Goldoni play lighting (Venetian Twins)

[vinntec]

I am doing a design for an up coming production of The Venetian Twins. It is set in the daytime on a fixed external set, so normally no problem yellows and blues.

 

However, the director wants the "normal" state to be "non-realistic" and I have been trying to figure out something which both lights faces properly a bit like a sunny day but which at the same time doesn't look quite right. One option might be to use a deeper amber than usual (something like L015) and a deeper blue than normal (maybe L200) but I don't know how well lit faces will be with this. So do I light conventionally (L103 + L201 or similar) and add something extra on top (possibly from unusual angles) or can I get away with an odd mixture of colours as face lights?

[J Pearce]

I'd go for bolder colours and stronger angles.

 

Personally, I'd probably come down and light with a crosslight about 8' off the stage surface, maybe with a strong amber one side and a cold tint the other side (for me that would be in the lavender area, I'm not a big fan of L200/201). I'd then back that with a big 2k/5k fresnel (or maybe a bank of fanned PARs) in an upstage corner (probably the same side as the amber sidelight) with a hot sun colour, maybe L765, maybe L550. If it needed it then some open white out front, brought up on the wheel just high enough to do what it needs to.

Going non-naturalistic often means not having perfect facelight, you want the strong shadows to aid the feel.

[alistermorton]

If you want a really cold blue, try the aptly named L711 Cold Blue. Or for a less obviously blue tint, L500

[vinntec]

Thanks for your thoughts Jon and Alister. I think I will try "facelights" as L015 and L200 with a frontal bash in open white as low as possible.