ABSTRACT

Title of Thesis: “BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK”:
AN EXPLORATION OF PROCESS,
FILM, AND COLLABORATION

Deja Collins, Master of Fine Arts, 2023

Thesis Directed By: Professor Jared Mezzocchi
Department of Theatre, Dance,
and Performance Studies

The following thesis documents my design process and the discoveries I made as the projection

designer for the production of By the Way, Meet Vera Stark, directed by Scott Reese and Alvin

Mayes, and the cinematographer for its short film Belle of New Orleans. The production opened

on October 7th, 2022, in the Kay Theatre at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the

University of Maryland.



“BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK”: AN EXPLORATION OF PROCESS, FILM, AND
COLLABORATION

by

Deja Collins

Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the
University of Maryland, College Park, in partial fulfillment

of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Fine Arts

2023

Advisory Committee:
Professor Jared Mezzocchi, Chair
Sound & Media Technologist Sam Crawford
Professor Misha Kachman
Principal Lecturer Alvin Mayes



© Copyright by

Deja Collins

2023



Dedication

I would love to dedicate this thesis to my family. Thanks to your love, sacrifices, and the

example you set, I lead my life courageously in pursuit of the path less taken.

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Acknowledgments

First, I would like to acknowledge the creative (also known as the “Fab Five”) and production

team whom I had the opportunity to collaborate with on the production of By The Way, Meet

Vera Stark, in addition to the production team.

Scot Reese and Alvin Mayes, Directors

Heather Reynolds, Lighting Design

Shartoya Jn. Baptiste, Scenic Design

Cody Von Ruden, Costume Design

Sam Crawford, Sound Design

Aimee Dastin-van Rijn, Stage Manager

Josie Danckaert, Board Operator

I want to extend my gratitude to Team Media for their help and advice throughout this entire

process. Also, I would like to thank the staff from the technology shop for helping me make this

production possible and for lending me your guidance and expertise over these past few years.

Lastly, I would like to acknowledge the professionals that have mentored me and helped me

grow as a designer during my time in graduate school.

Jared Mezzocchi

Sam Crawford

Alvin Mayes

Scot Reese

Misha Kachman

Kendra Portier

Daniel Conway

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Table of Contents

Dedication....................................................................................................................................... 4

Acknowledgments.......................................................................................................................... 5

Table of Contents........................................................................................................................... 6

Chapter 1: Backstory and Breakdown........................................................................................ 1
Figure 1.0 - Interior of TCL Chinese Theatre............................................................................5

Chapter 2: Vera Stark Summary................................................................................................. 6

Chapter 3: The Research...............................................................................................................8
Figure 3.0 - Research Plate........................................................................................................ 9
Figure 3.1 - Research Plate........................................................................................................ 9
Figure 3.2 - Research Plate...................................................................................................... 10
Figure 3.3 - Research Plate...................................................................................................... 10
Figure 3.4 - Film Research Plates ........................................................................................... 11

Chapter 4: The Concept.............................................................................................................. 12
Figure 4.0 - Initial Concept: Hollywood Backlot.................................................................... 12
Figure 4.1 - Initial Concept: Gloria’s Apartment.....................................................................13
Drafting The Plot..................................................................................................................... 14

Figure 4.2 - Initial Plot (Groundplan and Section View)...................................................15
Figure 4.3 - Final Plot (Groundplan and Section View).................................................... 16

Chapter 5: Belle of New Orleans................................................................................................ 17
Pre-Production......................................................................................................................... 18

Figure 5.0 - Belle Of New Orleans Notes..........................................................................20
Figure 5.1 - Belle Of New Orleans Notes..........................................................................21
Figure 5.2 - Comparison of Belle Film to Inspired Film Stills..........................................23
Figure 5.3 - Abbreviations of Film Shots.......................................................................... 25
Figure 5.4 - Preliminary Shot List..................................................................................... 25
Figure 5.5 - Film Storyboard............................................................................................. 28
Figure 5.6 - Camera Plot....................................................................................................31

Production................................................................................................................................31
Figure 5.7 - Filming Schedule........................................................................................... 32
Day One............................................................................................................................. 34

Figure 5.8 - Test Shot 1................................................................................................34
Figure 5.9 - Test Shot 2................................................................................................35

ⅳ



Figure 5.10 - Test Shot 3..............................................................................................35
Figure 5.11 - Establishing Shot....................................................................................36

Day Two.............................................................................................................................37
Figure 5.12 - Behind The Scenes.................................................................................38
Figure 5.13 - Behind The Scenes (Monitor Station)....................................................39
Figure 5.14 - Behind The Scenes.................................................................................39
Figure 5.15 - Behind The Scenes.................................................................................40

Day Three...........................................................................................................................41
Post Production........................................................................................................................ 42

Figure 5.19 - Images from Belle of New Orleans Film..................................................... 43
Opening and Closing Credits.............................................................................................46

Figure 5.20 - “Opening Title Sequence”......................................................................46
Figure 5.21 - Title Sequence Outline........................................................................... 47
Figure 5.22 - Stills of Opening and Closing Credits....................................................48
Figure 5.23 - Stills of Opening and Closing Credits....................................................49

Chapter 6: Developing Media.....................................................................................................50
Figure 6.0 - Media Needs.........................................................................................................51
Figure 6.1 - Equipment Needs................................................................................................. 52
The Leroy Barksdale Interview............................................................................................... 53

Figure 6.2 - Leroy Interview..............................................................................................53
The Brad Donovan Show.........................................................................................................54

Figure 6.3 - Title Sequence: rainbow motifs slide into frame (start of animation)............55
Figure 6.4 - Title Sequence: echo effect of text as it enlarges........................................... 56
Figure 6.5 - Title Sequence: glow effect and remaining text fades in............................... 56
Figure 6.6 - Title Sequence: end of animation...................................................................57
Figure 6.7 - Screenshot of Floor Panel.............................................................................. 58
Figure 6.8 - Brad Donovan Title Sequence (Part 1).......................................................... 59
Figure 6.9 - Brad Donovan Title Sequence (Part 2).......................................................... 60

The Photo Shoots..................................................................................................................... 61
Figure 6.10 - Movie Poster................................................................................................ 62
Figure 6.11 - Vera’s Beauty Portraits ................................................................................ 63
Figure 6.12 - Vera and Leroy............................................................................................. 64
Figure 6.13 - Leroy’s Mugshot.......................................................................................... 65
Figure 6.14 - Drunk Vera................................................................................................... 65
Figure 6.15 - Homeless Vera..............................................................................................66

The Colloquium....................................................................................................................... 67
Figure 6.16 - Colloquium Presentation Slides................................................................... 68

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Chapter 7: Creating [New] Transitions..................................................................................... 69
Figure 7.0 - Song Transition Notes..........................................................................................70
Figure 7.1 - Song Transition Notes..........................................................................................71
Creating [Newer] Transitions...................................................................................................72
Figure 7.2 - Transition Outline and Chart Breakdown............................................................ 73
Figure 7.3 - Stills of Transition One........................................................................................ 74
Figure 7.4 - Stills of Transition Two........................................................................................75
Figure 7.5 - Stills of Transition Three.....................................................................................76

Chapter 8: Tech Rehearsals........................................................................................................ 78
Computer Malfunction.............................................................................................................78
Media in Space.........................................................................................................................79

Figure 8.0 - Gloria’s Apartment: Media Content...............................................................80
Figure 8.1 - Gloria’s Apartment: Projecting Media Onto Space....................................... 80
Figure 8.2 - Hollywood Backlot: Media Content.............................................................. 81
Figure 8.3 - Hollywood Backlot: Projecting Media Onto Space....................................... 81
Figure 8.4 - Lighting and Projecting Onto Portal A.......................................................... 82
Figure 8.5 - Portal Transitions with Projections and Lighting...........................................84
Figure 8.6 - Image of Scene Transition One......................................................................84

Chapter 9: Show Opens...............................................................................................................85
Figure 9.0 - Images from By The Way, Meet Vera Stark.........................................................86

Chapter 10: Reflection.................................................................................................................90
Figure 10.0 - Image of Colloquium Set from By The Way, Meet Vera Stark..........................91
Figure 10.1 - Image of Light Switch in Belle Of New Orleans (Before Edit).........................95
Figure 10.2 - Image of Light Switch in Belle Of New Orleans (After Edit)........................... 95
Media’s Purpose Onstage.........................................................................................................96

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Chapter 1: Backstory and Breakdown

At the beginning of my journey at the University of Maryland, I started from a low place.

