# joseph and the technicolor dreamcoat



## jenksat (Oct 16, 2008)

We are doing Joseph and the amazing Technicolor dream coat at my theater and was wondering if any one had any cool and fun ideas for lighting and sound.


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## Grog12 (Oct 16, 2008)

Uhm.....Mic the actors? *whistles innocently*

I have a really funny JatATDC story...I think I may have posted it here somewhere...meh.


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## lieperjp (Oct 16, 2008)

Watch the movie for some inspiration. Let your own creativity do the designing, though.


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## slimrocktwo (Oct 16, 2008)

*Re: Joseph and the Technicolor dream coat*

The community production group did Joseph in August, and they had rented four 6 ft led color blazers to light up a scrim. And during Go Go Joe, we had a moment where the actors were silhouetted (the only light on stage was the dancing color blazes). Another thing we did was use blinders during Pharaoh's bit, to emphasize the peaks in the song. Joseph is a fun show to do, and I find myself humming the songs form it every now and then.


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## icewolf08 (Oct 17, 2008)

*Re: Joseph and the Technicolor dream coat*

DON'T WATCH THE MOVIE! As soon as you start looking at anyone else's productions you will start to want to use some of their ideas (whether you intend to or not).

It is generally our way of thinking on CB not to just hand out design ideas for shows. If you are designing a show it should be your idea and not ours. What is a "cool and fun idea?" Everyone thinks differently, and we don't know what you have to work with.

So, look at the show, look at the set design for your show, and star by filling out the needs of the show. Then talk to the director and the other designers and find out if there is anything that they would like to see. Maybe the set designer has some vision of lighting built into scenery. Think about how the scenes and songs make you feel, lighting for musicals often hinges a lot on the mood and music.

If you come back with a couple ideas and ask how to make them work, we certainly can help with that, but the design and ideas should be your own.


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## Grog12 (Oct 17, 2008)

*Re: Joseph and the Technicolor dream coat*

Thank you Alex for saying it so I didn't have too.

And jenksat, feel free to drop by the new members forums so we can get a better sense of who you are.


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## waynehoskins (Oct 17, 2008)

*Re: Joseph and the Technicolor dream coat*


icewolf08 said:


> DON'T WATCH THE MOVIE! As soon as you start looking at anyone else's productions you will start to want to use some of their ideas (whether you intend to or not).



I agree. For that reason, when I light a show, I intentionally avoid looking at photos from somebody else's design of the show (which is often simple enough, seeing how most of the time, the first time I see that show is when I'm lighting it).


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## DavidDaMonkey (Oct 17, 2008)

Avoid what we did in a Joseph production about 10 years ago. We had the pit down for the local youth orchestra and 30 minutes before curtain, the fire curtain malfunctioned and came in about halfway. We couldn't raise it, so we decided if it was lowered all the way, then it could come back up. That was incorrect, so then it was just stuck all the way in. We are a proscenium stage with a thrust, so the only thing left exposed was the pit. So we raised it, crammed the orchestra together, and made liberal use of the aisles.


BTW, I was 13 at the time, so I use the term "we" loosely.


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## msr5752 (Oct 27, 2008)

I've done sound design and lighting for Joseph. I love the show. I agree, don't watch the movie. Make it your own. If you need to watch the movie for the flow of the show then ok....but you can go crazy in some scenes and get away with it where it wouldn't work in other shows. 

I was cast in Joseph....until the producer fired the entire artistic staff 1.5 weeks before we opened because his daughter wasn't CS in EVERY number. 3 week rehearsal, 2 week run, 2 different theaters. talk about no time.  We were all under contract and we had a fantastic cast together. The stage manager said that "this happens all the time". I guess I haven't been working in theater long enough (15 years, 8 years pro.). It was a crazy ride. I always tell people that I was cast in "the show formerly known as Joseph". 

I hope the producer learned his lesson. I don't think anyone will want to work with him again.


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## MaddMaxx (Oct 31, 2008)

Yeah..Joseph and the amazing Godspell for Jews (I'm a Jew - get off my case!). Have done it 3 times. After 120 performances the music gets to be like the Small World ride at Disney....Just shoot me! Please! Let me 2nd or third: Do not see the movie - Donny will make your teeth soft. Do not see any one elses production! Dream your own dream and make it reality. One thing I did effectivly was use a lot of gobos and Intel instruments - gobo for jail cell, etc...Hve fun.


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## Sayen (Nov 1, 2008)

Is it safe to suggest doing your own design first, after speaking with everyone involved, and then do some research looking at previous productions? YouTube is a great resource for this. While you want to present your own design, there's no reason not to look for what is considered standard in other productions, to avoid reinventing the wheel when it comes to your design, or to overlook something considered traditional and expected by your audience. I find this to be especially useful when dealing with difficult scenic demands - like the stupid bridge in Les Mis.

That said, certainly begin with your own design work.


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## shuftie (May 7, 2010)

hey i am the lighting designer for mine and i am using 2x 40deg palco led wash to change colour and maybe using 2 martin mac 250's


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## nithin1997 (May 15, 2010)

At our community theatre we used strobe lights for one of the scenes. I cant remember which one.


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