shadows produced by footlights may sometimes be used to give charm
or mystery to a scene. For instance, in the second scene in the
_Petrouchka Ballet_, only footlights were used. The pattern of the
shadows of the dancers falling on a neutral background was very
effective.
If your scene is laid indoors, your lighting will be somewhat determined
by the period of the play. For instance, in the third act of _Men of
Iron_, the great hall of Devlin Castle was softly lighted to suggest
candle and torch light. This effect was produced by using amber and blue
lights overhead; red, blue, white, and amber in the footlights. A strip
of blue and red lights placed upright against the proscenium frame threw
rich color against the king and those of his courtiers who stood near
the throne. This color was most pleasing when it fell upon the armor of
Myles as he knelt before the king.
Again your lighting may be determined by the kind of action. A gay scene
naturally requires bright lighting. As an illustration of this: The
royal kitchen in the _Knave of Hearts_ was made warm and gay by the use
of white and amber lights overhead, and amber, blue, and red footlights
to throw rich colors on the costumes. The fireplace gave a warm light,
and through the window could be seen the bright summer landscape.
As an illustration of a serious and somber scene, we might take the
first act of the hero tale, _Sigurd, the Volsung_. Here many blue lights
were used with a very few red and amber. The result was that the great
hall became a mysterious place in which Odin himself could appear, and a
somber enough setting for the traitorous Siggeir.
If your picture is an imaginative one, such as the garden of jewels in
_Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp_, you are free to use your lights as you
wish, to produce a scene of enchantment.
When you have finished your experimenting, and have found the right
lighting for a scene, take a sheet of paper and make a chart. This
illustration suggests a form for you to follow.