Mentally, I came from an undergraduate experience with unsettled anxiety amidst the uncertainty

of the pandemic.

Before becoming a designer, I studied film and video as an undergraduate. I spent four years

studying and working in the film industry only to find myself at ground zero in graduate school,

learning the ropes of the theatre industry. I felt like the black sheep trying to navigate the ins and

outs of this new world, and I had to learn fast by designing shows, making mistakes, and asking

my classmates and professors many questions. This chapter of my life was a battle against

myself: imposter syndrome, anxiety, trying to find my voice, and defining what kind of designer

I am. Who am I as a designer? Do I have what it takes? Will my work be good enough?

—

One day, my mom asked me, “What do you do? What does a Projection Designer do?” Taken

aback, I gave her a terrible answer, “The person that designs the images that come out of a

projector.”

Honestly, I never spent the time to think about how to describe my profession in words. I just

knew what it meant and surrounded myself with those who knew it. So when it came to finding

the correct language to explain to someone with a minimal understanding of the theater world, I

gave an oversimplified answer which left my mom more confused. Since then, I probed some of

my peers on their definitions of Projection and Media Design, leaving me with more questions

regarding the similarities and differences between the Projection and Media disciplines.

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Compared to Lighting, Scenic, and Costume Design, Projection Design is a relatively new form

of design for the stage. Although the earliest projectors can be attributed to the design form’s

name, with the current and ever-evolving technological advancements that designers use for

storytelling, I had to ask myself:

➢ What do Projection and Media Design mean?

➢ And are they the same thing or different?

For the past few years, I have been indecisive about their meanings and how they fit into my

design lexicon. And when asked by the Production Staff, it is a constant question whether I

should be referred to as the Projection Designer or Media Designer on the playbill.

For a while, Projection and Media meant the same thing. So I need to explain how Projection and

Media differ from one another since, through experimentation and collaboration, the two terms

have reshifted my approach to designing By The Way, Meet Vera Stark.

Based on my experience, I use the following definition:

Media is content or visual data.

Projection is the creative application of media in a space using digital or analog technology

(projectors, led screens, CRTs, and overhead projectors).

Media serves as a tool for Projection and the other technology sources that can display this

digital information. These Projection sources can include:

➢ LED Panels (achieve a futuristic or clean aesthetic given their sharp and bright visuals)

➢ Overhead Projectors (for real-time content generation using hands-on practical effects)

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➢ Virtual Reality (an immersive and interactive experience within a fully digitized world)

➢ Digital Projectors (a familiar source in movie theatres that is flexible in scale and in use)

➢ Cathode-Ray Tube Screens or CRTs (gives a noisy analog texture for a nostalgic appeal)

➢ Smartphones (for a small yet widely accessible viewing experience)

For this thesis, Projections function as the digital projector, and how one uses that technology is

up to the designer.

—

I gained much of my design experience collaborating on dance projects. From the Spring MFA

Dance Thesis to the Experimental Performance Series, I learned how to develop my design ideas

by connecting with the choreographer’s movement, music, and concept. Specifically, it was

during my work on choreographer Tristan Koepke’s MFA dance thesis “Finally, Fairies!” that I

began to integrate my background in filmmaking into my design process and style. Filming and

editing content for “Finally, Fairies!” was an experimental and somewhat improvisational

process as I reinterpreted familiar imagery into a deconstructed short film. And while I was still

working on the dance thesis, I was assigned to design the play By The Way, Meet Vera Stark for

my thesis. This play was another opportunity to further push me as a designer and filmmaker. By

The Way, Meet Vera Stark would be the first play I designed by myself, so I was anxious through

most of the process (from the first meeting to early tech rehearsal). This play was neither a dance

performance nor anything abstract. And from the very first meeting, I realized that I would have

to think differently about projection’s application throughout this play. On top of that, I would

have to plan and create a short film and find the best way to project it with respect to the

characters and the play’s plot.

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Regardless of the media ideas the playwright penned in the script, I wanted to challenge myself

and find my design voice throughout this process.

—

While reading By The Way, Meet Vera Stark for the first time, I ruminated on my film

background and immersive experiences at the movie theater. Consequently, one of my earliest

decisions in this process was to use digital projectors to accomplish my design. Not only was this

choice based on the equipment inventory I had access to, but I also considered the play’s setting;

the production’s run in the Kay Theatre, which shares characteristics of the classic TCL Chinese

Theatre (figure 1.0); and that projectors are commonly used to play movies in theaters. In

comparison, LED panels would feel too detached from the periods explored throughout the play,

preventing my design from blending in with the other design disciplines. On the other hand,

using an overhead projector (which I considered for the Colloquium scenes) would be too

hands-on and would require extra time to stage for this fast-paced play.

Overall, the projector was a natural choice as a storytelling tool for media. However, what is the

media for this play, and how can I best utilize projection to help tell the story?

4



Figure 1.0 - Interior of TCL Chinese Theatre

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Chapter 2: Vera Stark Summary

By the Way, Meet Vera Stark, written by Lynn Nottage, is set in 1933 Los Angeles. Nottage’s

play begins in the lavish apartment of Hollywood’s darling starlet Gloria Mitchell who is

frantically preparing for her screening for the lead role in the film Belle of New Orleans. Her

maid, the quick-witted and ambitious Vera Stark, manages her best to prepare the not-so-sweet

blonde belle for her screening. Vera asks Gloria if she can help her get the part of Tilly in the

same film; however, Gloria turns her down. Notably, Gloria (an assuming white woman) and

Vera (a black woman) have an interesting, friend-like dynamic that is uncommon against the

backdrop of the Jim Crow era.

Pushing aside Gloria’s rejection, Vera returns to her apartment hopeful and driven to land that

role. The play introduces Vera’s roommates, Lottie and Anna Mae, two black women who also

dream of becoming Hollywood actors but with very different tactics. Lottie is more skeptical and

practical than Vera in booking a role in a Hollywood film. In contrast, Anna Mae seduces a

Hollywood director by passing as a Brazilian to be cast in a movie.

After that, on a Hollywood backlot, Vera is waiting outside during Gloria’s test screening when a

smooth-talking Leroy Barksdale tries to garner Vera’s attention. Leroy reveals he is the Man

Friday for the director of Belle of New Orleans but has ambitions to become a music composer.

