CLAIRE PARRELL
Big Fish Position: Construction Crew, Projectionist
Our first project was creating a Broadway flat. We made a cut-list, cut all the wood, and used an air stapler to attach all woods together
I was put in charge of cutting the roof. The ends were at intricate angles that I cut and put together.
Final result (unpainted and not including window piece). Includes shelves we had to cut.
At one point, we wove strips of luan in our proscenium. The wood had 11 layers of paint each and each had unique cut marks on it (helped to cut, paint, and weave wood).
CONSTRUCTION WORK
PROJECTIONS WORK
Final, painted result of the Boy's Bedroom (floor would be painted black and more set dressings added later).
Painted bookshelf.
Each year, the Illinois High School Theatre Festival selects a company of cast, crew, and pit orchestra, comprised of the top student performers, technicians, and musicians in the state of Illinois. Around 345 students from around the state audition and interview, and I was chosen to be a part of the 42 member All-State crew, specifically the construction crew. This year show was the musical Big Fish. Each month, starting in August and ending in December, the company would meet for one weekend to build the set of Big Fish. This experience greatly improved my knowledge of carpentry, with having to build a new set-piece every weekend. From January 6th to January 14th, as the crew was assembling the Big Fish set at Illinois State University, I had the opportunity to work on the projections for Big Fish. I had no prior experience working with projections, so I had to learn in less than a week. These are several of the major projects I worked on throughout my All-State experience.
Within less than a week (around 6 days), I had learned to program projections through Isadora. My work included programming blooming flowers, a tornado, a swamp, bats, TV static, and so on. We had three total projectors, one house left, one house right and one projecting on the cyc from the upstage wall. The two house projectors projected content onto the panels and false proscenium, with each panel having its own separate image. The images had to be mapped out onto their respective panel, making sure none of the projections overlapped each other, to create one whole image projected onto the panels.
Window frame of bedroom. Used 2x2 and 1x4.
Roof cut and assembled.
Another major project was constructing the daffodil hills. We created five pieces total, connecting them together with coffin-locks. Each hill was eight feet long and four feet tall. The wood was made with 2x2, all of which we ripped from 2x4 and 4x4. The front section can be lifted and placed on top of the hill, making the piece more compact for transporting.
Back view of daffodil hill. Each hill had roughly four casters each.
We cut small holes in the daffodil hill turf to place the flowers in. Each flower had their own hole.
Scale of the hills compared to person.
Flowers in their "bloomed" form.
Four of the five panels setup. There were two on a line set for downstage and centerstage. Upstage panel on its own line set.
All panels set up, including false proscenium.
Projections on the cyc and false proscenium. Programmed the flowers to bloom and then sway.
Projections of Auburn University on the five panels. Had to map each image on their own separate panel (images on front four panels changed, added more color and trees).
USO projections. The projection on top of the false proscenium were dangling flags. Rotating stars begins at 3:55.