BTW: these are examples of projection mapping…<\/p>\n
While it was unlikely that the project could support projection mapping, there was plenty of money for exceptional, architectural stage lighting and, as the fa\u00e7ade was as ornate, rococo and balcony-heavy as the Paris Opera House, it offered significant opportunity to create small performance spaces all over the vertical \u201cstage.\u201d<\/p>\n Beyond that, the story being told and the legacy of the culture represented depended heavily on live performance for foundational authenticity.<\/p>\n What I was virtually stunned to encounter was a Producer and Technical Director – in fact, an entire production team – who adamantly rejected the concept; instead, there was an aggressive insistence for HD \/ LED video screens in those spaces in place of actual performers.<\/p>\n This is in a part of the world where technology is of significantly greater expense than live performers; thus, it wasn\u2019t a budget issue.<\/p>\n The rationale for the resistance to live performers on the outdoor fa\u00e7ade was that the approach would require safety rigging for the performers, and (to paraphrase), \u201c\u2026in that part of the world, after a year or two, operators will just ignore the rigging and put the performers at risk.\u201d This was, then, the rationale for developing a show that was, by definition, less than the vision of the client.<\/p>\n Gobsmacked, was I.<\/p>\n There is so much wrong with that statement, imho, that I can\u2019t begin to articulate\u2026 Wait; yes, I can.<\/p>\n Remember \u201dExploration of Assumption”<\/a> ? Let\u2019s explore some of the Assumptions I perceive, here:<\/p>\n So here\u2019s The Thing; the simple fact that someone is from another part of the world no longer lends itself to demographic, cultural or national generalizations, especially in the professional context. Just as was discussed in this space back in August<\/a>, the cross-generational assumptions around digital communications and netiquette, one cannot justifiably assume a lesser level of professionalism, acuity, attention to detail or any other thing, simply due to the racial and cultural makeup of a given team or principal.<\/p>\n So, from one Global Professional to Another; let\u2019s watch out for this.<\/p>\n Even were there a history of lackadaisical inattention to detail or commitment to upkeep on a property or show; I dare say that this [perceived] disparity no longer exists\u2026certainly not in any way broadly assume-able. People in Show and Production are interned, apprenticed, educated and initiated out of standard-setting centers, all over the world. Themed entertainment and theatre are no longer relegated to Disney, Universal and Broadway\u2026<\/p>\n \u2026and people can read, view video, listen to lectures and aggressively study the work of the best without having to travel to Disneyland or Manhattan. To assume that today\u2019s executives and operators aren\u2019t committed to longevity of product is, to my mind, unfair, dismissive, disrespectful, a little bit ignorant\u2026and a little bit racist.<\/p>\n Besides, they have you, there to advise, mentor and teach. Is it not our obligation to share information, fully communicate and expect commitment to the best?<\/p>\n \u201cA man\u2019s reach should exceed his grasp, or what\u2019s a heaven for\u2026?\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n Robert Browning said it and I have often quoted it as my mantra of creating experience. Always shoot for the stars and find ways to create the most amazing thing\u2026accepting less only when it is clear that all options have been exhausted. That is my responsibility as Creative Director, Director, Producer or any combination thereof.<\/p>\n From where I sit, a decades-old legacy of shortfall is no reason to reject the option of going the full distance in realization of vision. Such a legacy can inform one\u2019s process and, if trepidatious, one should address that directly with the client. Share your fears with the client; opening and offering the opportunity for said client to allay any fears by expressing awareness of that same legacy and determination to not fall victim to what may have been standard, years before. Share the knowledge and watch it be embraced. Surprise yourself when discovering that perhaps your client may even be ahead of you, on this.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t ask, you won\u2019t know: if you ask and they didn\u2019t know; they know, now!<\/p>\n It\u2019s a new generation, we are all global citizens. Assume equal commitment to quality and then be sure all terms are defined.<\/p>\n Communicate.<\/p>\n Up front.<\/p>\n My sense is that more positive reassurance will come from such a process, along with deepened mutual respect and understanding\u2026and a far stronger working relationship; one based on trust and actual understanding rather than on assumption and the acting thereon.<\/p>\n Assuming a client or staff in another country won\u2019t meet one\u2019s own standard of production is, imho and as I inferred above, just a tad racist. While that may have been appreciably rationalized (note I did not say justified) a decade or two ago; I don\u2019t believe it carries even that shaky foundation, any longer.<\/p>\n Yes, there are some parts of the world where the definition of \u201cdeadline\u201d is a little more fluid than we may be used to, there are places where bureaucracy and corruption protract timelines and expand expenditure\u2026and, yes, there are charlatans in every country – including the US – who are only in it for short-term gain and bail. This, I do not contest.<\/p>\n That being said, I believe that the great majority of people and companies who undertake to create experience that will draw audiences and make money believe, in their heart of hearts, that they want to create the best, and they want it to last. Few plan to fail.<\/p>\n I believe it is our responsibility to support the Dream and inform the process; proactively enlightening as we collaborate and being open to our own enlightenment as we do so.<\/p>\n imho.<\/p>\n “imho” the book for iPad and MacOS is still free (and always will be) – containing the first 20 chapters of this blog, it contains all the fundamentals discussed and referenced in subsequent posts. Download it and let me know what you think. Thank you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A plethora of projects is taking shape across the globe just now; from multiple, massive theme park projects in a number of countries to Expo Milano 2015 and Dubai 2020, to Olympics and Paralympics and World Cups and myriad, smaller … Continue reading ![\"3d-projection-mapping_2\"](\"https:\/\/imho.kileozier.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/3d-projection-mapping_2.jpg\")
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