Vera expresses her goal to play the slave role of Tilly in the Belle film, but Leroy criticizes her

for playing an uninspiring role. Leroy believes Vera deserves to star in a much more significant

role.

Later that week, Vera and Lottie are staffing Gloria’s evening dinner with film executive Fredrick

Slasvick and the Belle of New Orleans director Maxmillian Von Oster. To the women’s surprise,

6



Anna Mae arrives arm-in-arm with Von Oster, revealing that she has been dating the director.

During the night, Vera garners the attention of Slasvick and Von Oster when she decides to act as

a caricature of a black person: uneducated, troubled, and blues-ridden (with back-up from

Lottie). The portrayal shocks Vera, but she is determined to do whatever it takes to become an

actress. And to an extent, it pays off.

The beginning of Act Two reveals that Vera landed the role of Tilly in Belle of New Orleans,

which catapults her acting career in Hollywood. After screening the film, the play cuts to a

Colloquium in 1993, where three black scholars/artists dissect and debate Vera’s career and,

unfortunately, her fallout and mysterious disappearance. This timeline is split between a

screening of Vera’s last televised appearance on the Brad Donovan Show in 1973, revealing the

star’s troubled life. Between the two periods, the characters unpack Vera’s marriage to Leroy

(who was incarcerated for manslaughter), her alcohol addiction, being blacklisted in Hollywood,

her frustrations of being typecast, and most importantly, her complicated and estranged

relationship with Gloria Mitchell.

No one knows what happened to Vera Stark and the true meaning behind her famous Tilly line,

and thus the colloquium ends in speculation. However, while on the Belle of New Orleans set,

Vera proposes to Gloria what would later be Vera’s famous line, “Stay awake and together we’ll

face a new day,” as a nod to being liberated from prejudice. The director calls the women back to

continue filming, and it is then that Vera delivers her line.

7



Chapter 3: The Research

After rereading the play, I searched for images and videos of production studios in Los Angeles

during 1930-1950 and opening sequences of 1970s talk shows. In my findings, I also explored

different interview styles, leaning more towards candid and stripped-back documentary styles as

inspiration for the Leroy Barksdale interview. As for Vera’s publicity and personal life photos, I

looked at various portraits of Black actresses, movie posters around the mid-20th century, and

old photos of black men and women. Collecting the visual research gave me a direction to work

towards when developing my media for the show. In particular, the research images I found for

the Belle of New Orleans (figures 3.4 and 3.5) would influence the types of shots and angles I

would later add to my shot list.

Since the second act of this play relied on a lot of media to contextualize what happened to Vera

Stark during the time skip, I prioritized establishing a style and direction for what my content

would be.

8



Figure 3.0 - Research Plate

Figure 3.1 - Research Plate

9



Figure 3.2 - Research Plate

Figure 3.3 - Research Plate

10



Figure 3.4 - Film Research Plates. Images from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,

dir. Alfonso Cuarón, 2004; Jezebel, dir. William Wyler, 1938; and Gone With The Wind, dir.

Victor Fleming, 1939; and Casablanca, dir. Michael Curtiz, 1942.

11



Chapter 4: The Concept

Given the decadent scenic design and my goal to ensure projections do not become an onstage

distraction, I spent much time brainstorming ways in which projections could coexist organically

onstage. Initially, my design for projections and media function as the environment, being the

day and nightscape view from Gloria’s apartment and the background of the Hollywood backlot

scene. Unfortunately, I felt these ideas were predictable and safe for the play. I was not

challenging myself to think outside of the box.

Figure 4.0 - Initial Concept: Hollywood Backlot

12



Figure 4.1 - Initial Concept: Gloria’s Apartment

Of course, these were apparent moments where projections could shine, in addition to the

predetermined media from the Colloquium scenes (Belle of New Orleans film and clips, Vera’s

life and career images, and the Leroy Barksdale interview). However, most of those moments

were decided by the playwright. To supplement more of my design style to the production, I had

to think beyond the script while maintaining the integrity of the play and the directors’ vision.

I recalled my time as an Assistant Projection Designer on the play Stickfly, which ran during The

Clarice’s 2021-22 season. As an assistant to projection designer Zavier Taylor, I observed how

Zavier relied on the scene transitions as significant moments for projections. Regarding Vera

Stark, each scene was massive and required time to switch out furniture, props, and fly-ins, so

13



using these transitions for projections to play in would be advantageous. The next concern,

however, would be to devise the transition concept.

Throughout this conceptualization phase, I did not flesh out my transition concept. Instead, I

focused primarily on my content for the films, the visual documentation of Vera’s life and career,

and the scene locations. Despite that, I considered applying my environment concept for the

scenes to the transition moments. Since Act 1 hops from place to place, it made sense to use the

transitions to guide the audience into the next scene. As a designer for this play, I wanted the

audience to feel immersed in this theatrical experience.

Drafting The Plot

I have used projections and media on scenic elements in previous shows, but have yet to have an

in-depth interaction with a large-scale scenic design until By The Way, Meet Vera Stark.

When reviewing my original projection plot (figure 4.0) and the finalized scenic draft, I forgot to

consider one of the last changes made to the scenic draft: removing the larger backdrop from

Vera’s apartment. Because of that, I had to readjust my plot to accommodate that change (figure

4.1). As rear projectors, there was not a lens for both Christie projectors that could output at the

scale that I needed it to project at. Consequently, I ended up switching the Christie projectors to

the front of house and reassigning the Epson projectors as the rear cyc projectors so it would

work with my revised calculations. I resolved my coverage issue; however, because of the

Christies’ larger size, I had to partially kill the front balcony row to install the projectors in front

of house.

14



Figure 4.2 - Initial Plot (Groundplan and Section View)

15



Figure 4.3 - Final Plot (Groundplan and Section View)

16



Chapter 5: Belle of New Orleans

In the context of the play, the Belle of New Orleans is the historical drama that launched Vera

Stark’s career. With that in mind, my goal for media was to convey what made Vera stand out in

the film and explore why her role as Tilly was so memorable. As the cinematographer and editor

for this film, I focused on how camera angles and movement (typically used in the 1930s) can

enhance Vera’s presence on camera. Regarding projections, the film needed to have its moment

onstage and to draw the audience’s attention. The Belle of New Orleans would play at the top of

Act 2 in the Colloquium scene, so I planned to project the film only on the projection screen.

To find the best approach to creating this media, I studied the editing and cinematography trends

according to the play’s setting.

—

When I first began my research of Hollywood’s Golden Age during the 1930s, I recalled the film

history lessons I took in film school. The 1930s were recovering from the 1929 stock market

crash, and cinema became a form of escapism throughout the decade. Given the recession, the

film industry began to push out movies that were much grander and more dynamic than before.

When comparing movies from the 1920s to the 1930s and early 1940s, I noticed that the camera

was no longer static wide or medium shots, and the pacing of the cuts was quick. There were

trucking shots (forward/backward), pans (left/right), close-ups, and other tracking and motivated

shots. For its time, the cinematography was evolving and adding more visual depth to the

audience experience in movie theatres. Although the Belle of New Orleans was a short scene, I

had to find moments in the film to highlight the prominent cinematic attributes of the 1930s. And

I had to devise a plan on how to execute it.

17



Pre-Production

Planning the film shoot took the span of a few months involving meetings with the designers and

directors, location scouting, researching Pre-code and Hays Code films of the 1930s, deciding on

a filming date, analyzing the scene, creating a beat sheet, constructing a shot list and production

schedule, storyboarding, creating an equipment list for the Technology Shop and the Maya Brin

Insitute, and drafting a camera plot.

