The spotlight is on Sophie Schmidt, a talented member of our Lighting Programme cohort of 23/24, as her lighting design transformed the Guildford School of Acting’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”.
An enchanting and timeless play, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” weaves a tale of love, mischief, and transformation. Set in a magical forest, the story follows four lovers and a troupe of actors who become entangled with the antics of fairies. Sophie’s role as the Associate Lighting Designer, working alongside Lighting Designer Simeon Miller, was crucial in bringing this fantastical world to life.
Equipped with a range of equipment supported by our Lighting Programme, Sophie crafted the lighting for the production. Liaising with Simeon, Sophie chose the Martin Mac Encore WRM, ETC Source 4 Lustr2, and Chauvet Colorado Solo battens. Sophie was particularly enthusiastic about utilising the battens, pushing them to their full capacity. She also explored the differences between the LED source moving head (Encore) and the theatre’s in-house arc source Vipers.
Sophie commented, ” It was great using the battens, I put them in full 12-pixel mode, and it was great to run effects over and learn to use multi-celled fixtures. It was also great to have the Encores and Vipers in a rig together, the comparison in the light output is quite astounding. It was also interesting colour mixing over a warm LED source, with a CTB flag rather than CTO.”
Witnessing the impact of our Lighting Programme on these students fills us with immense pride. With a dedication to nurturing creativity and technical prowess, we eagerly anticipate the continued success of our cohort 23/24 as they flourish throughout the year.
Inspired by Sophie’s story, applications for the 24/25 cohort are open and closing tomorrow (12/06/24). Apply here.
Photo Credit: Steve Gregson
