Cozette Kosary, M.A., B.E.D.
UX Researcher and Strategist
R.O.Y.G.B.I.V.
Primary Color Lights
showcased the complexity and depth in hue of a crumpled white sheet before the addition and manipulation of light levels.
The Transition of Colors
demonstrated the evolution of rhythm and diversity of beats in the song "ROYGBIV" by Boards of Canada.
R.O.Y.G.B.I.V. Rainbow
represented the title of the song and gave the appearance of movement to the static white sheet.
Project Overview
Design Team
Cozette Kosary
Duration
1 Day, Spring 2008
Deliverables
A Theatrical Light Show
• Primary Color Sheets
• Secondary Color Sheets
• Tertiary Color Sheets
• R.O.Y.G.B.I.V. Rainbow Color Sheets
Assignment
Turn music into light. By choosing a song and using no more than 4 lights and a gobo to light a static objects to express movement and/or emotions from the song.
Design Focus
To give movement to a crumpled white sheet by using light to express emotion from the song "ROYGBIV" by Boards of Canada.
Solution
A crumpled white sheet was placed on the floor in order to gain a depth of colors in the folds of the sheet.
Lights were then programed to sync with the music of "ROYGBIV" by Boards of Canada to first display primary colors and then transition into tertiary and secondary colors and ending each transition phase in a R.O.Y.G.B.I.V. Rainbow. This pattern was chosen to express the evolution and diversity of the song's beats.
Design Process
Phase 1:
Programming
Material Selection:
Song:
"ROYGBIV" by Boards of Canada for its evolution in rhythm and diversity in beats.
Static Object:
A white crumpled sheet placed on the floor because the fold would create shadows adding a layer of depth to the light when projected.
Lights:
Three ellipsoidal lights were hung at McCandless Angles to get maximum coverage. A forth ellipsoidal light with a gobo was hung as a top-light over the sheet.
Gobo:
A shattered glass gobo was used to cast shadows on the sheet.
Song Analysis:
"ROYGBIV" was first broken down into timed segments of similar rhythms.
Once segments were defined by length in terms of seconds, they were assigned a color.
Since the first three rhythms started similar the colors transitioned to each of the primary colors with a pause of darkness in between. So the beginning of the show read: Red, Dark, Blue, Dark, Yellow.
As additional beats were added to the original rhythm the color transitioned from light tertiary colors to secondary colors to dark tertiary colors. Each phase of secondary transitions was followed by a R.O.Y.G.B.I.V. Rainbow.
Material Selection | Stage Setup
The Song "ROYGBIV" by Boards of Canada | A Crumpled White Sheet | Red, Blue, and Yellow Ellipsoidal Lights placed at McCandless Angles | Shattered Glass Gobo Ellipsoidal Top-Light
Song Analysis
Red | Dark | Blue | Dark | Yellow | Yellow-Orange | Orange | Red-Orange | R.O.Y.G.B.I.V. Rainbow | Yellow-Green | Green | Blue-Green | R.O.Y.G.B.I.V. Rainbow | Blue-Indigo | Indigo | Red-Indigo | R.O.Y.G.B.I.V. Rainbow | Blue-Violet | Violet | Red-Violet | Dark
Phase 2:
Schematic Design
Lighting Scheme Guide:
Rules for creating color combinations:
Primary colors equal 100% color.
Secondary colors equals 50% one primary color and 50% another primary color (may add 33% gobo).
Light tertiary colors equal 33% darker primary color plus 66% lighter primary color plus 33% gobo.
Dark tertiary colors equal 33% lighter color plus 66% darker color plus 33% gobo.
R.O.Y.G.B.I.V. rainbow color equals varied percentages of all three primary colors plus 66% gobo.
Lighting Scheme Guide
offered rules to follow to create color combinations.
For Example:
Red Light = 100% Red Light | Yellow-Orange Light = 33% Red + 66% Yellow + 33% Gobo | Orange Light = 50% Red + 50% Yellow | Red-Orange Light = 33% Yellow + 66% Red + 33% Gobo
Phase 3:
Construction
To begin construction, a white sheet was first placed center stage and crumpled into a circle. The folds in the sheet created shadows would pick up a darker or different hue when lite.
Three ellipsoidal lights, one with a Red gel, one with a Blue gel, and one with a Yellow gel, were then hung at McCandless Angles. This angling offered maximum light coverage for the sheet and allowed for color blending. Due to the light hitting the sheet at opposite angles color could be blended equally on a level surface. However when the light hit a fold in the sheet and blended with the shadow it generated a darker hue of the color aimed in that direction. For example when blending the Yellow light and Red light to create an Orange colored sheets the folds facing the right side were a Yellow hue while the folds facing left were Red. Where the sheet was level in appeared to be an Orange hue.
A forth ellipsoidal light with a shattered glass gobo was hung as a top-light to cast a shadow on the sheet. When the top-light was lite, the gobo’s shadow would obstruct the other ellipsoidal lights paths and allow for the lights to hit the sheet unevenly. This effect caused the lights to layer themselves on the sheets in which some areas of the sheet would be White and others Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, or Violet. Thus creating a R.O.Y.G.B.I.V. Rainbow color effect.
After aiming and positioning the lights, they were programmed to represent the following colors:
Red
Blue
Yellow
Yellow-Orange
Orange
Red-Orange
R.O.Y.G.B.I.V. Rainbow
Yellow-Green
Green
Blue-Green
R.O.Y.G.B.I.V. Rainbow
Blue-Indigo
Indigo
Red-Indigo
R.O.Y.G.B.I.V. Rainbow
Blue-Violet
Violet
Red-Violet
R.O.Y.G.B.IV. Rainbow
Colors were then programmed and synced to the part of they song they were to represent.
Programming Secondary Colors
blended two of the McCandless Angle lights equally.
Programmed Example of a Secondary Color:
8 seconds of Orange = 50% Red Light + 50% Yellow Light
Programming Tertiary Colors
blended two of the McCandless Angle lights at 33% and 66% with the addition of the gobo top-light at 33%.
Programmed Examples of Tertiary Colors:
3.5 seconds of Red-Orange = 66% Red Light + 33% Yellow Light + 33% Gobo
2.5 seconds of Yellow-Orange = 33% Red Light + 66% Yellow Light + 33% Gobo
Programming R.O.Y.G.B.I.V. Rainbow Color
blended all three of the McCandless Angle lights at different percentages with the addition of the gobo top-light at 66%.
Programmed Example of a R.O.Y.G.B.I.V. Rainbow Color:
10 seconds of R.O.Y.G.B.I.V. Rainbow = 40% Red Light + 20% Yellow Light + 40% Blue + 66% Gobo
Solution
Final Thoughts
R.O.Y.G.B.I.V. is a theatrical light show that uses primary colored McCandless Angled lights and a top-light with a gobo to light a crumpled white sheet to the song “ROYGBIV" by Boards of Canada.
After programming the lights to the beat of the music, a transition of primary, secondary, tertiary, and R.O.Y.G.B.I.V. rainbow colors emerged, capturing the movement and emotion of the song in the highlights and folds of the sheet.
My Role:
• Responsible for Entire Project from Programming to Schematic Design to Construction