—

Scenic designer Shartoya Baptiste found the Gramercy Mansion as the location for the film

shoot. The bread-and-breakfast was built in 1902, and the interior style of its bedrooms was a

great fit for the film's setting. The design team and the directors toured each bedroom to decide

which room would best suit the style of a 19th-century boudoir in Antebellum South. In each

bedroom, I captured a sample of wide shots of the bedside. Although I used my cellphone rather

than a DSLR camera, this exercise helped me to visualize what would fit in the shot composition

and if I had the space to perform any camera movements (notably the dolly forward shot). With

each room, I gauged how smoothly my initial shot list would translate into the actual location

and if I could adjust the furniture layout or my shot list to accomplish my goal for this film.

Considering space, I thought about how the cameras, the monitor viewing station, and the

camera lens station could fit within each room. Most bedrooms had an attached bathroom, so I

envisioned that as a space to build the camera rig and line up the lenses.

Even though the film occurs in the Antebellum period in the American South, the visual style of

the Belle of New Orleans, from costume, scenic/props, lighting, and filmmaking techniques, took

inspiration from how 1930s filmmakers idealized the period. As mentioned before, the 1930s

18



was recovering from The Great Depression, and cinema was a means of escapism for Americans

as it was an exaggeration of life.

I analyzed the Belle of New Orleans scene in the play and drafted the following beat sheet (see

figure 5.4):

1. Marie (Gloria) refuses to go to her wedding for fear of rejection for being biracial. Cecile

(Anna Marie) reassures her of his love for her.

2. Marie is dying.

3. Tilly (Vera) enters and sends Cecile away. Tilly has something to say.

4. Tilly confesses that Mr. Lafayette is here to see Marie and misses her

5. Marie leaves a message with Tilly for Lafayette. Marie has given up

6. Tilly encourages her to fight, reassuring Marie that she will always be there. Marie dies.

7. Slave Woman (Lottie) and Cecile reenter, grieving Marie’s death

For the film characters, I considered how their background and motivation impacted the shifts in

dialogue. In the script, I annotated where I felt pacing or subject shifts within the dialogue, and I

used those notes as a guide to draft my shot list.

19



Figure 5.0 - Belle Of New Orleans Notes

20



Figure 5.1 - Belle Of New Orleans Notes

21



For research, I watched several movies released during the 1930s, such as:

➢ Reaching For The Moon (1930)

➢ Man’s Castle (1933)

➢ It Happened One Night (1934)

➢ Lloyd's of London (1936)

➢ Under Two Flags (1936)

➢ Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938)

➢ The Wizard of Oz (1939)

➢ Gone With The Wind (1939)

On top of that, I looked outside of that decade and searched for films featuring prominent black

actresses of the Golden Age of Cinema. I found film stills of Theresa Harris in Baby Face (1933)

and Jezebel (1938), Nina Mae McKinney in Hallelujah (1929), Hattie McDaniel in Gone With

The Wind (1939), Eartha Kitt in Anna Lucasta (1958), Diana Ross on the film poster for Lady

Sings The Blues (1972), and Dorothy Dandridge on the poster for Carmen Jones (1954). Some of

these stills – particularly from Jezebel and Gone With The Wind – heavily influenced my

aesthetic shot choices for the Belle of New Orleans (Figure 5.2). As for the other images that did

not capture the Antebellum period and the young maiden and slave dynamic, I would later use

them when developing Vera’s career of the time skip.

22



Figure 5.2 - Comparison of Belle Film to Inspired Film Stills

23



While building my shot list, I was inspired by the cinematography in Gone With The Wind and

drew parallels between the Hollywood classic and Belle of New Orleans. Gone With The Wind

was an epic historical romance film that follows a young woman’s love story (Scarlett O’Hara,

played by Vivian Leigh) with features from her memorable slave/maid (Mammy, played by

Hattie McDaniel). I focused on how Mammy and Scarlett’s dynamic and Scarlett’s bed scenes

(since Gloria’s character is on her deathbed) were filmed.

➢ How can I show the intimate relationship between a harem and a slave? Between Gloria

and Vera?

➢ How can I highlight Vera’s (Tilly’s) presence on camera and give her the standout

moment that defined her career while being conscious of the period and its mistreatment

of black actors in cinema?

➢ How should I open the audience to the film’s final scene, and what is the last image the

audience should see?

24



Since most of my film documents use an abbreviation for the specific camera shots, I have

incorporated the following key:

Figure 5.3 - Abbreviations of Film Shots

Abbreviation Full Term

ECU Extreme Close-Up

CU Close-Up

MCU Medium Close-Up

MS Medium Shot

WS Wide Shot

ES Establishing Shot

Below is the preliminary shot list I created alongside my research plate for the Belle of New

Orleans film.

Figure 5.4 - Preliminary Shot List

25



Figure 5.6 - Final Shot List

In my final shot list (figure 5.6), however, I relabeled my shot numbers and included shot 2 and

2A, where Gloria and Vera are on set during the filming of Belle of New Orleans. Moreover, I

must mention that the last shot of Vera at the window (figure 5.19) was added after I made the

final shot list.

26



As a visual aid for the design team and the directors, I made a storyboard using film stills and a

few hand-drawn images to show how each shot would generally look. In the storyboard, I

included the type of shot (wide shot, establishing shot), the shot number/name (1, 1E, 2A, Pick

Up 2), any particular camera movement (dolly, zooming in, tracking), and the actor or on-screen

action within each shot.

The storyboard was an aid for everyone (including myself) to visualize how each shot would

look. Also, I had a brief meeting with director Scot where we combed through the film script to

ensure we were both on the same page regarding what the camera shots would be at particular

moments.

27



Figure 5.5 - Film Storyboard. Images from Gone With The Wind, dir. Victor Fleming, 1939;

Jezebel, dir. William Wyler, 1938; and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, dir.

Alfonso Cuarón, 2004.

28



29



The equipment list for the Belle of New Orleans film shoot included gear for the Vera photo

shoots and the Leroy interview (see figure 6.1). Considering the time constraint to film and my

discussions with Andrew Cissna, Maya Brin Institute’s Multimedia technologist, I made the

following alterations to the equipment list:

➢ Three cameras instead of one

➢ Replaced the Sony FX6 with the Sony FX3 cameras

➢ Dolly Slider added

➢ One large tripod (altered to fit dolly rig)

➢ No shoulder mount system (replaced by Dolly Slider)

➢ Lens adapters

The camera equipment was ordered from the Maya Brin Institute inventory, whereas the monitor

station gear came from the Clarice Technology Shop. I decided to rent three cameras for the

Belle film shoot: the first camera was assigned to cover Vera, Lottie, and Anna Mae; the second

camera prioritized Gloria, the wide shots, and the dolly shot; and the third camera was assigned

to capture the behind-the-scenes process of the film shoot (and a backup in case).

30



I drafted my camera positions on a ground plan Heather Reynolds (lighting designer) created for

the bedroom to coordinate the lighting and camera setup on the film set.

Figure 5.6 - Camera Plot

Production

The week of filming consisted of a half day of prep, one full day of filming, and an hour or two

to check out of the room (and potentially clean up) on the third day.

