The High School Design Season Part 3: COMMUNICATION
This is the 3rd and final part of my reflection on the 2019 high school design season. COMMUNICATION noun; the successful conveying or sharing of ideas and feelings.
Communicating with clients can be tricky. Different people have different preferred modes of communication. Some really like a phone call/video chat, others prefer text, and then there is email. You know what? For the sake of visual design, I prefer the old fashion face to face meeting (phone calls/video chat are #2). Now, I say I prefer it but that doesn’t mean it is always possible or practical. I believe that the best pooling of ideas and then coordination of those ideas happen when a design team (even if it’s just the band director and the visual designer) actually spend time together IN THE SAME ROOM. The brainstorming can happen much quicker than a text or email. I make a statement about a direction for the show and then the director picks that up and runs with it. Or vice versa. There really isn’t a better way. I am always saying, “I CAN’T BE THE ONE WITH ALL OF THE IDEAS FOR YOUR SHOW.” I feel it is very important that the director and any other staff be involved from the very beginning. If nothing else, for their own sense of investment and connection to the production. There are so many questions right off the bat.
I look at production as having different levels. How will the show’s theme(s) be communicated? Level 1: Show Title.
Level 2: Show Title, Music
Level 3: Show Title, Music, Audio Effects/Narration or Other Spoken Text.
Level 4: Show Title, Music, Visual Representation Through Form.
Level 5: Show Title, Music, Visual Representation Through Form, Performer Props.
Level 6: Music, Visual Representation Through From, Performer Props, Body Movement/Dance/Character Portrayal.
Level 7: Music Visual Representation Through From, Performer Props, Body Movement/Dance/Character Portrayal, Set Pieces.
Do you see where I’m going with this? There are so many ways to communicate through the design of a show. Sometimes, we just need to dream BIGGER! (There will be a separate post about this later).
Then we get to things like how the group will look. Is the guard or band proper going to be wearing something that communicates the show ideas? Is there a way to use the color of the costuming/uniform to enhance the visual design?
Is there a grounded percussion/rhythm section? Where should they be? Is there an opportunity to make them more of a visual part of the production?
What is the base visual vocabulary of the group? How do they move? Are there areas ready to be explored/developed? Is there staff to support that?
You see, we haven’t even gotten to the mundane things like, “What equipment will the colorguard be using?”
To reach this level of coordination, it takes time and has to start EARLY. Much earlier than May or June. Now I realize that a lot of the clients who use my service don’t desire this level of coordination or production (nor should they). I get that. But even with the simplest of shows, a designer needs lead time. When we truncate the process, the designer is forced to go with 1st draft ideas. You remember 1st draft from writing class, don’t you? How many times did you have to edit something before your teacher would allow you to turn in the final paper? Well, full disclosure. Many times I’m forced to send 1st draft ideas to my clients just because of the timeline I’m given and I’m willing to wager that I’m not alone. This also puts pressure on the client because they don’t have the luxury of time to look at something and raise a question or make a suggestion. Now admittedly, I feel like I get some things right the first time. But I also know that there are many times that I look back and say, “You know if I had just moved this here or developed this idea a little more the design could have been so much better.” Being creative on demand isn’t easy.
To wrap up this post: As a client director, be willing to communicate your vision/desired outcome for your show design early and often. Your and your staff’s investment is crucial to realizing an effective design. As a designer: Be sure to ask all of the questions. Everyone: Dream BIGGER!
Always welcome comments. —DB