iThinker

Video installation

Location: Theatre corridor, WCA

Time: 22-23th April 2010 (star from Thursday afternoon)

what I look at is never what I wish to see

” what I look at is never what I wish to see” which is Lacan’s gaze theory, we can never see ourselves from the point from which we view others. He divided human seeing into vision and gazing, and there are many forms of the gaze.

I am looking at the usage of digital screens in live theatre, and there is a connection to Lacan. Like the Mirro stage and how we form ourselves and identity, and the gaze. But my work is not about Mirro Stage, the gaze...Ideas are also come from others related reading.

In theatre, audience viewing a performance is the gaze, and the gaze might not audience themselves, it can be performers' or directors'.The employment of live camera projections and films could present various angles to audiences, which are both what they can and cannot see. Here, I am trying to explain my piece with this theory. In Connection, a party scene, for example, Lauren is chatting with Naiming. Later on, a screen behind them shows a video of a girl’s death which represents Lauren’s inner world, an abstract concept. Through utilizing video is possible to present a character’ thoughts, dreams, memories and fantasies, which is a gaze from the character’s point of view.

In another scene, Lauren saw Yunzhe on a street. The main screen shows a video, Yunzhe waiting for a cab, from Lauren’s viewpoint, the gaze of Lauren. Also, a side screen presents two angles of Lauren gazing at Yunzhe, which are different from audiences’ view from their seats. What is more, the view of the whole stage, onstage acting, variety of viewpoints of video projection from actress’ and my director’s gaze, are the subject of audiences’ gaze. I am interested in the outcome of these many ways of looking in this kind of performance. When look at gaze and viewpoint in theatre, the audience view a performance which is finally the gaze of the director.

The employment of projection and film present various angles to audiences, which are both what they can and cannot see. The screens give new viewpoints new types of gaze for the theatre.

Also, Paul Valery discusses gaze in live performance and says, “two people look at each other, you take my appearance, my image, and I take yours. You are not I, since you see me and I don’t not see myself. What is missing for me is this ‘I’ whom you can see. And what you miss is the ‘you’ I see.” I am considering if, in theatre, the “I” I miss and the “you” you miss can be seen through utilisation of video and live camera projections.

L ab 3 report-- video & live acting

In Connection which is a story about a girl who has an ability of telepathy can feel another girl’s sense the relationships between onstage actions and live and recorded video are explored. Particularly, I am working with the digital projections which use different viewpoints in variety ways. Through involving videos connecting two events which happened in different place at the same time. Presenting more than one angles to audience through the usage of video, like top view, side, double, close-up shots and POV shots. I also try to present inner state, thought, which is a abstract conception through projection. A party scene, for example, Lauren was chatting with naiming . Later on she stood still mean while the main screen was video about a girl’s death, which was representing Lauren’s feeling, sad.

1 There are too many elements at the same time

I think the main reasons for this is Connection itself is a complex story and I am trying to make every part clear but also to create a special feeling. However, I focused on too much details which should have been well arranged. For example, one time I showed four or five video images on the screen at the same time, appearing and disappearing. I think this was good to communicate a feeling or atmosphere, but it did not show the story clearly and confused audience.

2 Some audiences questioned if repeated videos and scenes necessary

In the performance, some video and performance scenes were repeated, but this was for essential reasons.

I used a repeated video, but reversed, to show a transition movement back in time. This is for the story to explain why Lauren had the strange feelings. So, the story ends when Lauren sees Yunzhe over a road. The live acting and the video then reversed to go back to the beginning of the story, in order to go forward again to explain Lauren’s range of strange actions. The reversed repeated video showed this time transition.

Secondly, some scenes that were live perfomance in the first part were repeated on video in the second part of Connection. For example, in the first part, Lauren dropped her shoes in live performance, and the she and the audience do not know why. In the second part, on video is the scene when Lauren dropped her shoes and in the live performance Yunzhe is on the subway and drops her map when a man passes her. The idea was show two related events at the same time but different space, and to swap the space from stage to screen because we go back in time.

This idea did not communicate well to audience. When planning the performance, I decided not to use dialogue or voiceover to explain the story. I did this because the connection effect is not clear to Lauren, she not understand her strange feelings, so I did not want to communicate the story over-direct. I wanted the style to be open and ambiguous a little for audience to feel what Lauren feeling, and try to understand.

This is also a question I am asking, about how clear the communication to the audience is. From the feedback, I understand I did not communicate clear enough, also with the problem of too many elements.

3 The live acting is weaker than video.

According to this problem, I should have been concerned more about onstage actions. Like, how can live acting work well with the projection. However, there are some practical reasons for this problem such as limited time offered by actors, limited time using the Portakabin and other technical problems.

I should have taken more time at rehearsal, testing how to well combine live acting with video, and cut some video.

Lab 3 --space

Here is my lab show’s space (Portakabin) with a basic model.

About Connection’s setting concerning with technical problems. Firstly, regarding the balance of the quality of projection and lighting, the limited space for the screen in this design will limit the scale of projection. Secondly, questioning the set design what is the function of the s design? Why? Is it related to the whole performance?

According to problems I faced, I try to utilise the space in order to offer as much distance as it can, and I did my space setting as I show below.

However, my outcome piece still does work well. The limited space affected the big screen combined with onstage action, which some how might reduce level of emotion.. Especially I presented two big screens at the same time. The stage, actors and screens were too close to each other. In order to reduce the flatness, I painted the screens in grey, for a different level of brightness.

In theatre, different distance between audiences and performers and actors and screens are essential for a play, which could develop atmosphere.