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Figure 5.7 - Filming Schedule

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33



Day One

The lighting and Camera teams loaded the Clarice van with our equipment, and we drove an

hour to the Gramercy Mansion. We unloaded our gear and set up the monitor station and cameras

on their tripods (including the dolly rig). Likewise, my camera team ran a few test shots this day

(see figures 5.8-5.10). By going through my main shots, I could mark my camera positions in

advance and review or revise my lens choices.

Figure 5.8 - Test Shot 1

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Figure 5.9 - Test Shot 2

Figure 5.10 - Test Shot 3

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In addition, I took advantage of the extra time to record the exterior of the Gramercy Mansion for

the film’s establishing shot (see figure 5.11), also known as Pick Up 2 (PU2).

Figure 5.11 - Establishing Shot

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Day Two

I arrived a few hours before the crew and talent arrived and decided to set up a labeled camera

lens station and review my shot list in the space. Additionally, because I planned to edit the

footage in a 1:33:1 (4:3) ratio, I masked off the screens at the monitor station to give the crew,

designers, and directors a reference for what will be onscreen after post-production.

The film shoot had a slow start due to the long takes we filmed first and everyone (cast and

crew) adjusting to the film shoot, the schedule, our position, and the actors’ blocking within the

new space. Initially, I was nervous because we were behind schedule with the first two scheduled

shots. Fortunately, after an hour, we made up that lost time with the close-up and

medium-close-up shots. We finished filming an hour earlier than scheduled and managed to pack

up our gear from the Gramercy Mansion that night rather than return the following day to clean

up.

For my camera team, I assigned Mark Williams to operate Camera B and Leo Grierson to

operate Camera A. Camera B would capture the more complex tracking shots, whereas Camera

A would record the static shots on Gloria. Jerran Kowalski’s role involved setting up the monitor

station, tracking continuity, and slating each shot. My design assistant Tim Kelly took

behind-the-scenes photos, monitored continuity (whenever Jerran could not), and would later

operate Camera A and be an assistant operator for Camera B.

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As for me, I functioned as the Director of Photography (or Cinematographer) on set and, at

times, the slate caller and assistant camera operator. Since we had marked camera placements the

day before, the camera team prepared for each shot quickly after overcoming the slow start. I

was not concerned about the static shots throughout the film shoot; however, I was wary about

the tracking shot on Vera (Shot 1A). Since the Camera B rig was top-heavy, capturing this shot

became a three-person job. Mark handled the truck forward, Tim controlled the rack focus, and I

operated the tilt function.

Figure 5.12 - Behind The Scenes

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Figure 5.13 - Behind The Scenes (Monitor Station)

Figure 5.14 - Behind The Scenes

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Figure 5.15 - Behind The Scenes

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Day Three

Given that the film shoot finished ahead of schedule, we packed all the gear back into the

company van and returned it to campus at the end of Day Two. Since check-out was on the third

day and I lived close to the Gramercy Mansion, I did one final sweep of the room before

returning the room keys.

—

Even though I was anxious leading up to it, I was proud of myself for being able to run a

successful film shoot with the help of directors Scott and Alvin, the design team, the actors,

Maya Brin Institute, Technology Shop, the Clarice production office, and our crew. This entire

film production process has taught me the value of preparation and how having a clear direction

can help me overcome my anxiety. When we were running behind schedule at the beginning, I

was nervous but my tenacity made me laser-focused on getting every shot rather than panic about

the time lost. Furthermore, as one of the leading figures of the film shoot, I found success in

listening to others’ feedback and issues and worked towards resolving them or helping the crew

however I could.

Looking back, the efforts of the entire design team and direction gelled together on set. In a way,

this was our practice run towards building that collaborative relationship that I usually develop

with other designers during tech rehearsal. On top of that, I felt I had strengthened the directors'

and designers’ trust in me.

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Post Production

While reviewing my footage after the film shoot, I realized that Camera B never recorded sound

from its onboard mic. Additionally, not clapping the sticks on the slate (and not verbally calling

each shot) would make my editing process slightly longer than anticipated. As a result, I had no

reference point for syncing audio with video and identifying each video file with its shot number.

To avoid this mishap in the future, there should be a camera check prior to filming. During the

camera check, the operators must review the camera settings to ensure that the audio is recording

and that the multiple cameras have the same exposure settings. Also, another protocol to include

is to check how many slates you need while building an equipment list; most often, the amount

corresponds to the number of cameras required for filming. Having more than one slate will

make it easier to label and identify each shot when dealing with a multicamera shoot.

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Figure 5.19 - Images from Belle of New Orleans Film

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44



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Opening and Closing Credits

When creating the opening and closing credits for Belle of New Orleans, simplicity was key.

Most opening credits crossfade the cast and crew names against the backdrop of a still

illustration or establishing shot of the film’s setting in a serif font. Another feature I noticed in

several films from the 1930s was the credit order. The production company and lead actor tend to

be one of the first credits listed, alongside the director’s name, then the remaining cast members

(see figure 5.20). Based on my findings, I drafted an outline of the opening and closing credits

and had directors Scot and Alvin review it.

Figure 5.20 - “Opening Title Sequence,” Michael Curtiz, Female, 1933.

I took some liberties in including additional names in the opening credit sequence and

introducing Vera Stark on a separate card (see figure 5.22). For the background visual, I used

stock footage of a Louisiana swamp as the background.

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Figure 5.21 - Title Sequence Outline

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Figure 5.22 - Stills of Opening and Closing Credits

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Figure 5.23 - Stills of Opening and Closing Credits

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Chapter 6: Developing Media

Belle of New Orleans was one of many pieces of media I needed to actualize my design. After

filming Belle, a series of photo shoots and a small film shoot were scheduled up to the start of

tech rehearsals.

To prepare, I wrote a list of equipment and props needed for each photo shoot and film shoot. I

approached this next stage knowing the purpose of each media, how it was supposed to look, and

what actors were in it. Also, I relied on my research plates and supplemental visuals to give me a

clear vision of how my media should look.

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Figure 6.0 - Media Needs

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Figure 6.1 - Equipment Needs

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The Leroy Barksdale Interview

Having an aspect ratio of 4:3, I filmed the Leroy interview as a continuous shot and then added a

few stylistic effects while editing. The direction of this interview tied closely to the candid

appeal of my interview research (figure 3.3). As a way to replicate the quality of analog and CRT

displayed media, I pixelated the raw footage and added a yellow-brown wash to the color grade.

Besides that, I overlayed a VHS texture on the video to imply the age of the found footage. And

lastly, I left in a few sound bites from the film crew calling slate. This interview is a

stripped-back and uncensored dialogue with Leroy Barksdale, and I felt that keeping Tim and

Sam’s voices in the take enhanced the raw tone of the interview.

Figure 6.2 - Leroy Interview

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The Brad Donovan Show

The Brad Donovan Show scenes starkly contrast the scenes that occur in the 1930s. I knew for

my design that I would animate the introduction for the talk show, but I needed to find

inspiration for how those title sequences were animated. Since the talk show was set in 1973 (in

living color), I scoured the internet to find title sequences of talk shows from the 1970s. At first,

I had difficulty finding animated title sequences in 1970s talk shows and scripted television

shows. Fortunately, I did find the introduction to the musical variety show Soul Train and the

late-night program The Dick Cavett Show (see figure 3.1). In these shows, I realized some

common features of the animated title sequences:

➢ Bright and bold colors

➢ Browns and gold colors

➢ Floral motifs

➢ Rounded or inflated serif fonts

➢ Curly serif fonts

➢ Low frame rate (animations)

➢ Hand drawn animations

➢ Simple animations (crossfades, jump cuts, color and scale changes, and pans)

➢ Soft glow (due to the quality of analog TV)

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When developing the animation of the title sequence for The Brad Donovan Show, I leaned

heavily on simplicity. My initial concept consisted of upscaling the show title with an echo effect

(figure 6.4), a grain texture effect, and a soft glow (figure 6.5) alongside a sliding movement of

the rainbow motif (see figures 6.3-6.5). At the time, the color palette, font, and motifs of the

scenic design had not been finalized, so I took some liberties to showcase the direction of my

work to the design team and the directors.

