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Roast
Turkey (continued)
Page 2 of 7
| Later
we went down to the studio and I did a portraiture workshop for about 20
people. It was a mixture of lighting people and designers. Once again, I
started with a comparison of the different light quality and control of
their different lamps. I managed to find a redhead, Mizar, 2K fresnel and
a soft. During the session I built up portrait lighting whilst describing
each step and what the various possibilities were. |
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Haluk and Mert left and centre. Haluk was on the Istanbul
lighting training course in 1999. |
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No
restaurant on the premises so it was back to the main building for lunch,
followed by a lighting workshop on the new set for a discussion programme,
which was being built.
A closer look at their lighting stock showed an urgent investment
requirement. 2K scoops, no rolling pantos or drop arms, no dual filament
lamps. O.K. Where to start?
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Quite a good grid system, but badly in need of updating. |
| An
early task was to get over the concept of having a ‘norm’ of running
lamps at 70% on the fader and all the advantages that it would give. It
was whilst I was diplomatically talking about the short comings of some of
their kit that my eyes alighted on a large box with many pipes and cabling
connected to it over one end of the studio. My Turkish colleagues saw my
eyes narrow as I tried to work out what it was. “It’s a laser, Mr.
Mike!” |
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“It’s
a what?” I said in some disbelief. “You have these old lamps that
desperately need either maintenance or replacement, and you have a
permanent laser?”
I remember, as
no doubt many of you will do, of the time (was it the mid 1980’s) when
lasers were ‘in’ in rock lighting in studios. My heart used to sink
when the Director would ask me if there were any potential problems. Well,
apart from the large power supply requirements, the equally large cooling
requirements and the safety requirements the size of Genesis (the book,
not the band) “no real problems to speak of”. Oh, and the time to rig
and the cost. Thank God for nice safe moving lights. At least they don’t
burn a hole in the cyc from 20 metres. Don’t ask.
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I
took the opportunity of the remaining daylight to have a walk around the
town and enjoy the nice late afternoon sunshine.
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My Hotel, The Kilim |
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That
evening, I went out for a meal with Mert, one of the lighting men who was
also making a good stab at learning English.
He
took me on a
dramatic drive up into the mountains to a splendid seafood restaurant Mavi
Yesil. (literally Blue-Green) I got the impression that Mert was keen to
learn and to improve his skills as much as possible. He was young and very
keen to become a Lighting Director. |
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The food, oh the food!! |
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Our
pleasant evening chatting about TRT, and this and that was given a
dramatic turn when Mert was breathalised on the way back down the long and
winding road some miles out of Izmir. Fortunately, I didn’t have to walk
the rest of the way, either Mert was under the limit or he knew the
policeman! |
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Mert stopped by the police to be breathalised. |
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