Video design is a creative field of stagecraft. It is concerned with the creation and integration of film and motion graphics into the fields of theatre, opera, dance, fashion shows, concerts and other live events. Video design has only recently gained recognition as a separate creative field. Prior to this, the responsibilities of video design would often be taken on by a scenic designer or lighting designer. A person who practices the art of video design is often known as a Video Designer. However, there is no accepted naming convention as yet, and so practitioners may also be credited as Projection Designer, Cinematographer, Video Director or Animator.

History

Filmed and video content has been used in performance for many years^[1], as has large format slide projection delivered by systems such as the PANI projector^[2]. However, the development of digital projection technology in the mid 90s, and the resulting drop in price, made it more attractive to theatre producers, directors and scenic designers. The role of the video designer has developed as a response to this, and in recognition of the demand in the industry for experienced professionals to handle the video content of a production. ^[3]

Roles of the Video Designer

Depending on the production, and due to the crossover of this field with the fields of lighting design and scenic design, a video designer's roles and responsibilities may vary from show to show. A video designer may take responsibility for any or all of the following.^[4][5]

• The overall conceptual design of the video content to be included in the piece, including working with the other members of the production team to ensure that the video content is integrated with the other design areas.
• The creation of this video content using 2D and 3D animation, motion graphics, stop motion animation, illustration, filming or any other method.
• The direction, lighting and/or cinematography of any film clips included in the piece.
• The design of the technical system to deliver the video content, including the specification of video projectors, LED displays and control systems, cabling routes and rigging positions for optimal video effects.
• The management of the budget allocated to video, including the sourcing of display technologies and control technologies, their delivery, maintenance and insurance.

This is a very wide skills base, and it is not uncommon for a video designer to work with associates or assistants who can take responsibility for certain areas. For example, a video designer may conceptually design the video content, but hire a skilled animator to create it, a lighting programmer to program the control system and a projectionist to choose the optimum projection positions and maintain the equipment.

Technologies used in Video Design

Video designers make use of many technologies from the fields of stage technology, broadcast equipment and home cinema equipment to build a workable video system. This is often because there are very few technologies specifically designed for theatrical video. A video system may include any of the following. ^[6]

• Video projector
• LED display or solid state lighting systems
• Plasma screen
• Vision mixer
• Video camera
• DVD Player
• Media Server

External Links

Video Designers

• Zachary Borovay, Portfolio - (US) Projection Designer
• Daniel Brodie, Portfolio - (US) Projection Designer
• Jon Driscoll, Resume (UK) Video & Lighting designer
• William Dudley - (UK) Scenic Designer
• Wendall K Harrington, Resume - (US) Projection Designer
• Lorna Heavey, Portfolio - (UK) Video artist & Designer
• Elaine J McCarthy, Resume - (US) Video Designer
• Douglas O'Connell, Portfolio - (UK) Projection Designer
• Jacob Pinholster, Portfolio - (US) Projection Designer

References