The initial concept was well received by directors Scot and Alvin; however, the final result had

progressed much differently from the early concept meetings in response to the scenic design.

Figure 6.3 - Title Sequence: rainbow motifs slide into frame (start of animation)

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Figure 6.4 - Title Sequence: echo effect of text as it enlarges

Figure 6.5 - Title Sequence: glow effect and remaining text fades in

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Figure 6.6 - Title Sequence: end of animation

I liked my initial concept, but how could I push this further and lean more into my research? At

times, I was overthinking it and was nervous that I would not have anything to show before tech

rehearsals. That is until I walked past one of the floor panels from The Brad Donovan set lying

outside the scenic shop, and an idea hit me: why create an idea from nothing when I could just

react to the set itself? I took a photo of the floor panel and then used the pinwheel motif as the

basis for my animation.

Once I finished the title sequence, I added Sam’s music to the video. Since Sam was aware of the

length of the title sequence, I only had to make a couple of slight adjustments to the animation to

match it to the timing of the music smoothly.

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Figure 6.7 - Screenshot of Floor Panel

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Figure 6.8 - Brad Donovan Title Sequence (Part 1)

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Figure 6.9 - Brad Donovan Title Sequence (Part 2)

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The Photo Shoots

Before the tech rehearsals, we held a photo shoot in the Light Lab with Vera Stark actor Jordan

Embrack. This session aimed to capture specific headshots of Jordan and Photoshop onto movie

stills and posters. These photos, alongside those taken during the tech rehearsals, would be

compiled into a slideshow highlighting Vera’s life (acting career, her marriage to Leroy

Barksdale, and the low points in her life), covering events from the play’s time jump. Mark

Williams was the photographer for all the photo shoots and helped direct Jordan into each pose,

while Heather provided lighting to match the specific lighting position in the original photos. My

assistant Tim photoshopped Jordan’s (playing Vera Stark) headshots onto the original images and

compiled them into a slideshow.

Aside from the headshots, I needed photos of Vera and Leroy as a couple, Leroy’s mugshot, a

drunk Vera, and a homeless Vera (see figures 6.12-6.15). Given everyone’s schedule, the photo

shoot was held thirty minutes before our tech rehearsals. So in preparation, I scouted the Clarice

Smith building for different and distinct locations that would work at selling the story within

each photo. Although we were short on time, Mark, Scott, Jordan, Robbie (playing Leroy

Barksdale), and I were able to capture everything needed for the slideshow. To help expedite the

post-process, Mark photographed the actors with a black-and-white color grade already baked

into the images. Within a handful of minutes, Tim and I incorporated this media into Act 2 right

before the start of the tech rehearsal.

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Figure 6.10 - Movie Poster

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Figure 6.11 - Vera’s Beauty Portraits. Original portrait of Hazel Scott, photographed by

James J. Kriegsmann (top); portrait of Sheila Guyse (bottom).

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Figure 6.12 - Vera and Leroy

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Figure 6.13 - Leroy’s Mugshot

Figure 6.14 - Drunk Vera

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Figure 6.15 - Homeless Vera

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The Colloquium

Media for the Colloquium scenes consisted of a short slideshow that included:

➢ A title slide

➢ Montage of stills from Belle of New Orleans

➢ Headshots and names of the panelists

➢ Video montage of Vera’s career and personal life (see figures 6.10 - 6.15)

When I created the slideshow, I kept the look clean and simple. The color scheme followed the

first act’s deep warm color scheme, and I opted for a serif font given the professional setting

(figure 6.16). Intermixed with the slideshow were the Leroy interview (figure 6.2) and the Brad

Donovan talk show title sequence (see figures 6.8-6.9). The canvas for this media was the

projection screen in the Colloquium set.

My assistant compiled the photoshopped images and movie posters (see images 6.9-6.14) into a

video slideshow.

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Figure 6.16 - Colloquium Presentation Slides

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Chapter 7: Creating [New] Transitions

My vision for the scene transitions constantly changed until the first week of tech. For a while, I

struggled to flesh out my transition designs until directors Scot and Alvin proposed the idea of

the actors singing onstage during those moments. After a few discussions with the director, I

began brainstorming what media could be in reaction to this new direction. What if media were

each singer’s inner world? What would singers Leroy, Vera, and Lottie’s world resemble in

relation to their song? This path took me on a brief character exploration where I reviewed each

character’s aspiration and brainstormed how they would have fantasized about it. And then, I

thought about interpreting these aspirations as the characters’ stage. Now, what would their stage

resemble? I imagined bringing the essence of a jazz club or a musical stage/set to life by

projecting elements (chandeliers, curtains, and the silhouette of a band) of those environments on

the main cyc. I dove deeper into the concept of performance stages by researching musicals and

broadcast television from 1930 to the 1960s.

Unfortunately, as I was workshopping this idea, I had to shift gears and find a new concept for

the scene transitions.

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Figure 7.0 - Song Transition Notes

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Figure 7.1 - Song Transition Notes

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Creating [Newer] Transitions

The directors eventually scrapped the song transitions, meaning these moments focused solely on

the projection and sound design. So I was back to square one with only a few days before the

official start of tech rehearsals.

Immediately, I thought about two ideas I could rely on for these moments throughout the first

act:

1. Stick with my song transition idea: creating a stage for Vera’s imaginary performances

2. Add snippets of the Vera Stark mockumentary from www.meetverastark.com

3. Or, my original thought: showing the environment of 1930s Los Angeles

I recalled finding old footage of a Hollywood backlot that I used in my initial research, so I

searched for more footage of Los Angeles from the 1930s and 1940s and found some videos on

the Internet Archive. After experimenting with my options onstage during my focus and dark

times, I decided to use media to establish the setting in each succeeding scene for Act One’s

transitions. The media in these moments would be montages featuring a curation of Los Angeles

footage, such as cars and people navigating through city traffic, the Hollywood sign, aerial shots

of city blocks, a timelapse from day to night, night driving, and production studios.

72

http://www.meetverastark.com


Figure 7.2 - Transition Outline and Chart Breakdown

SCENE 1 TO SCENE 2
Gloria’s Luxury Apartment → Vera’s Apartment

Transition
1

➢ Overall feel/hustle-and-bustle of Los Angeles
metropolitan area to local urban neighborhoods

➢ Hollywood landmarks

Day

SCENE 2 TO SCENE 3
Vera’s Apartment → Hollywood Backlot

Transition
2

➢ Driving through Los Angeles to Film Studios Day

SCENE 3 TO SCENE 4
Hollywood Backlot → Gloria’s Luxury Apartment (night)

Transition
3

➢ Timelapse of the city from day to night
➢ Driving in Los Angeles at night

Day and Night

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When I edited the montages, I unconsciously asked myself, “how can I travel to the next scene?”

and “how can I make these montages flow together?” I focused on showing the journey from

destination to destination and thus guided into applying the archival footage I found. If there

were visuals I wanted to incorporate but could not find in archival databases, I used stock videos

instead. To blend the high-definition stock videos with the old footage, I downgraded their

quality in Premiere Pro to match the vintage footage, similar to my approach for the Leroy

Barksdale interview.

