12
Angry Jurors
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Going into the lighting design for 12 Angry Jurors, I knew it was going to be a challenge. The lighting required for a show like this was a sudden shift than what I had done in the past--as this was the first play I had ever done the lighting design for. I knew that the bursts of color, the fun movement of the moving lights, the fast moving nature of the lighting cues--none of that would work for a show like this. 12 Angry Jurors demands a more subtle and thought out nature with the lights. In a musical, the justification for my decisions were mainly dictated by shallow observations of emotion (song about love having pink, sad songs having blue, etc.) and whatever looks the "coolest". When working with a show defined by its plot and meaning, the lights needed to portray a narrative that matched.
Isolation
Isolation
Throughout the show, I isolated certain characters with the lights for multiple reasons. From a more technical perspective, it helps draw the audiences focus to the one specific character, but it can also help shift the perspective of the scene. For example, during Juror 3's monologue, I have it fade into lights focused on him, showing he is getting lost in his emotions. As he rambles on about his kid, he has lost where he is, and the audience can now feel that as they lose the other actors with him.
I also isolate certain characters to show a difference in beliefs, and showcase that they are standing alone--painting them in light different from the rest.
Cool Tones vs. Warm Tones
Cool Tones vs. Warm Tones
When building the atmosphere for the Jury Room, I used warm-tones, to pair with the sepia-toned wash lights. Whenever I want to separate the scene from the Jury Room, I use cool-tones. When Juror 8 times the time it would've taken the old man, I use blue to emphasize this is a separate place, with slight orange on the Jury members to make them stand out.
Snapshot Moment:
Snapshot Moment:
This is a tableau that is at the end of Act 2, which stays for a beat before the lights go out. I created this look by using one of the moving lights from SR, angled down center stage with a cool white, then I use a moving light from SL angled down in the same manner with red, then using red on all of the LED down lights. I use a cool white rather than a warmer white to help take this scene away from the physical lights of the Jury Room, and into lights dictated by Juror 3's emotion.
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