Week #1 - Kirk - Left Brain/Right Brain

Bo Burnham - What. 'Left and Right Brain' - YouTube


This is a (low resolution, sorry) screenshot from one of Bo Burnham's special's, What. The song in particular is called 'Left Brain/Right Brain', where two personifications of his brain fight over what is best for him. It is a very funny, also emotionally moving and somewhat brutal song about his mental health. I hadn't seen this show in a very long time, and after learning a thing or two about lighting design, I was struck by how incredibly clever and brilliant the design was for this song. The cool, calculated Left Brain is lit in this image; very drab, unemotional and cold, like the character. The contrasting character, the Right Brain, is lit with very intense and emotional colors relating to the whimsical nature of the character. Bo does an incredible job as a performer switching between the two characters, but the lighting does no small job in accentuating the themes and emotions, also making rapid changes between performance. I was honestly stunned after seeing this again, and inspired by the craftsmanship of Bo and his team in making this come to life.

Comments

  1. Lonnie AlcarazOctober 4, 2021 at 5:44 PM

    Very nice observances and an insight into how a lighting designer would approach the subject matter. So glad you were able to see it differently :)

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