Figure 7.3 - Stills of Transition One

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The first montage – from Gloria’s luxury home to Vera’s small apartment – functions as an

introduction to the city of Los Angeles, reveling in the glamor and then the fast-paced energy of

the city center. Beginning with aerial imagery of the Hollywood sign and ending with footage of

the dirtier and bustling city center reflected the contrast between Gloria and Vera’s living

arrangements and social status. Gloria lives in the hills with a clear view of the city, whereas

Vera lives below in the congested city center as a part of the working class.

Figure 7.4 - Stills of Transition Two

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From Vera’s apartment to the Hollywood backlot, the second montage commutes through the

streets of Los Angeles to a crowded film studio lot. For this transition, I intended to establish the

busyness of the film production environment. Since the content I created for Scene 3 was a still

image of a backlot, the video transition activated the liveliness of the setting.

Figure 7.5 - Stills of Transition Three

Since scene four occurs in Gloria’s apartment at night, the third and final montage transitions

from day to night and follows a selection of night shots of Los Angeles (see figure 7.5).

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For the scene transitions, media as content emphasized the social contrast between Gloria and

Vera. In addition, they helped to develop the character and essence of the play’s overarching

setting of Los Angeles.

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Chapter 8: Tech Rehearsals

The first official day of tech began with a few hours of understanding how Isadora wanted to

work. While we could send audio from the computer, my assistant Tim and I ran into the issue of

the audio playing out of sync with its video. Since I had this issue before with the Spring MFA

Dance Thesis, I figured I could drag the audio track in my video a few frames over to

accommodate the playback delay. On the other hand, this (just like my time with SMFA) would

be time-consuming and tedious since I would have to shift the audio, export, upload/import, and

then play it, only to realize I need to restart the process to make those tweaks.

I was not too worried about programming since most of my work involved creating content. On

the downside, there were many pieces to worry about, and at the time, I still needed to plan the

transitions.

Computer Malfunction

Within the first few days of tech, the computer crashed. Consequently, there ended up being an

unofficial meeting between my assistant and me, the Technology Shop, my advisor, some MFA

Media Designers, and the Multimedia Technologist. There was a lot of back and forth on the best

options to resolve the computer malfunction. The PC was unreliable to run the show on, so I

used the Apple Mac Pro “Trashcan” instead of the custom-built PC. I was not nervous about the

computer switch because I used the same computer to design for off-season shows in the past.

On the contrary, my only concern was whether it could output five displays (including the

computer monitor). Technically, it can; however, to successfully connect the four projectors to

the Mac trash can, it needed active adapters: the adapter performs the conversion rather than the

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computer; for this configuration, each adapter needed its power supply to convert the video

signal. This option had some drawbacks throughout the first few days of the tech rehearsal,

including Isadora becoming unresponsive or its processing load exceeding 75% while playing

one video. Fortunately, the Technology Shop resolved the issue throughout the tech process.

Media in Space

The tech rehearsal process was an exhilarating rhythm I quickly adapted to. As alluded to in

Chapter 6, some of my media came together leading up to the first day of tech. Once Tim and I

created the vital media content, I began experimenting more with the scenic design,

incorporating embellishments in response to the other design disciplines. Without realizing it, my

experimentation opened a dialogue between the Lighting and Scenic designers and me. I found

myself responding to the other designers’ feedback and their creative notions, blending my

projections with the lighting and set.

This collaboration would unintentionally reshape how I projected media onstage.

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Figure 8.0 - Gloria’s Apartment: Media Content

Figure 8.1 - Gloria’s Apartment: Projecting Media Onto Space

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Figure 8.2 - Hollywood Backlot: Media Content

Figure 8.3 - Hollywood Backlot: Projecting Media Onto Space

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One day at the beginning of tech rehearsals, Heather approached me about using the projectors to

help highlight the portal trims during the scene transitions. Since it was not plausible to light the

corners and archway in the portal, we used the projectors to cover the areas where Heather’s

lights could not reach and coordinated our timing (see figure 8.4).

Figure 8.4 - Lighting and Projecting Onto Portal A. Photo Credit: David Andrew

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After the play’s Faculty Run, a note I received from my advisor pertained to directing the

audience’s gaze. So throughout the tech process, I experimented more with Heather’s concept.

As a result, I highlighted two additional portals during the transitions.

At the end of a scene, the two front-of-house projectors output a golden light onto Portal A

(furthest downstage), which then crossfades to highlight the upstage portals directing the

audience’s gaze to the video montage. At the end of the transition, the montage fades out with

the golden glow crossfading from the upstage portal to the downstage portal (see figure 8.5).

Additionally, I incorporated a color shift for the portal highlight, going from gold to white before

the montage plays to white to gold after the montage fades out. The reason to desaturate the

colors was to smoothly pull the audience in and out of the black-and-white world and to return

them to Vera Stark’s vibrant world.

During the second week, the tech rehearsals became an enjoyable environment for me to

experiment with the projection surfaces using media. When I began to see the possibilities for

projections in the proscenium and the portal spaces, the way I projected my content evolved. It

was then that I saw media not only as the setting of each scene but, in certain moments, as an

extension of the scenic and lighting elements onstage. In these spaces is where I found media’s

purpose and how I could use content and technology to challenge how I can design for the stage.

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Figure 8.5 - Portal Transitions with Projections and Lighting

Figure 8.6 - Image of Scene Transition One. Photo Credit: David Andrew.

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Chapter 9: Show Opens

After a week and a half of tech rehearsals, it was finally opening night. I was a bit nervous when

I locked in my programming/cues, but simultaneously, I felt reassured that my design had come

together beautifully from all of the hours working before and during tech. I was excited to enjoy

the show as an audience member rather than a designer, so I sat house right in the Orchestra

(during previews, I had the opportunity to watch the play from various vantage points) alongside

my family.

At the top of Act 2, it was satisfying to witness the audience cheer for Vera as she first appeared

during the Belle of New Orleans. And even after the run, I received a lot of positive feedback for

my design, specifically on how media (alongside the other design disciplines) helped the

audience immerse themselves within the world of the play. One of my missions as a designer is

to explore and reimagine the functionality of visual information within immersive spaces. In

some ways, I became a storyteller, using media as my words to convey the essence of the play’s

world alongside the design team.

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Figure 9.0 - Images from By The Way, Meet Vera Stark. Photo Credits: Photos 1-3 and 5-8,

Deja Collins; Photo 4, David Andrews.

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87



88



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Chapter 10: Reflection

Although I overcame many doubts throughout this process, I could have focused more on a few

aspects during the pre-production/conceptual phase. I should have given more input on the

projector screen during the early meetings. Even though I had many conversations with Shartoya

regarding the scenic design, I did not consider how the screen's dimensions would impact my

projection mapping.

For the movie The Belle of New Orleans, I planned to film based on the Academy aspect ratio of

1.33:1. However, since the projector screen’s aspect ratio was 1:1, I had to slightly resize my

media to fill the screen without it looking stretched or compressed. In addition to the aspect ratio,

I could have proposed scaling up the screen’s size to fill more of the negative space of the

colloquium set. When I revisited production photos, I noticed how the projection screen confined

the Colloquium space compared to the Talk Show set. And when projections took focus (at the

beginning and end of Act 2) on stage, the small scale of the screen contrasted the impact of the

media: Vera’s breakout role in Hollywood and her decision that made her a star in her supporting

role.

