Saturday, January 29, 2011

Truths of life as lighting designer might see it

In Facebook I stumbled on these little movies about ordinary situations in everyday life of a light designer. Their laconic humor shares some experiences that are familiar to all of us in this line of work. Indisputable truths, one may say. This just happens, quite often...

"Meeting the Set Designer" by Corypattak:



"The Lighting truck arrives"


Hmm, somehow both of these conversations sound vaguely familiar... Why the heck I never get the rental car? =)

Monday, January 24, 2011

Busy busy fun On the Kitchen Table

Here is couple of press photos of my latest undertaking. Photographer is Uupi Tirronen / Kuvaunit

I have to admit that I cannot remember when I had as much fun doing a production as this time. The week we had on the actual venue was heavy and tiring, but also very rewarding. It turned out pretty much as me and the choreographer had been discussing all along. 


I hope the fun we had also shows on the outcome. We are hoping to to create a new fusion between the contemporary dance and the music of Mariska. A fusion that would interest wider audiences by combining these two fields. The aesthetical approach lies more along the lines of rock concert than a traditional way of staging dance.

Here's what the choreographer and musician think of the concept:






For getting into the mood:










- Live versions are somewhat more energetic, rock and rough. Come and check it out yourself if you're around in Helsinki this or next week.









ON THE KITCHEN TABLE (event description in Facebook)

Satu Tuomisto’s new choreography sets the table with a feast of fierce dance, flirtatious Finnish tunes, adult games, big hopes and a pile of broken taboos. 


 
The music is composed and performed by ex-rap artist turned grown-up singer-songwriter Mariska, accompanied by her band Pahat Sudet. Four dancers deliver an electric performance with the ever-energetic Mariska and her band. The old factory hall Pannuhalli fills up with dance, music, singing and talking. And at times the silence falls.


The premiere on Sat 22nd Jan will be followed by a unique dance club event. Join in some funky group choreography, let your body do its thing and sample our home-made pancakes! Beats will be provided by legendary Basso radio DJ Selecta Andor. Competitions, surprise performances and more: Don’t miss this one, dance yourself happy! Over 18s only.


Choreography, concept and directing: Satu Tuomisto
Music: Mariska & Pahat Sudet
Performers: Mariska, Luis Herrero, Jaakko Jakku, Klaus Suominen, Satu Elovaara, Elena Ruuskanen, Petri Kauppinen, Teemu Korjuslommi
Light design: Minna Heikkilä
Photos: Marko Rantanen
Production: Zodiak – Center for New Dance, Satu Tuomisto, Mariska & Pahat Sudet



Premiere 22.1.2011 at 7 pm Pannuhalli

Other performances
26.1 at 7 pm
28.1 at 7 pm
29.1 at 7 pm
1.2 at 7 pm


On the Kitchen Table in the Facebook

Who cut my wings? (lots of yammering)

Oh boy, how time flies. It's been already a month since my last post. I spent two short weeks in Basel during Christmas and flew then via Berlin  back to Finland to continue this dance production we've been rehearsing.

But it was somewhat hairy to get home.....

09:00 Saturday
I woke up with a flu on Saturday 18th Dec. This pissed me seriously off. I was supposed to leave Helsinki on the following day, 19th of Dec with Lufthansa.
18:00
Early on that Saturday evening I got a sms from the airline telling me that my flight was cancelled. My easy Sunday in Helsinki flew outta the window at that second. Had to re-schedule everything and run for my shopping right then and there, before all the stores close. After trying to reach the given customer care number for hours, I decided to skip sleeping and just head to the airport to sort it out.

03:00 Sunday
Packing my shit and drinking beer.
05:00
Left for the airport. Met an italian guy at the bus stop, who studies information technology in Espoo. Services at the airport opened at 06:00 in the morning and by that time there was already an hour long line to the counter.
07:30 
I got my booking re-scheduled for 13:30 that same afternoon. Problem solved, get some shut-eye.
09:00
I woke up in the lobby and saw an Asian girl standing in front of the check-in counters of Lufthansa. Nevermind.
10:00
Woke up the next time around 10:00 and saw the same girl still there. At this point I got up and went to the neigboring Blue1 counter to ask if they knew anything about the non-existing Lufthansa personnel. Very nice lady told me that all the flights to Frankfurt have been cancelled. Great. 
At the airport there was no announcement whatsover on the behalf of Lufthansa to inform people. At this point there was around hundred people in the line to the arrival services.
12:30
Sms from Lufthansa apologizing the inconveninence of cancelling my flight. Me, and the Asian girl I took along with me (who also studies information technology in Espoo), lined up to the service counter from 10:00 until 19:30 in the evening, because there was at times only one clerk to sort out the flights. Pheeew, fever rising with uncontrollable chills. This sucked big time. Vaguely wondering why everybody seems to study information technology in Espoo and why they all want away from there at the same time...
18:00
There is a lady circling among the waiting passengers telling everybody should just go home. Yeah right, would you? After waiting 7 hours and there being only 20 people in line in front of you, instead of 100? NO way. Getting worried about my groceries I had in my luggage.

19:30
When I finally got to the counter again they booked me to yet another Frankfurt flight. Crazeeeee! There was thousands of people stuck in FRA and police keeping them in order. Why on earth send even more agitated passengers there? Anyhow, the clerk refused to find any other solution and gave me booking for the 06:30 flight the next morning. I suggested re-routing via Münich or anything, but no luck. She would have sent me home to wait, but fortunately I was stubborn enough to get me a hotel room for the night.
20:00
By the time I got to the hotel some ten minutes away from the airport, there was yet another sms from Lufthansa apologizing the inconvenience of cancelling my connecting flight again. Checking that my food stuff is still hanging in there with me. All good. Borrowing some space in the freezer of the hotel.

So, what to do?
- Go back to the airport where the line had reached the next terminal, estimated waiting time another 8 hours? Not cool.
- Go to the airport next morning and try to fly to Frankfurt to see how many days one can get stuck there, or at least go there and lose the luggage for undetermined time?
Not cool.
- Go to my mum's with my flu and spend the holidays there?
Not cool.

So, I went online and bought myself a direct Blue1 flight from Helsinki to Zürich next morning, for peachy price of 660€. Checked myself in and went to sleep.

08:30 Monday
Back on the airport again. My so called 06:30 flight to FRA was still standing on the field. I dropped of my luggage and went for a coffee.
10:00
There is an announcement that our Blue1 flight will be delayed for 2 hours, because German flight control won't give us the permission to take off. -Because there is not enough personnel to control the flights on the German air space. What the F**K? What flights? Nothing is moving out there? Go figure....
15:00
Finally on my way from Zürich to Basel... Pheeeew.

Tuesday
Sleeping the whole day and wishing to die to end the suffering of sniffing and couching.