As I am writing this, I am sitting in the Edinburgh Central Youth Hostel relaxing before I leave to see my final two shows (Oedipus and The Wheel). The Hostel is quite lively and very accommodating. It’s a BEAUTIFUL day and I can’t wait to get out and take some pictures and such since it’s been rainy for a couple of days.
 |
| Street advertisement for Oedipus |
Last night we went to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo as a closing night celebration! The Tattoo is on the grounds of the castle and basically, a performance showing off Scotland’s Military Band along with other performances. I’m also pretty sure that I found the perfect job… wait for it… being on the Lighting Crew for the Tattoo. This idea all started when I saw a girl walking around with a sweatshirt that said “Lighting Crew Edinburgh Military Tattoo”. Before seeing her, I hadn’t really thought about lighting in relationship to the Tattoo but now that I have seen the show, I can’t imagine it without the lighting and projections. I was amazed. The stadium where the Tattoo is held is quite large and holds about 7,000 people but the lights have to be hung BEHIND the audience, a good distance away from the performance space. I was first amazed how detailed the lighting was for a space so large, and then, the projections started. These were not traditional projections projected onto a screen; these projections were projected onto THE CASTLE. The projector(s) were across the stadium and yet, the projections were extremely clear and moved/changed flawlessly.
 |
| Lots, and lots, and lots of bagpipes. |
 |
| The castle literally changed colors. |
 |
| Drawbridge Projection. |
 |
| This is the the projector that was located across from the castle and still produced a clear image. |
 |
| Every time a group came through the castle, it looked like the Wizard of Oz. |
 |
| Pretty gobs! |
 |
| This projection moved during the "fishing dance". |
 |
| Clearly the projections were well aligned. |
 |
| Union Jack projection during the finale. |
After all of the performances, there is a big fireworks show and since we went on Saturday night, there were more than ever! It was a beautiful experience (especially from a lighting standpoint) and also gave me an insight into Scottish heritage and the sense of national pride they have. Here's a video from the grand finale with all the performers on stage!
Cheers!