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Figure 10.0 - Image of Colloquium Set from By The Way, Meet Vera Stark

Fortunately, this shortcoming has taught me to be more aware of my projection surfaces and their

dimensions. Another lesson I learned is not to be afraid to address my projections concerns to the

scenic designer because, most often, the only one who can speak for projections is the projection

designer themselves.

In addition to speaking up, I adjusted to being comfortable saying “I do not know” and relying

on my team for help. In previous shows, I was used to bearing the load on my own; however, for

By The Way, Meet Vera Stark, I had an assistant and a team to allocate tasks to. When it came to

something I did not know or was not confident in, I reached out to my classmates and the media

team for their knowledge and experience. And as a designer, I leaned on my assistant’s skills to

help create content on the fly during the tech process. If I were doing it alone, I would have

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struggled to balance my time as a designer, camera operator, cinematographer, photographer,

editor, and content creator.

The film shoot was fast-paced on set for the Belle of New Orleans. And as the cinematographer

and spearhead, many questions were directed toward me. It was overwhelming to be the person

with the answers until I began to practice admitting, “I do not know right now, but I will get back

to you soon.” Practicing this line during the film shoot made the process feel less stressful.

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On the matter of the film, there were little things I wished I had taken into consideration before

the production day:

1. Apple boxes

This would have come in handy to help the lighting team raise their stands if need be and,

most notably, help the boom operator Sam Crawford to comfortably reach the actors

without getting in the shot. This hiccup became apparent when we were filming the

close-up and two-person shots. Hence, requesting a few apple boxes of various sizes (½

inch, ¼ inch, and 1 inch) would have helped in those trickier shots.

2. The canopy

When location scouting, we did not have the sound designer/boom operator on site. I did

not consider how the bedroom layout would impact their mobility while recording sound

at the Gramercy Mansion. It was not until we were filming that I noticed how the canopy

created a challenge between sound and camera. I slightly readjusted the camera angles to

help the boom operator clear their pole out of frame

3. My design assistant’s responsibilities

During the film shoot, I focused on getting the shots and keeping up with the filming

schedule. It was not until one of the camera operators suggested that my assistant Tim

should take over operating Camera B that I realized I could have allocated more

responsibilities to him, such as dumping and organizing the files on a cloud drive after

the film shoot or calling slate for Camera B.

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4. One slate

Most often, if there is more than one camera on set, especially if the shots are different,

then each camera has its own slate. I realized this fault as we slated the first shot with

only one slate. On top of that, when calling slate, sometimes the shot was not verbally

called (silent slate), which would come back to haunt me during the editing process as I

synced audio with video.

5. No audio from Camera B

Unintentionally, we did not record sound from Camera B. As a result, I had to read the

actors’ mouths and line up the video with the audio that the boom operator captured.

Fortunately, this was not difficult to handle because I have experience editing and

syncing audio.

6. The Light Switch

The running joke I always heard in film school was the saying, “We will fix it in post.” If

the issue is an easy fix, resolve it while filming because taking care of it during the

editing phase can take much longer. In shots 1 and 1G, the wide shot of the bed and the

medium close-up (see figure 10.2) of Vera’s entrance, a light switch is caught in the

frame. It was tricky for my assistant Tim to remove the light switch whenever the actors

crossed in front of it on top of the several frames he had to correct individually.

Fortunately, Tim removed the light switch using a combination of AfterEffects and

Photoshop during a few days of tech (figure 10.2).

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Figure 10.1 - Image of Light Switch in Belle Of New Orleans (Before Edit)

Figure 10.2 - Image of Light Switch in Belle Of New Orleans (After Edit)

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Despite these mishaps, I surprisingly felt anxious leading up to the film shoot and tech rehearsal

and not during those moments. I was able to resolve the issues myself or with the help of the

Technology Shop, the media design cohort, and my assistant.

While reflecting on my process and the challenges I faced leading to my first days of tech

rehearsals, I realized I accounted more for the design of my content rather than how my content

would be projected onstage. I began the process as a media designer, focused on creating a film,

an interview, movie posters, and talk show animations. However, during the tech rehearsals, the

creative challenges I had dissipated, and I was able to cultivate my projection design. This

development can be seen in my process when programming the portal transition highlights and

expanding the play’s world into the proscenium space.

—

The hardest lesson I learned throughout my experience as an MFA candidate and as a

professional designer is giving myself grace for the work I have done despite all my fears and

circumstances.

Media’s Purpose Onstage

Throughout this production process I did not wholly possess the lexicon to describe my media’s

overall function throughout the play. I did have a few intentions written during my early

conceptual phase. I knew media would function as setting and exposition for Vera’s life during

the time skip. Nevertheless, after opening night, another purpose came to light when I met with

my advisor Jared Mezzocchi and my design cohort.

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“Media as blush” was one of the descriptive analogies my advisor mentioned that stuck with me

after the production’s run. In other words, Blush is the slight actualization of media onstage that

blurs the line between the physical and the digital. Aside from the transitions, the film, and the

slideshow, most of my design choices accentuated the scenic design elements, similar to how a

makeup blush highlights one’s facial structure.

Moreover, I found myself acting as an extension for the scenic design (and sometimes the

lighting design) throughout the play, catering to the motifs of the set and building off of it in

areas where only my projectors could reach. I also utilized the intermission to maintain the 1930s

Hollywood aesthetic with the projected intermission card on the proscenium curtains, an idea the

scenic designer and I discussed during our early meetings.

By the end of By The Way, Meet Vera Stark’s run, I was able to reflect and conclude my design

discipline’s role throughout this production:

➢ Media as Blush

➢ Media as Atmosphere

○ Media as cinema (literally and atmospherically)

○ Media as setting (an idealized and bustling 1930s Los Angeles)

➢ Media as Exposition (Vera’s life during the time skip)

There were instances throughout the tech rehearsal when the directors and other designers had to

question whether a wallpaper, decal, or text was being projected or was a physical element of the

set.

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When exploring projection and media, I balanced the technology and the tool, particularly during

tech rehearsals. I conceptualized the media/visual content first and then created projections

during the tech rehearsals in the Kay Theatre. Seeing my media projected gave me a better sense

of arranging it onstage, especially when generating transitions from media to media. In

retrospect, this design method has been my approach when designing for dance shows, where the

scenic design was minimal or nonexistent and the tech rehearsal time was shorter than for By The

Way, Meet Vera Stark.

—

Who am I as a designer? Do I have what it takes? Will my work be good enough?

I learned many lessons from this experience; however, at the end of the day, I am incredibly

proud of the end product. There were mishaps, but I learned the art of the pivot and how being

adaptable and flexible is a viable skill as a designer. Working on this play was insightful. It

enlightened me on ways in which I can improve my design process and my approach to

conceptualizing media. By The Way, Meet Vera Stark was a personal challenge toward

self-discovery. Practicing adaptability taught me how to excel in uncomfortably new situations.

And in those moments, I battled countless instances of self-doubt and anxiety while finding my

voice as a Projection and Media Designer. I still believe I have more progress to make in my

self-improvement journey; however, I feel confident knowing that I can bring my goals to

fruition.

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