{"id":8668,"date":"2021-09-30T23:06:04","date_gmt":"2021-10-01T03:06:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/?p=8668"},"modified":"2021-10-04T17:44:08","modified_gmt":"2021-10-04T21:44:08","slug":"how-a-stage-design-legend-creates-sets-for-beyonce-lady-gaga-and-bruno-mars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/2021\/09\/30\/how-a-stage-design-legend-creates-sets-for-beyonce-lady-gaga-and-bruno-mars\/","title":{"rendered":"How A Stage Design Legend Creates Sets For Beyonce, Lady Gaga, And Bruno Mars"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Author: <\/strong>Mark Wilson<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Date: <\/strong>December 4th, 2015<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher: <\/strong>Fast Company<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leroy Bennett explains how he designs stages for the greats, from Paul McCartney to Beyonc\u00e9.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ve probably never heard of LeRoy Bennett<\/a>, but you know his customers: Bruno Mars, Nine Inch Nails, Madonna, Beyonce, Lady Gaga. For the past 30 years, Bennett has designed the lighting and set pieces for some of the biggest live acts in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tonight, you\u2019ll see his latest work take stage at The Game Awards 2015<\/a>, a video games award show for for which he created a super-high-contrast experience, with projectors shining through several layers of sets to make it look as if the digital world has come to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Co.Design caught up with Bennett to discuss the project, and learn how he manages to pull of what seems to be the greatest job in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
VIA SEVEN DESIGN WORKS<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How do you approach a new stage?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My rules with any set design or production design on any show, concert or TV always revolve around the subject. It has to pertain to what the essence of that subject is, whether it\u2019s an artist or a particular type of TV show. [But] I don\u2019t like to ever be obvious about things. I prefer the audience to kind of make up and piece things together the way they believe it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your work is basically abstract art. So how do you know a decision is the right decision?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lot of it\u2019s gut-based instinct. Music\u2019s always been a very visual thing for me, since I was five years old. I grew up\u2013mom was opera singer\u2013so I heard lots of classical music. Father was an interior designer, so it all sort of made me who I am.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I can\u2019t always explain what happens in the process. I can tell you practically why I\u2019ve come out with the things I do, but at lot of it I can\u2019t. It just comes out that way. I stand back and say, \u2018Okay, it\u2019s kind of working.\u2019 It\u2019s not like I go fearlessly, blindly into something. I know in my heart as I\u2019m designing stuff exactly how it\u2019s going to function and look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s your methodology to actually designing a stage?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I always start off with the actual structure, the stage set, and what that is. Stage and lighting are totally aligned. One affects the other. So I start with a structure first, and while I\u2019m doing that, thinking how is this going to light, where are the lights going in that. I start layering on the lights, which is another big thing. I like a sense of depth and transparency. You have to take the audience on a journey without beating them over the head with it.<\/q><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you start to build it, you have a vision of what it is, in a broad strokes sense, but once you get into rehearsal, physically, you say, \u2018I understand the personality, but it has more to it.\u2019 You start to really see all its potential. And that\u2019s when it\u2019s fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I present any design to any client, I present it in a way that they can see as much as they can\u2026and then I say, \u2018But, there\u2019s a lot more to this than you realize.\u2019 They look at me like, \u2018What?\u2019\u2013tilted dog head there\u2013\u2018What are you thinking?\u2019 I say, \u2018Just trust me.\u2019 Then they walk in and start to see it, and then it\u2019s, \u2018Oh my god, I didn\u2019t realize it was like this!\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s fun that way. I build [stages] because I like multiple personalities, because every artist has songs that are multiple emotions. Happy songs. Sad songs. Cinematic songs. You have to build a show that flows that way, so you\u2019re not seeing the same thing. Every song is its own story. You have to basically stimulate and take the audience on a journey without beating them over the head with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comments: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

LeRoy designs and creates some of the most elaborate stage designs and fashion show designs, and I think he could really utilize a large-scale 3D printer to help produce his visions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You could also be able to customize different shoes for different cities and performances. I think the ability to design a set on a computer and then just print it out will allow for imagination to run wild and even bigger and better concert venues will come out of it. 3D printing these props also can lead to more immersive fan experiences, which everybody is is hoping for nowadays. Working tandem with light and set designers will allow for all new experiences for venue goers. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Author: Mark Wilson Date: December 4th, 2015 Publisher: Fast Company Leroy Bennett explains how he designs stages for the greats, from Paul McCartney to Beyonc\u00e9. You\u2019ve probably never heard of LeRoy Bennett, but you know his customers: Bruno Mars, Nine Inch Nails, Madonna, Beyonce, Lady Gaga. For the past 30 years, Bennett has designed the lighting […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":8676,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-8668","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-uncategorized"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8668","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/53"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8668"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8668\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8678,"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8668\/revisions\/8678"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8676"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8668"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8668"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8668"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}