Workshop: Day 1

Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 13,
Day 14, Day 15, Day 16, Day 17, Day 18, Day 19, Day 20, Main

DPG Elements Rehearsal Notebook (transcribed 2/7/06-2/10) Additional comments in italics were written the following month.

First initials are used instead of names.

(The theatre space is so lovely and empty. I wonder, will it happen?) P discusses floor plan. K’s dancers improv dance. All members present for 1 hour (frustratingly little time).
N diagrams the space as P describes potential location of screens, projectors, cameras, and computer resources. N makes counter suggestions, because she is concerned with seeing the Access Grid people from on stage. (P wants to mount screens downstage at proscenium, N concerned with making eye contact with those on screen.) A, B, Paul, N, M and K present. P/B talk about how/where to set up an analog to DV connection from video camera to computer receiving input (firewire is too long). It is decided that the down facing projector will be hung from the second catwalk.
After seeing Fire dance, N suggests to K that a single dancer (E) left rolling on the floor is the water dancer (solo). N’s has the idea to fill her body (shape) with water video N has been shooting.
P discusses use of 10’x20’ black scrim from Bebe Miller show. N and P map out the placement of equipment on stage. Stage right 12’x12’ Center rear-projection screen & THET Dell PIG for Access Grid, theatre’s projector (ceiling mounted), back wall scrim, center stage B’s projector and possibly camera for motion-tracking, stage left 8x10 rear projection screen (possibly light shop projector?), wondering where to put B’s machine to control Tap-tiles (possibly use N’s Laptop), in the back of house will be Dance’s Sharp projector and Mk’s sound computer equipment.
Mk shows up late. We have a short discussion of the need for a gentner echo-canceling sound system for the Access Grid (AG). B discusses using no-reactive cd to play back some media from main projector (vs. patches to run all media.) We B/N/P/Mk engage in a group discussion about sound and media. N argues for keeping all technology as an option before weeding it out. Mk is feeling overworked at his job, and is not able/willing to do interactive sound. N tries to explain that sounds can be played just as easily with tap tiles (same patch as video data) and holds on to the idea of a camera from above motion sensing activating some kind of data. N is not wedded to what type of technology is used when (although she suggests that triggering used mostly in the Fire scene as other scenes filled). N knows that we need to set up the environment (with dummy media if necessary) to give dancers a chance to play and see what they need/want to use to create the performance.
Equipment: We still need one computer for the tap-tiles. N’s laptop may be being used already as a PIG (Personal Interface to the Grid). B offers possibly bringing in G5 from video lab. P talks about using the light shop dell. Screens: One for Access Grid, B's media, other Scheduling: K not coming in the morning (surprise to me, she is now teaching T&TH’s, scheduling begins to get crazy as attendance begins to drop. N struggles to keep people available and working together when they come at same times.)
P and Mk talk sound, Mk suggests vision triggered sounds in water scene, M now wants air in colors with fog, N writes to herself, “try to keep an open mind.” P Rocks!
Video tap-tile is issue of contention. N wants to keep it until K knows how/if wants to use it with the dancers. B’s point of view is that technology takes time, so either tell him yes we need it or no. N responds, the performers have never used this technology before, so build it and see if they need it. (N had already let go of idea of using her waterfall patch, decides but that she will not let go of using motion triggering and tap tile as options in either Fire or Water triggering either sound or video…their choice when/how used...just set it up.)