KOCHI: Any stage art will lose their appeal unless complemented by proper lighting. And when it comes to modulating visibility on stage, it’s a process that involves lot of expertise. Only a skilled technician can arrange light in tune with the art form on stage, be it an opera, dance drama or concert. It’s the complete absence of professionals in this field that prompted Sreekant, a Thiruvananthapuram-based light designer, to start a course in association with Kerala University. “I think it’s for the first time in India a course is offered exclusively for stage lighting. It’s a three-month course called Light Designing for the Arts and Creative Industry and the first batch has completed their training,” says Sreekanth who has worked as light designer for over 45 global art fests.
The sole purpose of stage lighting is to create an ambiance that enhances the art, not to jar it, adds Sreekanth. Very often the light design is finalised after a string of interactions with the artist. “There are people who use the same lighting for cinematic dance and mohiniyattam. And by doing that they are spoiling the art form. You can’t use light senselessly, especially for classical dance performances with specific costumes as in mohiniyattam,” he says.
He adds a professional in this field should have an understanding of the art form along with technical skills. “Stage lighting is not about flooding the stage with all kinds of light. The first part is talking with the artist to create a proper light design that gels with the performance. Recently I was asked to set light for a dance production. In one of the sequences dancers are shown washing clothes. For that particular sequence they wanted a light pattern so that the focus is on the work and suffering, not the pretty dancers. I used some shadows and patches to make it a little vague so that the idea is communicated well,” says Sreekanth who adds that customising light is not always easy as it involves weaving the colour and texture into the mood of the performance. “For theatre there is another range of patterns. It’s entirely different from what you use for for corporate talks or film shoots.”
His Cameo Light Academy has a studio floor along with all the equipment where hands-on sessions are conducted. “Classes are handled by around experts in this field from various part of India,” says Sreekanth who has worked for some major events including Commonwealth Games. The first batch of Light Designing for the Arts and Creative Industry has completed their course and the convocation ceremony will be held in December first week. “It’s an area with abundant job opportunities. There are no technicians who can handle the latest lighting techniques installed in many theatres including Tagore in the city. Then in channel studios the lighting is still handled by armatures. The demand of qualified professionals in this field is increasing day by day,” he adds.